With 2.76 gears, just about any normally-aspirated 318 combo will suck as compared to the same engine with hi3/low4 series gears. And with low compression, she needs a higher stall to get up to where the power is, in First gear; else she be a dog down low. And a wide LSA kills low-rpm power and just try and find a tight LSA roller cam.
IMO, leaving the the Dcr in the basement is just a very bad idea.
those 2.76 gears HAVE to go.
Even a stock smog-era teener wakes up with 3.91/4.10s.
and every time I put a 2800 on one, even with just 3.55s, it really wakes up first gear.
If yur not tracking it, it's a two-gear car, so who cares how much power it has at 7000 rpm.
With 4.10s, a 2800 stall, and 255tires back there, even stock, it's more than likely gonna spin right thru first gear, and maybe even with a 2bbl, so all this HO talk is just a lotta hot-air
Do the math; Top of Second gear @65mph with 27"tires is about
5300 with 4.10s; and
5050 with 3.91s, and
3460 with 2.76s
Even if your 318 only makes 318 ftlbs at 2800, this translates to
318 x 2.45 x 3.91 x 1.8 TC-ratio, so I get, up to 5480 ftlbs available at take off, diminishing to say
300 x 2.45 x 3.91 x say 1.4TC =4020ftlbs at say 4800
which should still be enough to keep the tires on fire at WOT. This is still only 275hp at 4800............@ 40mph in First gear, lol.
So what will 400 hp do for you at 40 mph that 275 can't already do?
Answer; wear the tires out quicker.