Among all the great engines already mentioned, I have to throw the AMC 390 into the mix. Under rated and overlooked IMO.
I had a 390 AMX motor in a 1978 Jeep CJ5, blew it up twice. When I rebuilt it the second time I wanted forged piston as it was piston breakage that shut it down the first time.
The only way to get forged pistons was to have them custom made and stupid expensive, I was in my early 20's and pretty broke at the time.
So I put new cast pistons in it. The build still cost me about 50% more than a SBC would have cost.
And sure enough the first time at the sand dunes it broke a couple pistons.... parted out the jeep and will never have anything to do with an AMC V8 again!
