My experience:

- Never buy an engine you can't hear run and thoroughly check out unless you're willing to tear it down, evaluate and rebuild if necessary.

- The only thing that beats cubic inches is cubic dollars.

- If you can get a ratmotor with 454 inches, why consider one with 396 - unless your granny gave it to you? Oh, then think twice.

- Even a low performance 454 with an iron crank and oval port heads can run like a scaldedarsecat with the right cam, carburetor, distributor curve and a little head work. In fact, on the street, the oval port heads make power down where you need it. I pulled one out of a late 60's (I think) station wagon, rebuilt it, put in a Comp Cams 292 magnum kit, 3-angle valve jog, balanced it, dual plane manifold, 780 Holley, headers. It ran high elevens / low twelves on street tires and closed exhaust in my 30 A-bone sedan.