I don't get this 'age of parts' thing I seen every so often. Things like, why would you use 35 year old Le Mans rods?
Well, why WOULDN'T you? Does age mean 'metal fatigue' sets in? Do rods get alzhiemers or something? Are old blocks just naturally weaker because their 'old'?
...I don't get it, I think it's a bunch of hog wash myself. If you want modern stuff, OK, go for it! If your building a 1500 horse power monster that going to run 8000 rpm, you might consider 'new' (as in MODERN) rods! If your building a street\race Cobra motor and you check out your crank, rods, etc and there 'good to go' I believe there MORE than 'stong enough'! Last year I was running my 'alzhiemers' Le Mans rods to 7000 rpm, with my poor old 'arthritis' ridden 428 crank being thrashed about in that tired old 427 iron block, poor thing, I showed it NO mercy!
Had the rods, crank and block checked out when I did my rebuild, "good to go", I'm using 'em again!
All modern parts in an all modern engine, like a Dove or Shelby all alloy configuration are just as subject to failure as an all '65 engine depending on how you RUN it! Don't think you can't 'ventilate' a modern block with a modern rod!