Here's testimony to how tough the stock Pontiac rod bolts are. Notice the rod has disintegrated but the bolts are still intact.
Really what happened was I ran the ol' 428 up a little too high on the rpm for a little too long, sucked the pan dry, the rods seized and snapped them just above the big end. This is a good way to ruin a night. I lost the entire engine except for the heads and intake. Bummer.