what kind of track time (I knew the car knucklehead :P)? Drag? Autocross? Open track? Define good amount of power. What are you planning on doing about wheels & tires? Brakes?
Ugh, t-top car - if it were mine I might consider scrapping the back seat & putting a good cage in. Weld in SFCs are a must. I have the alston racing ones, similar to the global west ones. If I redo the 77 I will likely make them, like this:
http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10965