Why the 318 is a phenomenal engine...

Back when I was just out of high school, my Duster 340 engine blew a freeze plug up front one cold night about two miles from home and I drove it on home. The block cracked so I got a 318 two barrel out of a 1967 Satellite and put in it. Right away, I was amazed by the torque the thing had. I had headers on the Duster but the engine was completely stock. I was talking to a friend one day who had a 1972 Demon 340. He says to me, "you would have to put $2000 into that 318 to make it run with this 340." I told him to bring it out and we would see. He pulled me by about a fender on takeoff (he had an automatic where I had a four speed) but when I shifted to second we were even again and the same through fourth but when I hit fourth, the 318 started to pull away from him and then he just let off on it when he saw he wasn't going to reel me back in. I like my 340s but I was really impressed with that little 318.