Did you degree in the cam when you installed it? Maybe advancing it 4 deg might have helped.

If you just did a dot to dot, that may have been the source of your gutless pig syndrome. With that cam it should have been fairly torquey but would run out of breath pretty quick with the short lift. Another .100" lift would be nice with the rest of the specs about the same.

Do you have any used pre 72 pistons in stock? Cheap CR increase if you don't want to spring for new pistons zero decked to take complete advantage of your closed chamber heads.

Also assuming you have 2.5" duals with good flowing mufflers.

edit I see 2.25". Good mufflers more critical now IMHO.

Kevin