My post was to gain some experience from the group. I have been building 440's for many years and yes the aftermarket block is definitely the way to go. I sold my race car this spring, which had an aftermarket aluminum block which I was very pleased with. I am 67 and decided to build one more fun race car from all the collected parts in the shop, and not burden my family with trying to sell or get rid of them. A functioning car is a much better way to sell them off when needed. I have a fresh 440 block bored and ready to assemble that I have had for 10 years in a plastic sack. From my experience number 2 main cap is the most likely to break, and I have had the concrete blocks crack on the outside, usually if you measure the cylinder walls they are barrel shaped, so the pressure transmitted through the concrete is what cracked the blocks. Got one coming in with just that condition. But I have a 34 Ford fiberglass body which has been sitting for 15 years, and I decided to make it a race car instead of a street rod, Going to use a Mopar drive train and a 34 dodge grill shell, and just call it a 34 Dodge. should come in at 2,500 lbs so 550 HP will get it into the tens, which is all I want to do. Don't want the hassle of certified chassis, NHRA drivers license, heavy hot fire suit, etc. Just want to go to the track and make some fun runs, and maybe bracket race a little, and hit a few nostalgia drags. So I don't want to drop a lot of dollars, I want to use up what I have, bang for the buck.
I will post a picture if anybody wants to see the progress.