[Marv D]

I'm 100% with Chris here.
A 434 is a major PITA in a GM production casting and even if you stuff it full of $100 bills it's still just a factory production casting with some bells and whistles. And not to mention making a 4" arm fit. and also not to mention you are going to need one hell of a set of heads to keep it happy. Anything less than a 225cc port is 'marginal' and the cost of a set of Dart 233's or AllPro 245's (including the $2k in shaft rockers etc) it's a very very costly ordeal to do it 'right'.

That said,,, just as stroking a 350 to 383 adds torque, so does the 434 stroke. If you want to make it all it can be, stroke is always step one. I do know of a number of 434's in street cars that are not beaten up on every weekend and have survived quite well.

If you can invest in a Dart raised cam block it makes the whole clearance issues go away. IMO that is the 'right' way to do the 434. But cost can get out of hand in a big hurry. One thing you do not want to do is waste $1500+ on a production casting adding splayed mains, short filling, decking, honing,,, trying to make it something it can never be. I built two 434's in the Dart SHP block and that is a definite step above stock, but not the right move either. It's a good block but not real happy being clearanced for the 4" stroke. (almost as much work as a stock casting) .

World blocks are right around $2k and is a solid platform. Still need finish honing and decking but you can generally get the Motown block with the steel mains, complete with your machinist finishing touches for less than the cost of a unfinished Dart block.

But again, you get what you pay for and the Dart raised cam block may be the last block you ever buy and well worth the $. It's not so much that stupid old saying of 'speed costs....',,, today it's more a matter of 'how reliably do you want to go fast.'