Quest for 7's in the 1/8

Heading into winter, strips are closed, so looking forward ..... As we continue to whittle at the ET with Drag Truck (not really a drag truck, it's a 1980 D150 long bed pulled from a farmers field).

It's ran a 8.27. The transmission is a 100% stone stock 727 from a '85 D150 we got for free. Works good but slightly sluggish on the shifts. If we Rebuilt it with a manual VB, be enough to go 7.99 ?? Thought strongly about a built 904, but drive shafts are expensive.

Thoughts ?? Thanks