Only way you can keep a low revving 4 cyl. engine from sounding stupid or annoying is to keep it as quiet as possible.
Had a short shifter from Rodney Dickman on my V6 Formula, and it has it's pluses and minuses.
I would spend my money on the car only to maintain it and keep it looking as nice as possible. Would spend NO money to hot rod the engine.
The '88s handle reasonably well and are fun to drive, but the Iron Duke engine is a dog when it comes to power.