I've seen A LOT of posts about making HP with a 318-So why is it so ???

... the torque of a 440 is such a poor match for a light A body on the street, but there's no denying the wow factor that comes with tire smoke.
...most 408 strokers usually produce tire spin in at least 3 gears and in all fairness that's gotta' be fun!

You could always run a 440 with 2.96 gears which would give similar torque to the ground as a 360 with 3.55 gears. Allow for better cruising rpm without lost of acceleration.