I experimented with the water injector thingy - used carb vacuum to suck up the water or water/alchol mixture into the carb. It is supposed to slow down the burn a bit so that it will eliminate ping. Airplanes have had the system and some hot rod turbo cars are using that system. On the first turbo buick regals in 1984 with the SFI engine they were supposed to come out with a retro fit system, but never did. If you look at an early turbo buick with a strong flashlight at the row of idiot lights you see a 'power injection' light that was supposed to light up green. I had one of those cars.
That thing with a big glass bottle it hooked up to was probably not too sophisticated, but, it probably did prevent ping on hot dry day.
