The whole carburetor versus fuel injection debate is never-ending; on both sides you have the diehards, and there’s nothing you can do to change their opinion. Over the years, I’ve generally tended to stay away from this topic, only because everyone has something to say about it. Come on, you know you’re already foaming at the mouth to say something. Am I wrong?
Off the bat, I’ll say that each application has its place. The hardest thing to judge is exactly where that place is because it’s going to be different for everyone. Case in point, we recently put together a really potent track-only 525ci big-block. This is a carbureted blow-through combination that used all off-the-shelf parts with a monster supercharger. Let’s just say we eclipsed the 1,700hp mark with a modified Holley 950 HP from The Carb Shop. There were no hiccups, we didn’t have to fight the carb to do its job, and that was with 26 psi of boost going through the carb—seriously. (You can read more on this in the upcoming Nov. ’11 issue.)
On the other hand, there’s a lot to be said for fuel injection. It used to be that EFI conversions were limited to those with robust bankrolls. Not so much anymore. A number of reputable manufacturers offer complete turnkey packages and don’t require an engineering degree to fire the engine up for the first time. These days, all you need to do is plug in a few parameters and the smart box will literally tune itself. Cold start issues become a thing of the past, and I’ve never heard of anyone complaining after they’ve successfully made the switch. What does that tell you?
In the end, it comes down to one thing—what’s right for you. Personally, I’ll say that while the popularity of EFI is rising, carburetors will never go away. So, what’s your poison?