Howdy!

I've got a '71 bus with about 90k miles on a GTX rebuild (about 240k miles
overall).  It's a CA model and uses a 34 PICT with a vacc. retard &
advance distributor.  I've traditionally set the timing to 0 TDC using a
timing strobe and all vacc. lines attached at 850 RPM and around 48
degrees of dwell (gas is always Shell Super Unleaded).  I bring all of
this up because my other mode of transportation is a '78 Fiat 124
convertible (the Fiat and the Bus are alternately known as the "Dream
Team" or the "Scream Team") and I was advised recently to advance the
timing in the Fiat 10 degrees more than the factory manual states in order
to make it run smoother.  The theory was that the engine was old (160k
miles and never a rebuild on that one though I did replace the heads
recently) and with its age one could, and should, advance the timing as
much as the engine would take without pinging under load.  Don't know much
about the theory behind it (we only do social science -the ultimate
oxymoron- research here at RAND) but I do know that the Fiat does indeed
run better with 10 degrees of advance.

QUESTION: Should I also experiment with advancing the timing on the Bus?

BTW: I envy anyone going to Pfieffer-Big Sur this weekend, storm or no
storm.  The beach at P-BS near the state park (look for the mail boxes and
follow the winding road down to the parking area) is concidered by many,
including myself, as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the
world.

Thanks for any info,

Nick