Sounds like a pretty nice combo. Im a big block guy, but I'll add my .02 cents for what it's worth. Is this primarily a street car? I would have a slight concern about grinding on those rods, and then not having the rotating assy. rebalanced. I doubt it will be an issue, but it makes me think. Also, I agree with BigTruckDriver, the carb is big for the engine. But then again, it's a vacuum secondary, so it's more forgiving in that aspect. If you dont jet up to much on the primarys, you'll be OK. I actually ran an Eddy 800 on my 454 for about a week, and honestly it ran like crap! I hope you dont have that problem! Anyhow, a good HEI will be fine, dont spend a ton on a fancy HEI. Even a stock will likely support anything you're planning for this engine. You can always re-curve the advance if you want for about $12.00. And be careful with the spray, and those hyper pistons. If you were going to use nitrous, you really should have gone with forged, only would have been a tad more. Just my opinion. But have fun, sounds great. John