Silvergirl,
Being much more familiar with your location than any of these other guys, I can truly understand your desire to have something that you can run down the highways.
For the rest of you... The town she lives in is both, 30 miles west and 60 miles east of the next towns of any significance. The primary means of traveling to either of those locales, is Interstate 70, with a POSTED speed limit of 75 MPH, and truck traffic that will run you over if you aren't doing at least 85 MPH.
My personal opinion, for what it's worth, would be to shy away from the V-8 conversion. Besides the amount of money and work that's involved, I know the gas prices in your neighborhood.
I would suggest that you take the approach outlined by John Milliman above. Do some research on your options before you commit.
There are alot of guys around here and over at inliners that are running these old 6's with later model T-5 5-speed overdrive trannys, and later model rear-ends.
With that type of set-up, a brake upgrade, and a split manifold w/duals, you'll not only get the speed you'd like, (and the fuel mileage to go with it), but I'm betting you'd be the only one between Glenwood and Junction with that unique and throaty roar of a six.
