wap,

In all seriousness, I like to over-build my shortblocks for strength, too. That being said, let me tell you from first-hand 429/460 engine building experience that you are mis-spending your project funds by using a 4-bolt block and a forged crank and aluminum heads if all you want is a modest 450-550 hp. You can do that easily with the oem iron heads, oem cast crankshaft, oem 2-bolt block, oem head holts and oem main bolts. How can I be so sure? Because we have generated THREE TIMES the horsepower from those parts and they lived. (Kids, don't try this at home.) You obviously have yet to learn just how strong the factory 429/460 componentry truly is. I have a customer runnink 737 hp with a 2-bolt block at 6000 rpm sustained up the Colorado River in his boat and has beeing running it for years and years.

Money spent on a 4-bolt block (or 4-bolting a block) + aluminum heads + forged crank and aftermarket rods (judging by the way you are leaning) would be thsouands more than you need to spend for 500 +/- hp. OEM 460 parts can do that in their sleep, if you know the proper combination.

All 460 blocks are good ones for such a build. For a brief description of detailed block differences, click HERE.

Paul
www.highflowdynamics.com