My choice would be a 4.25 stroke, 6.535 rod, piston set up for Max compression you are willing to run. Cubes and compression are very effective in upping the hp potential of your build . .043 top and second rings, gas ports, don't worry about rod length or piston pins height being her n the rings. Check to see if it is possible to cut the closed side of the piston only. That will create a bit more compression and cost about as much as a thick cometic gasket, or less. Watch out for valve to piston clearance, or the need to add some.
If you are going to spend money to build a good motor, why not build it to make an extra 75 to 100 hp by employing all the changes you can that add power? A b body isn't light. Build the 512. Use narrow rings. They work, and live. What heads do you plan to use?
I like this line of thinking. As said above, my CNC Stealths will have to do for the purposes of this discussion. But the obvious next step could be a set of real race heads at some point.
Regarding compression: I really like being able to run pump gas. I’ve been running non-ethanol 93 from a local street pump. The cost factor of race fuel, especially with the direction the price of gas is going is a reality that is hard to ignore. I think I
could go to 11.25 - maybe 11.5:1 with perhaps at least a mixture of mostly pump fuel. ?? I really don’t want to be roped into $14- / gallon fuel just to go bracket racing.
