Option E , leave compression on the low side, will work good on cheap gas. Get running and out of shop. Low compression will work great with a shot of nitrous that can be added later
It can still work on cheap pump gas in the 8's or low 9's for compression. I don't like below 8 if I can help it...
It's going to be a naturally aspirated 4 bbl for cruising the streets. The bottom end is basically a stock rebuild, so I don't want to put too much stress on it with nitrous or boosting. We want street cruising and durability out of this build...
The higher compression will make it more efficient. Here is a 12 minute explanation why, but at the end it boils down to efficiency is directly related to compression. Here's the physics and thermodynamics of the otto cycle explained (which is how engines work). Follow along and open your book to page 32:
