Generally a small block (by virtue of its superior head design, i.e, Valve angle, position in the bore, port area for nominal displacement) will make more horsepower per cube than a B/RB. By that I simply mean starting in stock form it's easier to make a 400 horse 340 than it is to make a 515 horse 440 (same hp per cube).

But most economical is to start with more cubes without stroking so it's easier to make say a 515 horse 440 than it is to build a 475 horse stroker 408, (again same hp/cube) so starting with a bigger motor to start is most economical. $1 in the heads is worth $3 in the shortblock, it's a good rule of thumb, and so if that shortblock is already bigger you're that much ahead.

My fwiw, You can build a bullet proof stock stroke steel crank 440 that will make 600 hp easier than you can build a 550 horse 408 stroker out of a 360, $1 in the heads is worth 3 in the shortblock.

Best bang for the buck for ~600 horse is a zero deck ~11:1 steel crank 440 with well ported indy SR heads that flow about 335-340 on the intake, a good solid cam in the 255/260 @.050 range and .560 to .580-ish lift cut on 108 in at 105, 1 7/8 or 2" headers, full 3" exhaust, a good ported single plane (or ported indy dual plane) intake, and at least an 850 double pumper. ( a 950 will be better up top) I'd say this would compare in HP/ET to about a 565 horse 408 in the same car with very well ported E heads. the difference is you can build the 440 for less.

Strokers are great but there's absolutely nothing wrong with a solidly built well thought out 'old school' 440

600 horses could put a 3400 pound (with driver) car in the mid 10's but the stall and chassis need to be dialed dead-on and you can't do it with 3.55 gears. (4.10's) The basic motor I've lined out (one I've built several times) will make about 630 or 1.4 hp/cube, and peak power right around 6100-6200 with very strong torque.

I don't think you could build a 408 with comparable power per cube (and you'd actually need more per cube since the motor is only about 60 pound lighter) for the same $$$. A good builder could get close with (for example) a set of well ported econo w2's and a cast crank to save $$$.

I know of a Challenger, street trim, 500"BB, OOTB Eddys, relatively small cam, 727, 3.23, 28" tire, that runs in the 11s. Shifter in D. Hardly trying, so to speak.
Seems for a SB combo to pull that off without more converter & gear it would have to be WELL into the 400" range.
It's gonna take a lot of torque to pull that tall gear into the 10.50s.
Now, if the car could be lightened up a bunch, or you could live with more converter & gear, a big SB would close that gap some. The turbo or Vortech path is also a valid consideration, but hurts the bragging rights if you know what I mean.

318/340/360, your choice. Forged internals, ported edelbrocks, $600 dollar S475. Mild camshaft, 12-14 lbs boost will easily make 650-700 horse. Should easily go mid 10's, and turbo cars lovvvvve tall gears.

Turbos are not simple, lots of plumbing of intake and exhaust, any free space under the hood is gone, lots of heat under the hood, got to have the right blow off valves, ignition timing becomes a lot more critical... lots more complicated. You have to have some kind of head turbo or not, econo W2s are very reasonable, got to have some kind of crank weather turbo or not and 4.25 is very reasonable for a big block or small block, you got to have rods and pistons weather it is turbo or not, a nice stroker can be had for either one very easily and if you are building a bottom end to handle 15lbs of boost it will not cost any more to build a big stroker with out the added complexity up top.

As for the weight differance in BB and SB I was stateing the weight differance I personally measured between a 67 440/727 and a 71 340/904 (I know a 340 never came with a 904 but the one from a 318 bolts right up ) both still had the iron intakes iron heads... and the differance between the two was almost exactly #200 a low deck might be a little closer but I did not have one to weigh.

I have gone 10.30s at 3450 lbs with a stroked (535) rb, 11/1 compression and a 590 cam with 1.7 rockers. I doubt it will take much more than that to go 10.50s at 3700 (?) lbs. That motor had ported 906 heads (280 cfm flow tops?), and pistons way down the hole. Fairly cheap stuff, from my perspective. With the availability of cheap heads that will flow 300 cfm with nothing more than a bowl port, I don't see how a small block can compete. Even if you have heads that flow as well, less cubes will raise the rpms. My deal was shifted at 5700 rpm. I doubt a small block stroker can compare to that. A very tight converter and a set of 3.54 or 3.73 gears and you should get there. I ran 4.10s with a 33 inch tall slick to go 131 mph with that 535.
You just can't beat big cubes for a streeter.

a 904 is a lot lighter than a 727, (I'm guessing 40 pounds) but an aluminum head/WPH and intake big block is maybe 90 pounds more than a comparable aluminum small block, I don't see 200 pounds combined though, maybe 140?
Pretty sure my 517 low deck is as light or lighter than an all aron 340.

I do know that Small block iron heads are typically 2 pounds heavier than a BB and possibly the intakes (iron or aluminum) are heavier as well. The iron Small block w/caps is about 60 pounds lighter (~165 vs 225 w/caps)

Wow, all this talk about how easy BB's are to get all that power out of makes me excited to get my 505 Indy Headed Charger fired up. However, I can say with experience, and yes I'm lighter, but my eddy headed very simple 408 full interior street legal 68 Cuda goes 10.86 @ 120. Yes I'm lighter, not sure how much, but I'm sure I'm at 3200 lbs. Pump gas also. Nothing exotic, and should go 10.70's after my winter updates. As of now, I say really well thought out SB stroker is what I would opt for. Remember, you still want to be able to turn every now and then. I've yet to ride in a BB A-body that doesn't plow when turning. But,yes, you have an E body. Sorry for the long rant.

i have a bigblock 440 non stroker and friends have smallblocks with 4.0 cranks and all out indy heads on the small ones.all cars are A bodys but add the weight to et numbers and do the math.
my build is a 440 with old indy heads 270cc runners @ around 335cfm. stock crank carrillo k rods je pistons 2.19/1.88 262/265 around .640 lift 3170 with me in it.3rd pass ever on new engine 10.20 @131 with the converter way too loose at 5800.
the 4" crank small block guys cars are wicked fast small blocks. everything in the engine is good stuff. only the block is stock.
they work real well but are already built with full roller and the biggest valves indy will let installed with out rubbing.(the guide location sucks. some are .015 different or more between the valves.
there are many pros and cons to the great bigblock small block topic.

i have a non high strung 440. they have extreemly well running 4" small blocks with fully ported heads and full roller cams. i can get around 370 to 380cfm fully ported. i am going to lean twards being a 440 or 400 block with a 3.9" crank for the E body.
just remember go small block r3 or higher the weight thing may get closer to a bigblock.
either way it will haul ass cause it is not a ford or gm product. just have to look at where you end up with either combo. money wise if it is the same either way the bigblock combo will have more to throw at it eaiser. but it is impressive when a duster runs real low 10s on a stock block 4" small block A body and not having to hit 8000 rpms.
have fun what ever way you go. i love my 440. just get someone who cares to do the machineing. my block was done on a cnc engine mill.
the other guy was fired LOLOLOL.

Why is it every few weeks someone starts a post like this? Then everyone who does BB's post how they think it is the best. Then the SB guys come back with their proof of how fast some of these engines are.

Personally I like the small block. All out race efforts the small blocks are really strong especially in a weight to cubic inch enviroment.

But, I can not ignore that Muscle Motors has a Predator combo for $20,000. That stuff really makes some go.

Class racing BB has to carry more weight. A RB has to carry 200 lbs on the front over a SB. I know I have ran both in the same truck. 5,300 with a stock 360 and 5,500 with a stock 440. The 440 was a better engine in the truck.

Carry on with your pointless arguements.

I've traveled all over the eastern US showing what my Small Blocks can do. I think the performance of my 468 small block speaks for itself.

PS. A 8.8 deck small block is still 200 lbs lighter than your low deck BB. Another pointless arguement.

Leon

leon can we ask how much that 468 cost total package for the engine?

Does your small block Ford buddy happen to be driving a Fox body Mustang?

Sure.

When I first built, it was a 457. Only bored 4.200". I bought the block from Arrington ($1,900). The heads from Patterson ($3,500). Cam tunnel done by Precision Products ($300) and the rest of the block at Tim Davis'(just over $1,000). The cost including the fogger system($600) was less than $10,000. I already had the LA enterprises crank but only paid $1,500 for it second hand but never used. The Jesel rocker system traded even for another set bought on Ebay for $200.

That engine really came together well and a lot of deals just worked out. I worked my butt off building it and only paid labor on block work.

I have a lot more invested in the 421 CID engine in the car now. Mostly because I paid for a complete shortblock. I had to completely redo.

Leon

You guys remember Weedlayer(whatever happened to him?)He had fast SB Challenger, IIRC, it was N/A too. The Other Dodge had one too, but he used a little of the juice to get in the 10s.

The OP said his goal is mid 10s, that seems like wishful thinking without a power adder, IMHO.

Doug Sloan where you at? He has street driven Cuda that just ran 10.53 a couple weeks ago.