Which I find you do have valuable experience and info to pass on.
In the end off the day we should be trying to figure out what would make the OP's happy not us,
eg.. there was one guy with a 2bbl 273 car he put a tunnel ram and a solid 280 cam rest stock and was super happy with it, he eventually added headers gears etc.. now most of us would think that's a terrible idea and for most it probably is but him it was great.