[Formulajones]

That still sounds like a terrible way to do it lol.

There is some truth to the last statement, (minus the lockout idea) as the OEM's weren't too concerned about performance and mileage back then, and their timing curves were slow and very conservative. They were only worried about getting the car past the warranty period.

For sure factory settings aren't going to be optimal, and of course too aggressive doesn't end well either, but there is absolutely performance, and mileage to be found with timing curves if setup properly.