It sounds like everything else is stock, including heads and pistons with about 9.7 compression?
If you are running stock, unported heads, you may want to run the old MP 280/0.474" cam. I don't have any personal experience with the faster ramping, higher lift cams, but seems clear they will easily make more peak horsepower with ported or aluminum heads that the 280/474. However, if you are running the stock heads then I'm not sure the extra lift is going to give you much more power, as the stock heads are nearly maxed out at 0.474" lift. You are getting about 98% of the maximum intake flow and around 97% of the maximim exhaust flow by then with stock heads.
In any case, higher lifts in less time (less duration = less time) means your valve train has to work considerably harder. Hopefully others running these cams can chime in on what their expected refresh cycles are. With the 280/.474 cam you are going to need to refresh the rings long before you ever need to worry about your valve train.
As for street manners, back in the seventies I ran this cam in a 70 Charger as a daily driver with ps, pb, ac, auto & 3.23 gears. It did have an entry level B&M converter, although the 383 converter would've been OK. It was an 8.2:1 440 Magnum stock with 780 Holley, Torker & headers. It ran strong from 2000-5000 rpm with crisp throttle response, decent fuel economy and impeccable street manners. Never any vacuum problems. Never left me walking. Average low temp in January was 18* F, so it started many a day in single digit temps after sitting outside overnight. It would start right up, give it a little gas for about 30 seconds, then go back inside while it warmed up. It would idle all day without loading up. I idled around town a lot, and changed plugs every 6 months but they really didn't need it that often.
My brother ran the same cam in a 73 440 Charger with 4 speed. Between the two of us, must've put over 70,000 street miles on that cam. It is not a good choice at the strip, especially if you have ported or aluminum heads, simply not enough lift. But it was always a pleasure to drive, required zero maintenance, and has a nice sound. That might be what you are looking for. Here is a link to what the cam sounds like in a 440 with open headers. Yes, it has some rumble, but note how well behaved the idle is even at first start up before the car has been tuned.
