[Excaliber]

It's misleading to call the MOTOR a 'high rise', it's a 427 that just happens to have a H.R. head and intake system on it. Could just as easily have a low riser or whatever. The date code on the BLOCK should be considered as a separate issue. Seems to me it was around 1968 or so before Ford introduced a 'hydraulic' lifter 427, so I would THINK 1964 would be 'solids' only? Don't know about the steel crank, but I suspect that also was a later 'side oiler' piece.

The stock pistons would likely be pretty high compression, 11 or 12 to 1. With those iron heads your asking for trouble, it gets old REAL FAST, trying to find 'race gas' and dealing with low octane fuel. I'd COUNT on having to buy new 'dished' pistons to reduce the C.R. to about 9.6 to 1. While there ARE 'off the shelf' ater market dished pistons available it is difficult to find the CORRECT ones for your specific application. You may want to budget for 'custom slugs'. If all the rest of the basic hardware is good I'd guess you will STILL spend $3K on additional parts to put it together.

It is some what controversial, the argument that these are really old parts and therefore 'not reliable'. I don't think it's that cut and dried. Age in and of itself does not mean there 'bad parts'. Heck NEW parts come with manufacturing defects, it is a risk no matter which way you go. If your really paranoid have the block sonic checked, decked, etc. Nothing wrong with it being 43 years old that can't be found out through close inspection.