A tough pill to swallow, but probably good advice for the long run.

For comparison:
69 Dart, Street/strip car, 3500+ race weight
505, about 11.2cr, running mixed gas
MW sized ez heads, Indy 440-3 manifold, 1050/4500 carb
268* roller cam
9.5” converter, 4.10 gears
Has gone 9.86 in the 1/4...... drove car to the track.

I always find these topics interesting. The 498 RB I had in the Mirada was a tractor engine. It was quite happy with a 5800 shift point and trapped just above 6k. High 9 package in a 3300lb car. Maybe the low rpm is what helped that poor thing live.

4500 M1 Stage VI intake and a 1050 really woke it up on the high end over the 4150 intake and the 850. So much so we pulled the 56 gear and went 4.10 and it picked up more.

5800rpm shift point...... and as I recall it had a 277@.050 cam in it.