[Xavier]

No. 1 clearly. I am surprised how many people just think of the savings in weight when it comes to a iron block made in the 1960's to 70's versus a aluminum block made in 2000's. Certainly there has had to be some other major advancements including on top of the weight savings in the last 40 to 50 years; machining, the properties of the metal itself, clearance, endurance and far more many things to think of. I don't know of Pond's reputation, but clearly, its an advanced engine and its durability and maintenance should be given a much higher weight than to how it sounds versus an unknown build to #2 espescially given its HP. After you hit the ignition switch, they all sound great.

They say there is no replacement like displacement, but I always add there is nothing better than the peace of mind of reliability/durability.