Best 1st gear ratio with 2.94 differential

My 65 Barracuda originally had a 3.09 low gear in its four speed. That little 273 could keep up with SS396's and the like in low gear, but they would pull away in higher gears. Then I blew up the 273 in November of 72 trying to drive home from Charleston, SC to Cochran, Ga in second gear after I broke the 3-4 shift fork. Swapped in a 340 and now it would blow away the typical junior super car in low gear and pull away in the higher gears.

Fast forward a few years, and the trans main shaft got a large groove worn in it where the needle bearings sat on it (by this time, the car had well over 200,000 miles on it). I was told new main shafts were not available, so I got a junkyard 69 Dart four speed and put it in. That's when I first realized the difference in low gear ratios. The Dart trans had a 2.66 low gear. The difference was amazing. Before, I could just let out the clutch and go, now the only way to leave fast was to rev it up and dump the clutch. Otherwise, almost anything could beat it off the line (3.23 gears). Put up with that for a few years, then found out my original gears (which I had saved) would fit in the later case. Had a 3.09 low gear set ever since.

For the street, a 440 doesn't need the low first gear; a small block does.