I've been helping some racers who run BB Chevy engines. Very easy to make power with the current generation of BB Chevy parts. 572 bracket motor with 24 degree heads will make 1000 hp. All parts are off the shelf and fairly inexpensive. Order the stuff from Summit, put it together and go run high 8's in a door slammer.
From my experience, the only place you'll save money on the Chevy is the block. Everything else is pretty much the same cost. And most 18 degree (Duke/Chief, not cheap...I usually mess with p/n 1802 they are 2100 a piece ...4200 for a pair of heads, 420 $ for the studs and 2500$ for Jesel stuff.) stuff at 600 cubes usually run 7:30-7:50 at around 180 here in a dragster (pretty sure that's not even 1000hp). Most of the Chevy guys I know will take a stock 454, put 12.5 to one pistons in it and an .800 plus lift roller in their street car. On here we'll worry about weather a lobe will live in this or that application. They Chevy guys just keeps stuffing the biggest everything they can at it (which makes used stuff plentiful and cheap). I would think you can get a Mopar top end in the 6800 (Heads ,rockers, studs) dollar range to go just as quick. I'm with you on the block price but everything is pretty much a wash. Stock block bracket stuff Mopar might even be cheaper . BBC stuff is pretty expensive.
