Engine An engine building combo with stock Speed Density (SD) system

I’m building my roadmap for the completion of my 73 Vert’s (will have stock 87 TBird drivetrain, which is currently in my 73 coupe) engine rebuild. My options are buy a better short block (more than stock compression, and a cam that will not completely upset the SD) or have my 87 roller block done the same. Today, my primary question is, making that assumption, what compression ratio, cam, and heads make the most sense. I have no HP goal, but the stock engine was only 150HP, and it would be cool to have a little more with a little bit more engine cam idle roll (I’m not sure what it’s called nowadays).

I suspect this is not a new question, and I have read some responses to question like this, but based on my experience in this forum, there are a few of you who have a specific combo in your head you would recommend, based on this question. That’s what I’m looking first. What I’m trying to avoid is too much CR and head for the best SD cam I can afford (afford as in what the SD system can handle).

I just paid to have my SD computer repaired by the ECUExchange guys, and want to stick with it. Remember, I’m not trying to find the line between an a functining SD system and one that I’ll hate. So, to make clear my intentions, here is the configuration I will be using, along with the rebuilt engine, with the part set you recommend:

Stock intake (but suspect I’ll need a different throttle body size)
I have stock injectors, but I suspect with the combo you suggest, I’ll need bigger?
My current shorty headers

My goal is to get what CR you would set as a goal, the specific cam you would use, what heads you would install, what throttle body, and injector size. Thank you for your help, I hope my request is reasonable and doable. Steve

You don’t think an 87 roller block is a good starting point? I think 200rwhp would be great.

The SAE specifications on my engine are 150hp/270tq at the flywheel. With parasitic loss, maybe 125hp at the rear wheels. If all I need is better heads, like gt-40 type, and everything else stock, that would be cool. The engine has a few miles on it, and since I’m removing it, I thought I would freshen up the short block. I know the stock engine has very low CR, so I thought I’d bump that up a little, to like 9-1.

I know most folks would rather have unusable street power for the bragging rights and the burnouts. I’ve been there, done that, and now I want a nice cruiser, maybe take long trips, drive to events where other folks are having a great time doing those things. If putting on stock, but improved Ford heads will do it, that’s great. I’m not interested at this time in a mass air conversion. Maybe I will someday. I know that’s counterintuitive to conventional thinking, but I’m ok with it.

Thanks for the ideas.

Well, when I pull the motor, hopefully in Feb, I’ll pull it apart enough to verify if it’s a roller motor (as I remember, when I checked I think JEGGs a few years ago, the replacement parts for that motor were roller cam and lifters). If it’s not, hello Explorer 5.0 replacement. I’m not gonna go through the horror of breaking in a new non-roller cam.