I've given up on the computer controlled timing for now and put the distributor back to a mechanical advance setup last night.
I topped off all the fluids, set the street tires to 35 psi, set the slicks to 20 psi, and headed out. I made the first two runs with the exhaust closed. I could hear some detonation and also had a terrible bog off the starting line. The first run was a disappointing 13.30 @ 104, but that was with a 2.3 60-ft time. The next pass, I rolled slower into the throttle, got the 60-ft down to 2.0, but it was only a 13.21 @ 103. I was getting worried.
For the third pass, I backed the timing down two degrees (30 total) and opened up the headers. I also rolled into the throttle slower, almost eliminating the bog. Together, this made a huge difference, 12.44 @ 109, with a 1.85 60-ft. I knew it was a good run, as I could tell by my trap RPM. I was pumped when I saw the slip!
I wanted to back that pass up, so I made another one (no changes) and launched a 1.84 60-ft, and ran 12.34 @ 110! That ended up being my final pass. Water was seeping out of the ground onto the track, so they cut it down to 1/8 mile. I had already had a good day, so that's when I packed up.
There's definitely more in it, too. When you see the videos, it's a pretty lazy 1.8x 60-foot, in my opinion,
More pictures and video to come...
Its good to get some payoff for all that work. Should be plenty of motivation now to get that ignition right.