You have the right idea, go to the wrecking yard and get an HEI 1975 and up then you will have your reliability. forget about the MSD stuff, it would be a waist of money. HEI dist. are good for 8000 rpms. I had one in my boat before I bulit a blower motor that is in it now. I never had a lick of problems the two years it was in there. I took out a point dist. that I had problems with, the shaft was worn out.
Bill