Well, first off, you may well be happy with a very conservative engine based on a stock block/rods, 4.15" stroke iron head deal. They are not too bad to build if you take your time and find some deals.
I think this is really what I'm looking for. I'm not against going for more cubes, especially if the the cost is the same. Assuming I'm doing a relatively conservative build, what parts should I buy? A World block, Stage V heads pretty are much a given. Should I still use Callies for the crank and Oliver for the rods? Does anybody make an quality "off the shelf" piston?