Those Jersey Speed Skiffs are crazy. There would be no way I would step into the passenger compartment on one of those either.
On the engine rebuild side, be sure you don't treat the motor like it is in a car and select a cam or intake manifold that are designed for high rpm power, because you'll probably never see the benefits. A nice open dual plane intake would be nice, and a nice truck towing cam would be too. Going much beyond that can get you into a whole new league, and the dollars can start to roll out of your wallet fast.
I have not looked for cams on a small block Chevy for ages, but this motor is so prolific, there are sure to be some good choices. If you do change the cam be sure to change the lifters too, and use a special break in oil.
Regarding your transmission, I am wondering if the small block motor came with the same tranny as the 427 setup. If so, that is an indication of how much power they can take. I think you can get a crate motor with 350 hp, but the power comes in at higher rpm. You can also stroke the crank and get the popular 383 cubic inches too, which would be fun.
It's cheeep to dream
Tom
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