No real improvement can be done to the head and still keep the torque range down where it is now. With overdrive, the 292 will pull good at low rpm, can't say to much on fuel mileage, but most say the 292 doesn't do well. You can step up the cam very slightly which may help, but go to much and you move the hp and torque up the rpm range, thus making OD very sluggish. HEI is a good option. If the head needs a valve job, go ahead and put bigger exhaust valves in, but don't mess with it till its time, you will not gain enough to justify it. The bigger exhaust valves are standard small block parts, so they are cheap to add.
