Not sure I am following, is the lag you speek of towing or empty? Also, cold or warm I think should not make a difference in pulling away from a stop.
I occasionally experience "lag" from a stop in my Expy, because it hasn't shifted all the way back to 1st, because I did not come to a full stop (it won't shift into first unless I come to a complete stop) If I roll the stop, it often tries to pull away in 2nd.
My Expy EL came with 3.73 from the factory, they play very nice with the 6 speed. The GM and Ford 6speed ratios are almost identical so I imagine it would play fine for you too.
Also remember we have small block overhead cam V8s in our trucks. The 4000 rpm range is where they make their power, they are designed to run here and will do so, for a long time if necessary.