Mill decisions
So just for the sake of argument, why not start with a big block? I'm not sure what W-9 heads, a stroker crank, custom pistons and all that stuff costs, but I bet it's a lot. A 440 inch big block is gonna cost less than a 408 inch small block. And if you want to build a stroker, and spend cash on a set of high-zoot heads you'll stand a far better chance of ending up with a 700 hp engine that can be driven on the street. You might even be able to save some of theose $20 bills.