Cast vs. Aluminum heads and bang for buck..

Depends. Air flow is air flow no matter what. Compression is compression no matter what.
As long as you can feed it the octane needed, your good to go.
I wouldn’t take an OEM head to extreme levels when there’s a greater performing aluminum head available at or closely priced that performs the same or better. It is possible to take a stock head to a respectable level no doubt. Cost wise, if your doing none of the work, the balance could be close depending on the aluminum head purchased. It’s boarded line with a OEM vs an Edelbrock performer head.

So would I use an iron head? Sure!
Application dependent.
Perhaps, a stealthy average stock like engine with headers doesn’t present much of a threat. I have read porters getting 270+ cfm out of an OEM iron head. That’s enough flow to get going pretty good.

Then there is the W2. 300 cfm+ capable. A quick look by most wont know it’s something different. I look forward to mine soon.

The three pluses to aluminum is there lighter weight, there easy repair (most aluminum heads that is.) and Aluminum seems to tolerate a little more compression.
Now that just means the iron head has to be built with a little more forethought? LOL!!!!!

There’s a lot of good posts and thoughts going on here so far. Those above are mine. I say, “Build it the way you want it.” I myself, I don’t think I’d put much into a stock head. But who knows? Maybe one day I’ll do it and not care about the cost.

The last thing I can say about this is, a little advice for anyone new to the game.

“Spend the money on the best head you can afford and you’ll be way happier and way ahead of the game by a long shot! Air flow IS power.”