77rangerxlt

I recently purchased a 1977 F150 4x4. It currently has a tired 460 in it, It runs okay but has very low oil pressure. It has a 1988 fuelie engine converted to carb. I did not want to sacrifice any time from driving the truck so I bought a 1977 460 from a truck. I am relatively new when it comes to big block Fords. I want to build a good reliable engine for the truck but don't have a clue about what would work best for me. Looking for 400 - 450 hp. I was leaning towards edelbrock aluminum heads as part of the build for a couple reasons. One is to lose the weight, the other is because I do not know of any reputable Ford guys around here to do the heads which are D3VE's. Can someone give me some advise on all of the components I need to get what I am looking for?(ie: cam, pistons,ignition,carb,intake,headers)Are the edelbrock heads a good choice? Would flat top pistons with the edelbrock heads give me too high compression for pump gas? Money is not dictating the build. I want a good strong engine.
Looking forward to any help I can get. Thanks in advance.

On another subject, someone has put a newer steering column in my truck and it does not seem to fit right where the support bolts to the bottom of the dash. Will a 2 wheel drive column out of a 76 or 77 fit if I just swap the section below the universal joint?