318/8 Speed Swap

I like what you're attempting to do, but realistically, I think getting an 8-speed transmission to operate off a stand-alone controller is a very tall order. They were designed around drive-by-wire applications, where the ECU is already receiving enormous amounts of data. I'm not trying to be a naysayer, but from an engineering/software point of view, it's going to be a tough nut to crack.