Tuning a DD 383 for optimum mileage / 1/4 mile performance

Starting to do the tuning on my 67 Barracuda 383 to get optimum mileage. I use the car as a daily driver for 78 mile round trip & ocassional track use. I am going to get the best mileage out of this car as I can but I am not going to hurt its strip performance, trying to improve it as well.

Right now the car runs 12.88 @ 107.9 1/4 mi & gets an average of 11.8 mpg. I am shooting for 11.9 1/4 mi & 14 mpg.

The car is currently equipped with a 383, 75cc Edelbrock heads, XE274 Comp cam, Mallory Dual Point, Edelbrock RPM intake, Holley 850 DP, 1.875 Hooker fenderwell headers, mechanical fan, 727 w/stock style converter, 4.10 SG 8 3/4" & 28" tires.

I am about to pull the dual point, non-vacuum advance & replace it with a Uni-lite w/vacuum advance. That should help get the timing up on the highway & help with mileage.

Found an interesting thing after taking it to the track, I had bolted up a 850 DP in place of my 670 VS & I really liked the throttle response on the way home. I decide to try it for a few days to see how much it killed my mileage but it actually got around 1.5 mpg better.

Right now I've got the timing set @:
17* @ 750 rpm
39* @ 3000 rpm

I'm planning on dropping in the vacuum advance distributor & setting it @:
15* @ 750 rpm
35* @ 2800 rpm
50* @ cruise w/vacuum adv. added
That all looks good, on the right track and within a degree or two of what I think you'll find as best. Good luck with the tuning and mileage finding. It takes a bunch of playing around but it will be worth it in the end. You are going to find mileage with the vacuum advance distributor.

(To bad there isn't a drop in MoPar OD trans for you.I wonder, can it be done? Take the 518 rear OD section on to a big block 727? Just thinking out loud......)

What is the cruise RPM?
Have you thought about Rhodes lifters?
Rhodes says there lifters start pumping up around (IIRC) 3,000 RPM to restore full lift & duration. Possible benefit?