so would this thing be really sluggish w/o a 2200 stall...willing to spend the money just never ran anything other than a stock converter...assume atrans cooler would be required right?
Yup, if your gonna get a a stall, get a good one. A factory Hi-stall will be just fine with your intended combo.
If you don't already have a converter on hand, just get a good OEM hi-stall and call it. I HIGHLY recommend www.gopnh.com, inexpensive prices, quality product, nice staff.