It can be done and cheaper than you think, 20 yrs. ago i had a friend (Mengo Hernandez) who had a 1983 Camero X Prostock car weighed 2350lbs. with a Nickens & Brown 288" motor. He ran Lenco 5 speed an came out of the gate at 10,500 rpm every pass. I watched/raced against him for the whole 1989 season. The car would run 8.80's @ 163mph at the beginning of the season, but by the end of the yr. it had slowed to 9. teens. I guess the valve springs were getting tired. what i knew about the car was it was 283 +.030 with Brodix 10 Heads with off set alum rockers, not shaft, Holly tunnel ram with 7.50's double pumpers 13.5 comp. I don't know the cam specs. but it was an alum. rod motor wet sump on GAS.
The only thing i ever saw him break was the Lenco 2nd gear and it came all the way into the car when it broke. It had 1 7/8" to 2" step headers and 4" collectors.
The car would carry the front end about 100ft. and settle down very smooth, not bounce.
I still have it on VHS tape but don't know how to load it on to the net without converting to a CD.
Zip.