What modifications can be made to help?

Best bet is to get your hands on a wrecked Pontiac GTP of the same year or newer that had the supercharged series II 3.8 and stick it in. It might take a little work, but mechanically it will bolt in, and the lower compression of the blown motor will be more reliable. I've actually seen these engines swapped into Oldsmobile Aleros that were running low 13s in Denver of all places, which means it's a 12 second car everywhere else in the country.