Hey Jeff, Did you really want to have an 'objective' discussion on this subject, or just a 'bang the drum for Ford' session? I find good and not so good things in ALL the marques. Of course, this IS a Ford forum, but that doesn't mean it has to be blind to all the rest. I noticed that Syndicate (if I may be so bold as to use you as an example, Syndicate) has a couple of those dreaded Brand X cars listed in his signature, and nobody is chasing him away. Nor should they; we really flourish because of each other's diverse interests.
The Boss 302 was an admirable creation; but if anyone would care to notice, even Ford realized along the way that the size of the ports was just too darn big for the 302. The racers found a solution by making plates that raised the floor of the exhaust port so that they would flow properly. This is just one example.
On the other hand, I have personally considered the swap of Cleveland 2V heads onto a windsor (either one) as a good idea, but it does take a little work. Like always, it depends what you want. 8500 rpm screamer that doesn't have any poop below 5000, or a solid street capable engine that still doesn't mind turning 6500. As for the Chevy 302, they kind of hit the middle between these two with peak power around 7200 rpm.
Looks like not too many folks want to discuss this, though I'm not sure why....