in my 83 Cutlass with 86 vin9 307, with TH350 trans
I swapped in a Monte SS 3.73 rear
and Hypertech chipped the ECM
and it made a HUGE difference over the OEM chip and 2.41 ratio rear. The difference in throttle response and overall power is very noticeable.
The other thing I would mention is that a stock transmission and torque converter are very slushy. If you havent already, put at least a 1-2 shift kit in the trans to get the line pressure up a bit. A mild converter like a Saturday Night special will help too.