Mad

Very good information and maybe we need to talk off-line but for the sake of education to me and others I'll keep this thread going.

Again, you'll have to remember I'm an accountant, so I have experience with only three engines, and those are the ones that have been in my car, so like you said I have learned a lot from this site and come here often to ask questions and seek knowledge. Also as an accountant I like keeping and analyzing data. In looking at my data, I would say that the car likes more timing early, my best 60 fts are with the distributor locked out at 40*. I have also read that an engine doesn't need as much timing at higher rpms (so the boxes building in a retard function as rpms go up seems like a good thing), so what happens in a distributor seems almost backwards to what a performance engine would want. This is where is I have to ask the question, is a curve moving from low to high actually a good thing? Assuming box reduction, with a non-locked out distributor your curve would be 21 to 40 to 35, with it locked out it would be 40 to 35. When I compare all the measurement points (60, 330, etc.) and look at the plugs the cars seems quicker, faster and happier with a non-curved distributor. Now the second question, could it be faster with a different curve that has different initial and ramped in timing? and how do I get there? I love to test and tinker so I am wiling to be guided down a path here.

Thanks again for the input, I enjoy the mental exercise.