Is vacuum advance needed with MSD box with a daily driver?

Rhoads lifters are for pussies. You can advance the cam timing a good bit. What's the LSA? 108? If so, you can go down to about 100 or even 98 ICL and that will bring back a lot of bottom end torque.

Those engines are supposed to sound nasty. Rhoads lifters take the nasty away. Of course if that's what you want.......