My original combo was way LOW $$$... $200 Duster, 8 3/4 with 3.91 (came in a free car), 727 with a manual valve body ($500), $200 Ebay 8" converter, $50 shot out hooker fenderwell headers, engine was a bone stock 400 ($300 on ebay), used a free Comp .501 cam, and out of the box edelbrocks ($1200 the only thing that I paid full $$$ for) and a big shot plate system with 225 jetting... Went 10.50s all day long on 91 octane... Originally when I got it running I was about $5K into it with a cromoly cage, and mini tubs...