It would be nice to not have to depend on computers to tune or troubleshoot your car. I miss the days from way back in B.C. (before computers) when we did it like this:

 

And those old cars had something that looked like this in the distributor that you needed to replace and then adjust every 15,000 miles :

 

Maybe He is still looking for the distributor on his LS ?

 

Good old days!

 

My guess ... It would be hard to find anyone that still has a good working dwell meter in there garage anymore.

And it might be even be a little hard to find someone that still owns a timing light anymore too.

 

I actually have one, but none of my cars can use it.

 

Have both (and more), since I still have older cars, and older motorcycle that require such.

As for good old days before electronic ignitions and fuel injection, what will take me a few mins dial in a fuel injection system and timing advance on a laptop, can take hours of ripping a carb apart over and over again to get it jetted correctly, including play (moding) the spring tension/over all travle of the timing advance to get that correct as well. Hence if you dyno'g along the way, would have to book the dyno for the entire day to begin with ..

As for manual points, they are not that bad, so long as you keep the cam lobs greases do they don't rust up to wear out the points contact bar quickly, and it's not a British Layland system in the first place that had it's own other electrical problems to begin with (and Zenith Stromberg carbs can be a PITA to get dialed across the bank as well).

Also, we get into the amount of HP that can still be street drive-able, since you really have no way of taming the HP with Throttle mapping and Torque management like now a days. Hence back in the 60's~70's, car making say 600hp for strip use, would be too savage to try to drive on the streets.

 

I have both a timing light and a dwell meter. I also know how to use them.

I can also rebuild a carburetor and adjust solid lifters...

The tools and ability are not as rare as you would think. Also if you don't want to do the work yourself there are still plenty of hot rod shops around that are more than happy to take your money and do it for you.

 

I lost my dwell meter years ago. The last time I used it was two houses ago. It's probably packed up somewhere in a box I hope I never open. I have an old school '69 Camaro with a gen 1 406 small block. Electronic ignition though. Still have the timing light and know how to use it. The next time it needs a carb rebuild, it will get an add on fuel injection setup. That Camaro is BEGGING for a blown LS3. Just need to convince the wife that a '69 Camaro with a TVS blown LS3 looks better on the financial statement vs same with a 50 year old gen 1 small block. Still rehearsing my "approach"......To you guys that have been there and done that, help appreciated.

 

Still have a timing light and was still using it until 3 years ago, albeit on a 1966 Farmall 706 gas. Was still setting the points on it, and it still had a generator. Had to rebuild the carb when I owned it. Let it go when I sold the property and now have a 2007 JD 5205 diesel. I liked the old iron better but the new stuff doesn't need worked on nearly as often.

As for the OP, I will take the computerized tuning.

 

Old Farmall's were great. The good thing about them is that if they broke, anyone with any kind of mechanical skills could fix them. JD5205, while newer, isn't that complicated and computer reliant either. With a front end loader on the front and a backhoe or box blade on the rear, lots of work can get done.

 

I try and have all my bases covered.

 

Wrong path, and you know that a 6-71 sticking out the hood will look better instead.
Granted lot harder to make over 600hp on a crate 350 with 6-71, than crate LS3 with TVS-2300, but since you don't have TM in the car, either way is going to be an handful on the streets in that car.
Plus, car is old enough, that you don't have to deal with smog, and nothing like a touch of blower surge when at a stop light with a 6-71, to tell others that they really don't want to play. The TVS has a blow off valve, so you don't get that blower surge at idle, and if you have the clearance under the hood, no blower sticking out the hood either.

Now if you really want to strap on your big boy pants since you do have the room in the engine bay, built big block with 8-71 making over a thousand HP on street gas instead.

 

Sorry, I only go back to 1962 when my brother and I put a 327 in our mother's '57 Chevy 2-door hardtop unbeknown to her. Started with 3 2"s and ended with 2 AFB's. Things were simpler then. Ha.

 

Question of the day .... Back in the day, the AFB (Aluminum Four Barrel) carb had replaced the older WCFB carb ... Anyone know what WCFB stood for ?

Hint: . Both were made by Carter

 

William Carter Four Barrel?

 

Will Carter Four Barrel. Will Carter was the founder of Carter Carburetor company.
THE CARBURETOR SHOP /Carter 4 barrel carburetors

 

Another opinion ..... White Cast Four Barrel (WCFB)

The carb was made from a metal alloy called 'white metal' ... high in zinc content

 

Even better....
Speaking earlier of British cars... anyone know what the 'CD' in Stromberg CD carburetor stands for?
The answer couldn't be more appropriate.
CONSTANT DEPRESSION.
Still own a dwell meter, and I have a functioning FMC/Autoscan ignition oscilloscope in my garaage, same model I used when I started in the business in 1977.
Wouldn't be surprised if it was actually the same one...
Just bought a new timing light last year. Ironically, needed to set up a new AEM stand alone system.
Overall... newer cars can suck to work on in many ways, but I'll take modern engine management any day.

 

Well, I know nothing about the old Jimmy blowers. I did own one on a Detroit 2 cycle diesel. 6-71 as a matter of fact. Hated that power unit. It was not fuel effecient and leaked oil in nine different directions. For those that don't know, a 6-71 blower was sized to boost six 71 cubic inch cylinders. 8-71 blower was designed to boost eight 71 cubic inch cylinders. Then you had your blowers designed to boost 92 cubic inch cylinders.

I have had 6 or 7 Magnuson blown LS engines. I'm very familiar with what to do and what not to do on those rigs. An all aluminum LS3 with a TVS on top would come in hundreds of #'s less than any old school big or small block with a 6 or 8-71 blower on top. Don't really think a blower sticking out of the hood looks cool either. Looks dated to my eyes. A '69 Camaro has some pretty classy lines. I wouldn't want to mess that up with a blower sticking out of the hood......or a big hood scoop hiding said blower.