How does this 360 Magnum combo sound?

YES, you will be able to run 87 octane, even at 10.6:1 compression. Those big quench areas in the heads help the fuel/air burn way faster. It'll give you even more insurance if you round out (not just smooth) all the edges in the combustion chambers and clean up the port bowls. dgc333 built a Magnum 360 for his 'Cuda, he runs low-octane gas just fine and has his mechanical advance around 32-34*.

I would never try to run 87 octane with 10.6 compression, especially with iron heads and a 268 degree cam. That would not even run well on 91 octane. The intake size of a head shouldn't be a concern when comparing 174 to 180 cc stock. The edelbrocks can flow alot more air and will make alot more power and be more resistant to preignition and they're lighter too.