[rickski]

Let me put in my 2 cents worth. An engine is an air pump. You need to flow air to make power. Production 351W never had as good a cylinder head as the Cleveland and thus was never really thought of as a "performance" engine. That was the past. The wide variety of aluminum cylinder heads changes the equation. I like the 351W because it has 3" main bearings; bigger than a Chevy 454 I believe. Even in stock form it makes for a stout bottem end. Add a pair of free flowing aluminum cylinder heads and you have a fantastic engine. With aluminum cylinder heads and intake manifold it is several hundred pounds lighter than a big block and can make darn near as much power. I have "converted" a few of my non-windsor friends after taking them for a ride in my "mild" (400 hp) Cobra. The wide variety of parts and their ease of availability also make the 351W the best choice in my mind.