One last comment. If the reliefs follow the full outline of the head gasket then it is probably a smooth hot rod job because all of the factory reliefs I have seen only extend from the valves in a tapered way. I wanted such a nostalgia flathead but could not find one not cracked and cannot afford a French or aluminum block. However, in spite of Dave Severenson's comments about how common the SBC is a SBC is really the most bang for the buck with an easy 250 HP on a mild rebuild of a 350 while all the articles I have studied show that even with an Isky cam, max bore, 4" stroked crank and (now expensive) aluminum heads, 250 HP from a flathead is close to the reasonable limit with only three main bearing webs, so for a poor boy like me (all my life!) the SBC looks pretty good. Still if I had a non-cracked 59AB block I would build it and consider it a wonderful time machine! Now if you say you found a set of ARDUN heads in a barn somewhere, that would be exciting, but the prices for real ARDUN heads make my nose bleed!

http://www.oogabooga.ca/oogaboogapag40.htm

Don Shillady
Retires Scientist/teen rodder