What is a fair price to offer..

The Boss nine heads with supporting hardware will run you about a 1/3 of that budget alone. Which is why I rec's the SCJ heads because they will very easily split the cost in half. The Boss heads love really big motors and rpm which makes the rest of the engine and drivetrain even more costly.

Here's what I would do for a cheaper 385 series setup.

Build a 514 or preferably a 532 and run the SCJ heads. Instant 700 horse pump gas motor without ever needing to rev is past 6,000 rpm to get there. Better have one hell of a tough trans and gear setup if you have sticky tires though. Luckily you'll still have enough cash left over to do it.

 

Excellent points. The Boss 9 has that "wow" factor, but the SCJ, P51's or A460's are a much more cost effective big block build. Price a set of rockers and valve covers for the Boss 9 and you will see my point. The wedge stuff has long since caught up to or has surpassed the old Boss 429 or Kaase 9 head insofar as HP is concerned, depending on which head you are comparing it to. The only advantage I see to the Boss 9 on the street would be the ability to run a hydraulic roller cam.

If you ever find yourself around the Akron area, stop by Summit Racing. They have engines on display with both the A460 and SCJ heads. Make sure to take your tape measure and camera.