ive ben readin all this.i have a454 truck engine too.i too am a beginer at engine building.ive ben told that 400hp can be made with this engine fairly easy.port the peanut heads,cam and lifters,and better intake.even use the same carb.tq is where its at.this can be done on the cheep.that other 100 hp is costley from what i have found.this is my first engine build.i want to start out with a pretty simple build.i would like to have some large oval port heads,but these truck heads will work well with a port job from what ive ben told.these changes to the 454 are only gona cost about 500 bucks.now thats cheep power.im not tryin to change your mind,but this is a good way to start and you can do it yourself with some advice from these fellers who do know how to build on.