You can run it as it comes. It has a 2 step built in, but no start retard, and I'd do that.

It's hard on caps, rotors, and wires, but it'll light'm when others will stumble. Not quite a mag, but still an arc welder. Make sure you don't let it bite you, it hurts. The MSD tester kits that come with the ceramic clip on sparky bit you hook to your coil wire to test it will literally melt if you leave it on for long. The box draws something like 25 amps at 8,000RPM so make sure the batts are up.