One reason for lower compression ratio is to avoid detonation. By choosing the aluminum heads the heat is drawn off fast enough that you can run 10:1 on pump gas without an issue.

also, so we have to run 92. No big deal as the car will not be daily driven so any additional cost is minimal. I mean, it has a whopping 400 miles since last summer on it - 2 tank fulls of gas at even 50 cent a gallon more is not much more than a good lunch and less than a case of beer.

Summit Racing has the Edelbrock E-tec heads in two 'styles', both Vortec, for about $1000 a set complete. We are goind with a edelbrock air gap intake and an edelbrock 4 bbl (1404?? i can't recall right now, the 600 cfm one)

chris