so we timed the mustang today 65 mustang 289 with a 600cfm eldebrock carb with a pertronix ignition,

set it at 7 degrees with vac line off pluged it in and we had 37 degrees of total timeing

does this sound just right? there is no pinging at all (that i can tell)

 

i find somethign odd here as this would be 30degrees centrifugal advance)?

can you check again:
disconnect the vacuum advance at vacuum canister and plug the hose (so carb can't suck air through there)

check timing and start revving the engine you should see the advance increasing as rpms increase.
1. At what rpm does it stop advancing and what timing do you read there?
then let it back to idle
2. what timing do you read there and what is the idle rpm
3. did you use pertronix module or full pertronix distributor?

Kalli

 

7 degrees initial plus 30 degrees vacuum advance=37 degrees...
Where are you getting anything about centrifugal or mechanical advance?

 

readings with vacuuim advance active are pointles as I'll never know how much centrifugal and how much vacuum advance is going ...

 

with vacuum advance with it reved to 3,300 rpm is where we get 37 degrees, brother in law is a master mechanic in arizona where we live and he set the timing, this is the first ford i used to be a chevy man where we would set initial timing at 10 degrees and get 39 total timing, just wanted to make sure we was in ball park, the guessing we are doing with this motor right now will all be over in oct as we r pulling it out to redo it with new cam ect just making sure we are in ball park, we dont drive it much anyways less then 50 miles a month

 

"with vacuum advance with it reved" ... if that means "vacuum advance disconnected" then you are in the ballpark. 37total@3300 sounds about right for stockish engine. Assuming it stopped advancing at 3300.
you can recurve your distributor (or have it done) as well for best power under 3300