Auto to manual , pilot bearing question

It is not a matter of the math. It is a matter of what performance you expect/want: i.e. thee definition of your term "good take off". I would never expect a 198 or 225 /6 to take off like a 318 or my son's 340 or my old 351C... not even close. But it'll still drive to the grocery store just fine and so is 'driveable' IMHO.

Your experience is valid in a limited sense, but the low gear behind the teener did not make it so it could not be driven. It was just slower off of the line. You need to tie some sort of minimum g's acceleration for so many seconds before any specific starting torque discussion makes any sense as a yardstick.

And take your good gearing setup with a starter gear of 11 or 12 and put a 1 ton load in the vehicle, and all of a sudden, per one individual's seat-of-the-pants G definition, it will become 'undriveable'. A loaded, 318-powered logging truck with 2 speed rear axle and granny gear, will not come anywhere close to your g-levels of 'good take-off' but that does not make it undriveable nor useless.

Just IMHO and I hope I don't offend: You're using a definition of 'driveable' that does applies to a certain set of requirements and uses, but does not really fit what the OP's car is with a 198.