Hunting for a v8

[agr071]

but most auto run a real tall ratio of 2.76 which will be the slowest taking off but most economical at highway speeds.

I'm starting to disagree with this comment.(No offence James mate).
Whilst going down hill or on reasonably level road, the 2.78 is great, BUT i have noticed that when you come to a hill of a decent size the motor seems to lag a bit, therefore using more fuel.
But with the 3.08 the torque is more readily available and is much easier for the motor to drag it up the hill.

The best example i ever had was with my 4b.
GQ Patrol/Ford Maverick 6" suspension lift, 2 " body lift & 35's cruising out to Mudgee used more fuel (because of the hills) then what it did with 33's or 31's.

So i'll probably go back to the ideal ratio that Holden recommended 308 with 3.08.

[playwme]

Jez, better off buying a whole car running with a V8 in it. Swap all the 8 gear over to your car and stick all your 6 gear in the other and resell it. Not only does that ensure that you have all the bits to do the conversion but it should work out a lot cheaper.

Buying a motor may seem cheap but then there's all the other stuff you'll need along the way which can really add up.