It has the Mopar Performance "9.0:1" cast replacement pistons. They barely made 8.0:1 with the edelbrock heads. I don't think I even checked the ring gap when it went together way back when.It was a quickie/weekend build. Drove it about 120K miles after that in the Newport before the boosted abuse began.Could probably put a new gasket in it and go, but I have almost all the parts to assemble the 470. Many parts will be transfered from the 383.I think at 15-18lbs. shifting at 5500 r.p.m. it would have lived indefinitely.I took out a Crane204/216 .427"/.454" cam and put in a Crower 271 H.D.P. and I think it lost a little power and gained some lope at idle. I would suggest a lope free cam unless a proper custon cam is going to be used.