[Aussie Mike]

The serious differences you are getting in the LS7 crate motor over a built up motor are the titanium rods and the dry sump.

All the parts are available to guys wanting to build a tough darkside motor. Plenty of shops are offering big cube combinations based on the LS7 block or LSX block or even the aftermarket Warhawk block. There are tons of aftermarket heads available now and plenty of CNC ported factory heads to keep you guessing on what combination to use.

What I'm saying is you aren't just restricted to factory crate motors now to build that killer engine. This is handy if you are trying to match up parts with your existing drivetrain i.e manifolds, sumps etc

Cheers