Timothy,
There are a lot of rodders, out there who think it is all about chips. They may go as far as a blue bottle. I can't believe the numbers who expect big gains from bigger tubes, and they run it all through the same restricted pinch points and catcons.
Put your keyboard down and figure out what that exhaust smell means; what if I go with this jet or that; try a hotter thermostat ... oooops, where is that cold one; maybe I open the point gap and this advance, or do I retard and and increase dwell; springs and weights in the distributor (damn do I wish they had invented zip lock bags when I was at my height of this); cam timing; and what about those head gaskets this time.
I remember the old guys looking at us and shaking their heads. I'd love to sit down with them and compare how similar we were compared to today when the hottest guy on the strip doesn't use a wrench.
TAB, what will a vacuum switch and your windshield washer do for you?