The Truth about 318s

A 318 POLY pistons sits right at '0' deck on an LA block.
With an actual cc volume of 67 on a 'J' head, this comes out to a static compression of @ 9.5:1.

Don't dog on the ol' 318 too much, give them the lighter '782 full floating rod, a break in reciprocating weight with a cast crankshaft, and they spin RPMs like crazy.
Don't HAVE to notch the cylinders on a 318 for 2.02 valves, as long as you keep the cam down some, but 1.94s or 1.88s with a wilder cam are plenty.

Of course, a manual trans always makes the experience even more fun. :)

Mark.