Either Bill Jenkins(Steve Johns) or Warren/Kurt Johnson top my list and for really great reasons.

 

My Forged 347 with Lunati Crank, Pro Billet Rods, Forged Pistons, LS6 block, Absolute Speed stage 2 6.0L heads, Absolute Speed ported LS6 intake, 78 mm Throttle body, Kooks Steeped Headers, Mezeire Water pump assembled, old engine removed, dyno tuned and warrantied is running me 10,280.00 Although it wont be finished for another week, im more then confidant that i will have something very similar to what your looking for, with only the pistons being different. Its not cheap, but it will last.

 

Whoever said $35K for a maxed out C5R 427 was pretty close. The high end stuff ain't cheap and neither is a great builder.

 

I would do one of two things. First, preferably use a shop that is within driving distance. If not possible, use a big name sponsor who has been here awhile like MTI, Cartek. If you use a smaller guy and make a big purchase, then something happens and he leaves the board and you don't have your order then I can tell you there will be no offers of help from people who could probably help and you will be left hung out to dry. Take it from someone who is living it. I'm sure the "little guy" sponsors here are great, but after my experience I am wary of the whole sponsor thing. I'm sure I'll get flamed, but I'm 10.5k in the hole on a military paycheck, so whatever.

 

Bravo, im an E5, i know what your talking about. My post above explains it all. Wife about **** a brick when she saw the bill. I went with a smaller builder, but would have gone with many of the larger ones had the price been right. Ive had nothing but good service from many of the above mentioned names.

 

Yeah, I'm a single e-7, so I'm not starving. But I went with a smaller guy because he put out great #'s, had a good rep at the time and had a good price. And mostly because he was a sponsor of a great site. But in hindsight, the extra money a MTI or Cartek motor would have cost me would have been well worth it. I thought about going with More Perf. because they are two hours away but I didn't because they weren't a sponsor at the time and I trusted this site. I'm sure all the sponsors on the right are awesome, no disrespect to them at all. But an ex respected sponsor still has 5 figures of my money, and because he is gone (after my purchase) I am on my own. No, I haven't asked for help. No one is obligated to help me deal with a non sponsor. An offer of help would from people who know my situation would have earned my respect, but I guess I'm old fashioned and out of the clique lol.