BlownGoat on here was helping me decide on what to use when I build my 454 and he was telling me to use Eagle crank and rods and JE pistons with around 11:1 compresson. I plan to run my engine on pump gas and then raise the octane level when at the strip a bit for better performance because my 48 will be on the street at local hot rod meets, local cruises, etc not JUST the strip. Oh and when me and BlownGoat were talking about the power on the 454 we were talking around 600-650 so 500 will be good with Eagle crank and rods and JE pistons. Not sure about the original crank if it checks out right since I have little experience with high performance engines and still learning, I am just telling you what I have learned so far from members on the boards.