Performance ???

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

Being somewhat of a old guy i have been around cars and performance cars all my life . I also taught Gasoline Engines for Lincoln Tech here in Indy for a few years.
Interesting when you work on cars you just fix and repair and rebuild , never needed to answer the question of WHY? When teaching my first class or two (Electrical Tune Up) i said turn the screw inward a turn or two. A student raised his hand and "why" what does that control. WOW beats the hell out of me thats just the way it was !! I didnt know what it controlled i just knew that it fixed ( or masked ) the problem ! So i had to really study up to find out why???
Over the years we built some pretty neat cars and i have helped a million people , but my general rule of thumb for a baseline is to "blueprint" the engine and make it as perfect as you can in a stock form !!!! I have a couple friends that drag raced and owned more than one National record holding cars. All of them base lined the engine, used exact factory specs and then added one item at a time to make it better . ( sometimes it wasnt better) Ford made a muscle book in the sixtys that discussed this in stages and it really worked.
Now building Flathead Ignition is see this causing problems every day .
Just this week been discussing a problem with a customer that has flathead with dual carbs, different heads and camshaft with multiple ignition distributors and advance settings.

One of my friends used to have a spinning wheel on his counter and would ask a customer to just spin the wheel when a repair was needed without allowing for diagnostic time . The wheel said carb , ignition, valve job etc ....

I think as a group we must get better at using this base line more often and then just make a single change ????

[petehoovie]

Ford made a muscle book in the sixty's that discussed this in stages and it really worked.

[JWL]

Making only one change at a time will allow the mechanic to ascertain the value of that change within the existing combination. However, it certainly limits the potential for discovering the best performance combination.

[big job]

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I have a very high respect for you sir and the work you do. So whats my problem its a
46 V8 with so called rabbit ears. I went from average $400 in gas a mo. with my 97 F350 to
same miles same places like back and forth to Napa hardware store beer run etc. and now
10 to $15 in fuel and not only that this 59a will blow the doors of that 460 F350. And yes
the truck was brought back to original dealer, they say nothing wrong with it. I have been accused by ford guys, I changed it to 12 volts? no its 6 volts but starts like 12 vts
hows that, because its right and correct. so my rant; leave it don't touch it. Best thing
ever, I can walk in this and sit like on a couch one finger steering No mfg. built any
vehicle that shifts like these just with yah pinky finger. The bad; wimpy heat, have to
run one wiper with no pass side so that works nobody makes electric 6vt I know of.
Just ramblin again due to this fall weather guess I need a gas mask than paper towels
blowin my nose leaves uggg all this is LOL sam