They're right, Zack. Forget the 406, and go with a 460. Engines are plentiful and cheap, and with a good cam, intake, ignition, and headers they are brutal. And, you can't hardly hurt one, especially if you slide in some Cobra Jet parts, like crank, rods, etc.

I've got a roller cam, roller rocker, Cobra Jet fortified 460 waiting to go into my T bucket, and it should put out some serious, dependable horsepower, without breaking the bank.