I guess by unproven, I meant there weren't many out there to give them any kind of track record. I'm sure they're a great rod, but at the time, I didn't feel comfortable using them.A lot of time was spent developing those rods, and more care goes into manufacturing than you'd ever imagine. They've only been available for about a year but they're sure not unproven....several big power engines including almost 350mph at Bonneville. There was a thread about this on DP I believe.
People have to suit themselves on a build. But parts are expensive and it's a big hassle if something goes wrong, so cutting corners is false economy. Curtis is building me an engine and I'll be real comfortable knowing it was done right. Hard to put a price on that.
I fail to see how doing your own work is considered cutting corners. All the info needed to assemble these engines can be found here. If the person doing the build can follow directions, there's no reason to pay someone else to do the work. I'll be doing it for the second time, and I can tell you, assembling these engines isn't rocket science. As long as you take your time, go one step at a time, and pay attention to detail, it goes very smooth.