Another thing would be the power band of the motor and keeping in it that band. Seems like Maxton you would need a bit lower and closer gears than at the salt flats.
We did build some stuff and run when I was stationed in Saudi Arabia, most of the country was hard flat packed gravel, not the sand dunes you think of.
I have in mind for the motor, four bolt mains and even a main girdle, to keep the caps from walking. Balance the crank without the rotating assembly, then again with it Oliver titanium rods. I have found you dont need high volume oil pumps, a reg. new pump does just as well and uses a few hp less.
Question on the head, does this mean you cannot port and polish them? So if I used an aluminum head Twisted wedge "Fast as Cast" that would be ok?
right now I have a new set of 302. Gt-40-Ps on the car and even though the comp ratio dropped a bit I dont think it was a .5, the breathing is way better on the heads, even with cast iron manifolds, did put screw in rocker studs, 7/16 one at that. and Scorpion Rocker arms.
I have plenty of other horse power, they nicker at me when I walk outside.
John