Stirring the pot... Mechanical vs. Hydraulic clutch?

In my quest for gear-hammering fun, I've encountered an issue that I need some external help with. I'm in the process of collecting parts to swap my '68 Notchback Barracuda (mild 360/904) from automatic to manual, and I don't know what to do about the clutch.

Here's the deal; During the summer, my Barracuda is my daily driver. I love cruising around in it, but I'm not hesitant to stretch its legs. I'm swapping an A833OD for my 904 because I want this thing to get decent gas mileage and be well behaved on the highway. That being said, I still will probably go to the drag strip for fun from time to time, and maybe toy around with people at stoplights.

So, what do I do for a clutch? I've never owned a car with a mechanical clutch, though I drove one once at work (old farm truck, not a hot rod). My winter daily driver ('90 F350) has a hydraulic clutch, and it seems to do fine except for when it gets cold, which just makes the clutch stiff and slow to react until everything's up to temperature. It seems like a brand new reproduction mechanical clutch setup can be had for $200-250 from classic industries. Conversely, I know I can fabricate my own hydraulic clutch setup for around $150-200. I'm not running a crazy pressure clutch, just an O'Reilly's "heavy duty" OEM replacement clutch.

The biggest influences on my decision are:
- I have Hooker long-tube headers. I've heard they fit a stock clutch setup, but I'm not 100% sure
- Cost -- I'm a cheap bastard.
- Reliability -- I don't mind adjusting a clutch from time to time, but I do want a clutch that will shift smoothly every time without binding or hesitation, and most importantly will not break for no reason
- Feel -- I don't want a mushy pedal, but I'm not looking for a leg workout either. Just something that tells me what is going on inside the bellhousing.

I know this thread has been done before, but it's usually within the context of T56 or TKO swaps. I'm interested in how this all applies to OEM Mopar trannies.