The only combinations that get the 8CM heads in a decent ball park is with modified strokes and max bore sizes.
I remember when I was a kid, a stock 51 Merc would beat a stock 51 Ford but mostly due to the overdrive. The slightly bigger stroke makes a bit of difference and the larger Holly 885 with the 8CM cam made it come to life even more. The old turds ran pretty good when they were new even with that low compression. It just shows how they breath can make a difference even if only slightly. The only thing that will really get them to breath is a blower. Those low compression heads might come in handy with big bore + big stroke + a roots type blower.