Who makes the best for the money, the motor will only make about 500hp max and be at 6500 RPM's. I could use stock rods but was wanting to know what you guys are using.

Best for the money...Carillo. Do you need them? No. Eagle H beams will be fine for what you are building.

No reason not to run stock rods if you have them. Throw a set of decent bolts in them, and have at it.

I ran stockers in my 500hp 340 to 7200rpm for many many years without issue.

I also ran stock rods for the first 3 years in my turbo car between 550hp-700hp. Max 6200 rpm on a 360. You don't need an eagle h beam for what you're doing.

If you're hung up on putting an aftermarket rod in it, I'd look at the Scat Pro Comp I beams. They are about $365, pretty good bang for the buck.

https://m.summitracing.com/parts/sca-26123

I bought a set of Scat I beam rods for my latest 408 C.I. pump gas street motor build I'm hoping it makes close to 500 HP on Oregon 91 octane pump swill

I know people don't like them but Eagle I beams held without any issues in my 475 hp 340 for five years turning 64-6600. If I ever rebuild it they'll go back in it.

I am looking at rods for the 273 Stocker build. The 273 rods are 727g each. Pretty heavy. I seem to remember the 340 rods being around 758g. The NHRA minimum weight is 655g, but is a reference number. The SCAT rods look like a good choice for a low HP engine like the 273 but aren't on the NHRA approved list. Anyone have a weight on those rods? Someone on Moparts had a set of Eagle I-beams for $125. Maybe that would be a good deal for someone? I couldn't use them since they aren't on the approved list, just the H-beams. The Manleys are the lightest on the approved list right at the minimum.

OEM 273 rods must be lighter than OEM 340/360 rods. They are very visibly thinner in the beam. But with NHRA weighing the assembly rather than individual components, there would seem to be some wiggle room on each part, as long as the minimum overall weight is maintained.

No NHRA rulebook handy at the moment, but do they have or got rid of the "one untouched rod" rule I thought I saw somewhere at one time? Pads could be cut down on OEM rods.

Yeah, the 273 rods are about 30g lighter than the 340/360 rods, but still 70g heavier than the minimum. What rods do you run in your stocker? I found a post of the SCAT I-beams on eBag of 595g. I seem to remember them being 605g, either way they would never be accepted as NHRA legal. Yeah, I think they weigh everything together. Not sure they use the old "one rod and one piston unmodified" from many years ago. Now it's "normal balancing", however they define that.

Have you been running a car in NHRA stock class?
I did for around 15 yrs, I was toss out once for having a bead blasted intake back in 1975, I knew it was illegal and forgot to switch it before taking the car to the 1975 Winternationals, my fault
If your planning on building a car that runs fast enough to always qualify more than one second under the index and set the NHRA class record I wouldn't worry to much about being told to pull a rod and piston out of the car, unless you really make someone who can make you do that mad at you at the races
I've help more than one division 7 NHRA stock and SS racers set NHRA Worlds records and win NHRA World championships, one of them may have had to pull a rod and piston out of a SS/A car back east when they set the SS/A record 20 Yrs + ago, maybe not, I wasn't at that race

Scat ProComp I beam is a fantastic piece for the $$ we run them in 600HP alky engines turning 0ver 7500 --they are Oliver copy --pretty trick units for the loot These are NOT the std I beam they also feature a short 7/16ths bolt

Scat rods here, 500hp 416. RPM to about 6,500. ARP bolts.

Mine are Brand X journals with 927 pins so they might be a tad lighter than the Mopar-specific rods they offer. I don't remember the part # off hand.

Nice rods and like said, around $300 something bucks.

FWIW, ran the "645" 340 rods in an almost 500 HP 340 for years with only good bolts. 3200# stick car shifting at 7000 RPM. But it was a bracket car and those rods are heavier than the 273 rods, so for a stocker build you may want to use aftermarket as permitted.

My mind was focused on Stock, but a 273 making anywhere near 500 HP would need to be in Super Stock, and at a higher rpm than 6500. Either way, we're stuck with the NHRA approved list. Eagles are the best deal and I have a set of K-1 as well. But properly prepped/checked 273/early 318 rods should work well. However I don't know if they can be legally trimmed down to be lighter than the Eagle H-beams. I do know of a 360 Stock racer who had used the 273 rods with success, and 360 pistons are a bit heavier than 273.

I'm figuring the 273-4bbl needs to make between 300 HP (run the L/SA index of 12.70) to 350 HP (maybe -.50 to -.70). Most of the rods are in the 700g range. The Manleys are closer to the minimum weight, but pricier. A lot of them are Chevy rods, but I need to keep the Mopar .948" piston pin.

ROD MANUFACTURER NOTES PART NUMBER NOTES
EAGLE B.E. 2.250 S.E. 0.984 Length 6.123 Wgt 695 CR6123 SB Mopar
K1 B.E. 2.250 S.E. 0.984 Length 6.123 Wgt 701 DH6123ANPB1 SB Mopar
PBM PERF PRODUCTS B.E. 2.225 S.E. 0.927 Length 6.126 Wgt 712 CR6125 SB Chev Large Journal (SCAT)
LUNATI B.E. 2.225 S.E. 0.927 Length 6.125 Wgt 665 LAE-1 LS-1 Rod
TRICK FLOW SPECIALIES B.E. 2.225 S.E. 0.927 Length 6.125 Wgt 670 TFS-36612500 SB Chev Large Journal
CROWER B.E. 2.250 S.E. 0.984 Length 6.120 Wgt 668 B93031 SB Mopar
CAT B.E. 2.250 S.E. 0.984 Length 6.123 Wgt 725 CRS-6123 SB Mopar
MANLEY B.E. 2.250 S.E. 0.875 Length 6.125 Wgt 655 14445 SB Mopar
MANLEY B.E. 2.225 S.E. 0.927 Length 6.125 Wgt 668 14155C SB Chev Large Journal
Carrillo B.E. Specify S.E. Specify Length 6.116 Wgt 655 CR-340Q4<SA-6125H SUPER STOCK ONLY
Crower B.E. 2.000 S.E. 0.927 Length 6.115 Wgt 655 ML93902B5 SUPER STOCK ONLY

NHRA weighs the piston, pin, ring, rod total assy. weight in teardown. Individual component weights don't matter.
Ok to use the heavier rods and make the piston & pin assy. lighter than listed minimum weights. I'd want less weight furthest away from the crankshaft, as long as piston & pin structural integrity is maintained.

What is the thinking here, put more mass in the rotating assy? I would think less rotating mass (big end of the rods, etc.) would mean more off the counterweight. You only get about 50% or so of reciprocating mass off the counterweight.