My first time out. what next?

Switching to any electric fan will probably pick you up at least a tenth. Ratchet shifter is a great idea, mainly for safety's sake so you don't miss a shift and break something (like hitting reverse). Larger exhaust with free flowing mufflers (like Dynomax ultra flows) would probably be worth some more, depending on how restrictive your current exhaust is. Losing weight is ALWAYS a great way to make your car faster.

The one thing that will probably make the biggest impact is getting a looser converter. That cam is big for a 318 (heck, it has more duration than the cam in my stroker), it needs a GOOD converter (probably 4k stall) and steep gears to work well. Not sure how much faster it will be, but it will be a substantial change in ET. Also, a Holley 650dp or 750dp with a Proform main body would also probably pick you up at least a tenth, but probably more like 3 tenths.