Derek: I'm re-thinking the supercharger issue. The Whipple looks pretty tempting, especially for my 8:1 motor. I would certainly call whipple and ask them about your concerns about longevity. I've listed some questions, I would ask, in my post about welding up combustion chambers.

I don't know if you've done any price looking but add this one to your list.

http://www.superchargers4less.com/whipple/gm454.htm