My brother in law and I was just talking about gear , now it's 3.73 I'm at 5600 in third gear crossing the line with having 4th gear I could easily get away with 4.11
Which should help with short time.
And help air it out at the end of the track
I was going to open up headers but was only able to make two passes, and one pass I let my son buzz it down the track after he blew me smoke about sleeping at the light.
He ran a 12.4 lol
The 4.11 gear will help.
Use Richmond Gear.
A Motive Gear.
Or Strange Engineering.
Have to get the pinion depth dead nuts on.
It used to be easy with a pinion depth guage.
That was with old 5 cut gears.
All are 2 cut gears now other than Strange.
Actaully a US Gear Gearset Strange sells.
Known to have a bit of gear whine because cut for max strength.
I have set up a few Strange gears and dead quiet.
Depends upon personal experience.
I have lots of it building rear diffs in the past.
Gear. 4.11.
Better exhaust.
A slight nose down stance will help cut through the air.
I prefer a 1.00 inch Rake nose drop.
Means cutting the front coil springs often.
What I did.
Make the car as light as possible within budget and what you can tolerate for Street comfort. A heater is must have for me for fall driving.
Lose the front sway bar.
They only work on early 2nd Gen Trans Am 1970-74.
Not kill 60 foot times bad.
Think it is because of the matched spring rates front and rear Pontiac Engineers came up with.
Some will be trial and error testing.
Keep at it.