408 crank?
Well, I meant about the 500hp and 12s...lol
But on the street racing, that isnt the case where I used to hang out (Berlin Trnpk in CT). It wasnt the horsepower, but the whole package. The deadliest cars went almost as good on the pavement as they did on the track. In some cases, that was mid 10s w/spray. In one case, it was high 8s with a single turbo. My 300hp +150 NO2 plate 340 car went solid mid 12s and had one defeat in 3 years (mid-late 80s). That was when the ignition misfired due to a lose wire (at least it was to another mopar...lol. The car was not lightnig fast, but no wheel spin and dead reliable. I would jump them out of the hole and then hold them off. I loved racing big power bigblocks :).
The LA blocks, excepting the 340TA which has thicker webbing, all are not any stronger with the addition of 4-bolt caps. IMO, girdles are crutches. Just my opinion and I know what that's worth and how it differs among builders...lol Girdles are only somewhat affective in small blocks. If you really are that concerned about power over 600hp, you should be investing in a new block anyway. That's due to cost vs. return. Once you do the sonic testing, the filling, the lifter bores, purchase caps, studs, and the girdle, and then have it machined to fit... You will have spent within about $500 of a block that is MUCH better all around. The last factory block I did to the 550hp level cost $2300 four years ago. That's just the block prep: sonic tested, no girdle, no fill, 1-4 ProGram 2-bolt caps, studs, fitting/install of caps, square decked, bored, plate honed, lifter bores bushed. It's dead reliable and runs year round in CA on pump unleaded. To go to 600, I'd add the #5 cap and a short fill. With todays prices, it would be well over $3K for the block ready to asemble.