Really horsepowr and torque are two things you can't really 'guesstimate' you have to make the changes and see what they do in a 1/4 mile run then calculate the result for some numbers. In most cases guys think horsepower is all they should look at, torque is a bit more important for a street car since the old gearhead rule of thumb says torque = launch, and horsepower being a function of torque = top speed...you want a compromise of carb, compression, cam, rear gear and timing to to give you the peaks you want...having a 2.76 rear gear 4 barrel car with headers and a stock distributor can be a real let down when some nut with the same engine a 2 barrel, fat single exhaust and 3.21's has more fun , better mileage, and whoops you at the light....
remember to use the numbers as a 'relative' guide...other factors are involved...including the 'fun' factor...
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-D.Idiot