I have whats left of an old 452 race motor and I want to build a street motor (500-1000 miles/yr?) as cost effectively as possible. here's what I have-

A '68 block (full fill),aluminum caps,zero decked with venolia flat tops, bme rods, and an eagle crank.
Set of roller lifters/bronze gear
Just ordered a set of Pro Comp cnc'ed heads c/w 1.5 rockers (supposed to flow similar to cnc'd victors)not M/W.

It would be pump gas(but I could cut it with C16 if needed) and goes into a 68RR (3800 lbs) and has to fit under a stock hood (not 6pack). Maybe 650 as a goal for hp?

I was going to sell off the crank rods & pistons and get a stroker kit but am wondering if the money saved could be used more effectively on somthing else?

I was thinking a relatively mild mech. roller cam (I have the lifters and springs already)

the compression with 72 cc heads would be 12/1 I think- could I make this work with a custom cam (we're 3500ft here)

What about opening the intake to M/W?

No point picking intake/carb till I figure everything else out.

What do ya think?

I would think a flat tappet cam would be plenty with something in the .620 range and would be easier on valvetrain parts. Look what Wild Bill's motor made with 9-1 compression. That simply amazed me. These aftermarket heads are doing wonders with mopar engines. Bill's 452 made 600hp.

Sell the roller stuff instead of the rotating assembly. Still, at 12:1 this isn't going to be a real street friendly engine, potent yes, street friendly no. MW porting might increase the air flow but your intake selection (especially one that keeps everything under the hood) may be limited. There's lots of knowledge on this board, hopefully you'll get some more folks to jump in on this one. Let us know how it turns out.

I would sell the short block and start over. With the tall fill you will never be able to keep it cool on the street.

I would be inclined to spec out an endurance or street type roller cam, and see if the springs you have are compatable. A roller will have as much chance or better of living on the street as a flat tappet, especially with the poor oil we now have. Either way, I would look into off road oil to get enough zddp (zinc) in it for the parts to live.
If you can fit the stroker into the budget, that is a big plus, especially for a street motor. The more cubes, the bigger the smile you will have.
The filled block will be a heat issue, and will need an oil cooler most likely. Depends on what / how you drive. If you plan on any long drives, I say no to the filled block. If you can get E85, that might work out real well with the filled block.
I would look at a performer rpm intake, and about an 800 cfm carb. 1 7/8 headers, and if you are willing to mix fuel or run E85, 12.5 compression. That should get you there.

For a street motor, I don't like the aluminum rods or the tall fill block. The fill will make the water temp cooler, but overheat the oil in street driving. If you try it, put an oil temperature gauge on it, and be prepared to run an oil cooler setup.

Double check your compression ratio calculation. A 452 CID with flat top pistons and 72cc heads would typically be closer to 11.5 CR than 12 CR. Check the valve relief size (3-5 cc), head gasket thickness (0.039 typical), piston to deck distance, etc. With a thicker head gasket or piston down the hole 0.017" the CR might be just fine for premium pump gas with aluminum heads and a long duration cam.

Thanx everybody for your responses

Ya,I know the filled block isn't too cool-would run an oil cooler for sure.

I guess a stroker kit would fix the compresson problem too but I was thinking the shorter stroke would kill some bottom end torque and let the smaller tires hook.
No e-85 here
Agree I don't NEED a roller cam but...

Mine`s a 400 stroker(470)but I run a true 12.11 comp. w/rpm heads and a fairly agressive Isky roller cam w/.680-.660 lift and 275-280 dur. @ .050 and has ran flawlessly on the street/track going on 5 years. I dont fill my blocks so no experience there but I put the roller myths at bay and have many passes and miles w/just regular oil/filter changes and lash adjustements. I almost forgot......go w/the 8 3/4, you wont be dissapointed.