"Horsepower is to brag about- - - - -torque wins races!" That saying is also true concerning hauling heavy loads. Anything you do to bean up a 350 will put the power gain at the high speed end of the power band, and that's not where a big rig needs a boost. Low end torque is what gets a load moving, and also delays the need to downshift on a hill. A 454 will do a lot more for you than hotrodding a small block, or a 2 speed rear end will come in handy if you want to keep the small block in place.
Jerry
