I wanna drag race----help

Pretty sure Pettyblue has a 23 spline with no real mods. He has a couple of great posts up about racing that car earlier this summer where you can read about it.
Sounds like the 4-speed is worth a bet... make sure your driveshaft is up to par and really scrutinize that flywheel. Make sure there are no cracks in it. Use whatever magnifying device you can find and really look at it.
I loathe pistol grip shifters, and in my opinion they don't shift as well as a plain round ball. That's just me so maybe you can mke it work...I don't know anyone who can. Pettyblue has one in his car.
I've got the old Lakewood in my car, and the linkage has been altered. Works well.
Post a pic of your clutch.
Good luck.