camshaft and compression ratio

for a slant street car,, play to what the slant already has,,,low end torque.

there are engine mods that you can do that will give a 50% increase in torque at 4K rpm,, could easily hit 175 hp at 5000 rpm,, and are do able for a person getting started, and will provide a nice foundation in experience, would be a hot yet drive-able street slant.
2 bbl or a 4 bbl carb
improved exhaust
valves, porting
ignition

there are a number of cams that could go well in that mix,, google erson rv-10 or rv-15 for a start.