for fwiw, my first version of my Valiant was an economical and quick car using the 4 speed OD that it came w/ from the factory.

Nothing wild...basic 9:1 360 w/ the MP purple shaft .450/.455 cam. Heads were stock w/ 3 angle valve job, hedman headers, eddy performer intake, holley single feed 600cfm vacuum secondary carb, MP electronic ignition w/ orange box and accel high voltage coil.

Powered through a Ram clutch and the 4 speed O/D through an 8 1/4 rear w/ 2.94 gears.

GREAT driving car with enough mid range to pull through the wide gear spacing and the tall gearing. Cruised along at 70mph at ~ 2000rpm.

Ran 14.2's all day, great pull out of the hole w/ the 3.09 first gear. Driven very conservatively it was easy to get 20+mpg, with my best ever being a 200 mile trip on the hwy avg 25mpg. The tired 318 that preceded it only did a best of 24mpg on the same route a year before