Tuning with jets, Power valves and an O2 guage

I am in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment. I am strongly leaning toward using the .075 Cometics to drop the CR down to 9.89 to 1. This will give me a great amount of wiggle room for almost any condition. While the heads are off, I want to get them ported and resurfaced. I'm sure this will reduce the CCs of the chambers a slight amount, but the MLS gaskets need a smooth finish to seal right.
Over the last few days I've been playing detective. I looked around for information on the actual specs for the MP 509 cam to compare it to the Lunati I have in there now. It turns out that the 509 actually had a LATER intake closing than this Lunati. The 509 was actually degreed to be 1.5 degrees retarded from the straight up position. THIS explains why the cranking compression actually went UP with the new Lunati and it also explains why the car detonates more now than it ever has.
The dynamic compression calculators ask for an intake closing PLUS 15 degrees. MP seems to refuse to join the industry by publishing specs only THEY use, but The 509 had a intake closing at 74 degrees ATDC. The Lunati is at 56.5. Adding the 15 degrees for computing purposes, the Lunati is at 71.5. If my 509 was retarded 1.5 degrees, would that mean that .75 degrees of that would then be added to the 74? If so, the 509 had a 74.75 degree closing point. The Lunati has 71.5.
Please feel free to set me straight if I have this wrong.
I like the performance of this cam. Driving it with the 110 gas was a blast. It idles a bit better and feels stronger than the 509 and even the 509 with the 1.6 rocker arms.
Months ago I was tempted to go with the Comp XE 294 hydraulic. It has a 73 degree intake closing. If I had better luck digging around for the specs on the 509 I might have had picked a different cam. For now, I'll stick with this Lunati. The EDM lifters give me more confidence in cam life. The performance is great. Once the compression ratio is dropped down and the spark curve is set up, it should run strong and not detonate.