Tuning with jets, Power valves and an O2 guage

Voeltagear said
OR just pull out some timing, add some fuel, lose what ever power you were trying to build, and call it a day.

You will never fully realize the engines potential on pump gas but you will eventually find the bitter edge, then you can pull back a couple degrees and add a little fuel for extreme temps and rest easy. Until then have fun dancing on eggshells every time you hit the loud pedal.

The car may have been streetable with more work with the timing, but screw it....I am tired of being so close to the edge all the time. Driving a car that requires so much attention isn't any fun to me. In a way, it was like having a slutty supermodel for a girlfriend. I was always having to be on the alert.
This car is supposed to be a fun driver, not a JOB. I dont like manual transmissions or manual steering. I want to stab and steer. I want a fast car that doesn't require me to be hyper-vigilant like a marine on military patrol.

I pulled the heads. I am going to have them ported and the thicker gaskets are going on. The miniscule loss of power from lower compression will be nothing. The gains from porting the heads and running a traditional spark curve will be noticeable. I figure 30-40 HP for the porting, 20-25 HP for the timing and maybe a 15 HP loss from the compression. That is a 40+ HP gain with the freedom to run pump gas in any condition. I might even be able to run vacuum advance again to gain a bit better mileage on trips. I gained 1.8 mpg the last road trip by using vacuum advance. In 1000 miles, that makes a difference.

From Don at FBO ignition:
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While you have the race gas in it, crank the timing to the proper 34* and give a drive, you’ll pick up another at least 30-50 HP
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I interpret this to mean that with NO detonation present, the greater amount of timing will result in a big increase in power.