My opinion is that it is a great low cost base for a strong stroker engine. You can easily install a 4.250 stroke crank with not a lot of grinding. You can install a 4.375 crank with more grinding for clearances. Guys that are good have put 4.50 strokes in them but that is trickey to do.
You can use a 454 4.00 crank by grinding some and by using a set of 6.385 rods Corrected by DCarr. It is in fact the 6.535 rod. you can use a factory 454 piston.
That block is cpable of 427 - 433 - 440 - 452 - 454 - 461 - 477 - 482 - 496 - 509/510 - and up to 540 cu inches.
It was THE HARD CORE RACE block in the older days, before Dart, World etc. The block will handle a ton of hp with only minor block prep. I mean well over 1,000 hp and I have seen them live at 1,400 hp after they were fully prepped and filled.
Can you believe all the garbage I just wrote. I find it hard to believe too, but I have done it many times.
It is .400 taller than the standard block. iT was the first 10.200 block.
Ed