Aren't there cams available for low compression motors to give them a nasty idle, but still make decent cylinder pressure to not completely kill bottom end?? Don't they call them thumper or whiplash or something? I forgot who makes them. I wonder if that could be an option for the OP.
Thumper is Comp, Whiplash is Hughes, they are wide LSA type I believe, Mopar came out with wider 114deg LSA versions of the established 284 & 292 Purple Shafts late '90's-Y2k ish.