Advance the timing before TDC. Why?

Couple of comments.
- Mother Mopar, like other brands, did not know what the car would be used for once it left the showroom. Would grandma just use it for church on Sundays? Or would someone use it for towing a loaded trailer up a mountain pass on hot summer days?
They didn't know, so ign timing was set conservatively.
- I would NEVER buy a DUI dist. Why? Because in the catalog that I have they talk about the mixture 'explosion'. If DUI knows that LITTLE about ign, then I would be worried about the product. The mixture does not explode [ unless it detonates, then you have other problems...], it burns & expands at a controlled rate, the expansion forcing the piston down.
- It is generally accepted that the most advantageous position for the burning mixture to reach max expansion force is 14-20 crank degrees AFTER TDC. This takes into account both the chemistry of the A/F & the mechanical advantage of the crank.