Who exactly is spending your money for you? Keep the 3.23’s and go at least 2800 on the stall and you’ll love it.
I hope you can drive a stick like Ronnie Sox if you think you can be competitive stop light to stop light with all these modern muscle/super cars out there with their 8 speed automatic’s and built in launch control.
I’ve always entertained the idea of having a 5 speed, it’s just the matter of what I should do first. Engine work or a transmission upgrade. They both cost around the same (accounting for the quote I got from SST)