Pontiac engine

[MonzaRacer]

Sorry Pontiacs dont need or like high rpms UNLESS you buy good aftermarket rods as all Pontiacs except SD have arma-cast rods (think grenade with pin out and short fuse).
As for built Pontiacs, honestly with designe of engine,,and NO its not a tall deck,, all Pontiacs are same EXCEPT ******* 265/301 (re garbage). Not big block not small block.
Pontiacs need AIRFLOW.
400 Pontiac, well prepped crank (one I have is a 389 nodular iron/hard chrome 010/010/shot peened), good rods aftermarket forged H or I beams, if you build a lower rpm torque arm you can get 60k to 75k miles on a set of good name brand aluminum rods with zero issues if you build and drive it right. YES low rpm Pontiacs CAN run aluminum rods for miles and years if properly treated on street,, seen it and built few.
Forged pistons, square block, hone with torque plate IF you can find machine shop with one.
It doesnt take huge cams for great torque, and yes aluminum Edelbrock heads are the easy upgrade, I would not go for 11 to one even on aluminum heads unless you want to run a larger higher over lap cam. Even on aluminum if your cranking compression goes much over 190-200 you buying high octane and mixing in booster or race gas.
AND even well prepped stock heads will make ludicrous torque if you spec right cam. And as for a solid cam, pass. If you really want good driver, buy a higher lift, medium duration hydraulic roller. And since you are buying pistons,,dished ones and keep it 9.75-10.0 to 1 is about as far as I would push pump gas.
Build for low rpm torque, and flat curve up too 6k redline. No need to spin the engine.
I have pre built (desktop dyno) several combos for a few people,,,Ill see if I can dig up the results. Hardest part is getting good headers that fit right.
This is just from having owned/built/beat on Pontiacs since 1985! My last iteration was my 1969 Catalina Ventura with same chrome crank, junk armacast rods, cast pistons and 400 2bbl heads, threw in a one off lunati solid flat tappet cam, and Offy 2x4 and 2 Carters and a set of Dough Thorley headers for a 64 Tempest. Put a Vega converter behind it, 2.93 limited slip, had N50 Gillette Sprint 50s and after HARD burnout it hooked and lifted the frontend, but wouldnt idle below 1800!
Good luck