[JayBar]

Some of the comments in this thread remind me of a conversation I had in the barracks at Fort Benning, GA in 1966. Teen-agers from all over the country talking cars and girls.
I will never forget two statements I thought bizarre even at that tender age.
One was a Southern boy who said the only test of a “hot” car where he came from, was the amount of, or length of the “rubber stripe” a car could lay. The other comment was in a discussion as to which car we dreamed of buying. Another guy stated that he would never buy a car that could not spin the wheels shifting into third gear.

I just assumed that as we grew up and technology improved and tires got so much better that now the idea is not to spin the wheels but to dig in and go.

That said, I can only state that the stock Backdraft suspension 3.10, 17” Nitto DR tires, digs in a moves out. I have a 351 not stroked and after my third full power run (ever) turned 12.3 at 111mph, with 60’ time of 1.86.
I think if you give the stock non-LS rear (with decent tires) a chance will you will be quite happy with its performance. Unless you come from the same town my old army buddy did, and judge a car by the stripe it leaves behind.

If you are running 15” wheels your choice of tires is so limited maybe you should just be content with the authentic look and forget performance, because even LS will not make your car equal to one with 17” Nitto DR’s.