17*’s with the vacuum line I hooked and plugged. That’s reasonable. 38*’s is a lot. All in @ 3K? Might be a bit much... Depends on the cam specs.
The drive line is not a moot point by any means.
Rear gear ratio and tire size? This works in conjunction with the vehicles weight and cam used. A heavier vehicle with tall tires and a Hwy. gear ratio will allow the engine to move air only so fast as the opposed light car and 4.30 gears on a 26 inch tire.
Again, what is a stage leaner?
Edit; Oh, What the Edelbrock book says... I’ll have to reacquaint myself with how that book works.