Future vintage car: EFI or carbs better?

For a daily driver, like you said, EFI. Purely original show car, keep the carb. I would NEVER go back to points ignition and carb's.
 
What I find interesting is that if this question was asked 15-20 years ago, I bet the EFI/carb poll would be 50/50 or in favor of carbs. Funny how times change. We humans are very resistant to change.
 
You're good. Henry is still at it, right up the road in San Mateo. Part time work... Nice guy and very helpful. I've gotta get my Oldsey's 4-Jet to him!
Lars Grimsrud has done 2 or 3 Q-Junks for me and offered great advice.
I went to high school[ Capuchino] with Henry He was 1 year older than I am and he certainly knows his stuff.
 
EFI can be stupid simple, much simpler than a carb with all its mechanical gadgets, and typically does not require frequent upkeep.. I'd go the EFI route any day of the week.

Are we talking factory configuration? I'd spec a car (or retrofit one with a new system) that needed only the minimum of EFI components-- specifically a speed density system that does not require a MAF. Something like a 1992 Saturn (if we're sticking with 30 year old cars) comes to mind.

Manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor, throttle position, coolant temp sensor, air intake temp sensor, and O2 sensor for closed loop feedback, IIRC is all it would really need.

There were a few manufacturers that were steadfastly against MAFs, preferring speed density configurations. Chrysler was one of them and I believe Honda and Hyundai/Kia as well, possibly others. Sadly, more modern emissions requirements ruined all that and forced most engines to transition to MAF based air metering. Not saying MAF setups are inherently unreliable, but you're adding one more sensor to the mix that is not essential to EFI operation.
Chrysler is still against MAF. The 3.2, 3.6, 5.7, 6.4, 6.2, not sure what else all use MAP. My Caliber also used speed density on its 2.0 4 cylinder.
 
A 30 year old car would be a 92 and not likely to have point ignition or a carb. I would buy one with EFI and electronic ignition and accumulate some spare parts for it while they are still available.
^^^ This
 
If your going to keep something going 60 years, your going to need to stack parts. Which do you prefer to stack?
owned were all speed density
Is a MAP that much more reliable than a MAF sensor. I have never had a MAF sensor issue - keep it clean is all. Its nothing more than a thin wire and a current sensor? My 380K mile, 14 year old Nissan has the original MAF sensor.
don't get me started on VIN-tying everything together.
Thats the cruxt of it isn't it. You don't just need the parts, you need the software, and the software for the chip keys along with it.
 
Is a MAP that much more reliable than a MAF sensor. I have never had a MAF sensor issue - keep it clean is all. Its nothing more than a thin wire and a current sensor? My 380K mile, 14 year old Nissan has the original MAF sensor.
Most MAF equipped engines in my experience also have a MAP sensor. The extra sensor just adds another variable when you're troubleshooting a random "could-be-anything" code, which are already difficult enough to diagnose in the absence of a good live-data scanner (and the knowledge to use it).

I've known many of shadetree mechanic buddies that have replaced MAF sensors due to a MAF-related code, only for the problem to lie somewhere else. The type that go to Autozone to scan codes, and buy whatever part the printout says, without doing any actual diagnosis. I've personally found speed density systems easier to diagnose, and MAP sensor issues tend to be obvious as it's a crucial sensor.

I figure for a car I'd want to last decades, the simpler the better.
 
My 92 B2600 is EFI and I wouldn't have it any other way. Its dead nuts reliable, good on gas and has plenty of power.

In regards to the electronics the electrolytic capacitors are the biggest issue with older electronics and the PCM in this truck is no exception. I have already replaced the two capacitors on the board that cause issues. I'm sure this issue is common with other vehicles of the same vintage. This is a very simple fix though for anyone with soldering skills and the parts to do it are dirt cheap and readily available.
 
I would take the carburetor. As someone who has a 78 chevy truck that had a carburetor and then was switched to tbi fuel injection i appreciate the throttle response when cold but i don’t like the complexity and space used by the wiring harness to control the system even though its as basic as an efi system can get. Overall the carburetor while requiring more work possibly also was simple and reliable. Although the quadrajet has a tendency to leak fuel through a certain plug in the carb and the top plate can warp causing vacuum leaks. Also vapor lock is a possibility. All things the efi did away with.
 
Option 3, a mechanically injected diesel. If it had to be a gas burner, it's a toss up for me depending on the longevity of the EFI parts. On an 86-01 Ford, Gm, and the Asian brands, give me EFI all day. 86-1993 Volvo? I'm one more faulty fuel ECM or maf away from putting on a carb setup from the marine version of the redblock.

(Bosch efi installed in eurotrash utilized 2 ecm's, LH jetronic for the fuel system and ezk for ignition)
 
Last edited:
I have a 57 year old VW Beetle with a simple Solex carb that is very simple. It has ignition points and condenser and is so simple to maintain that anyone with a little training or Muir's Idiot manual could keep it going for many years. I also have 1990 Ford Ranger with EFI. It is very easy to maintain also and it is 32 years old. I know there are parts on the Ranger that will not be available very soon. The cult car Beetle will have parts available for years since it sold millions around the world.
 
Imagine the following:

You have the possibility to own an already 30 year old mass produced completely rust free car. The car is going to be your daily driver for the next 30 years and until then the car will be 60 years old.
Whatever for?

I could put an another 750,000 miles on it in an additional 30 years, without even trying hard. Why not a new one eventually?
 
EFI.

It's certainly not my daily driver, but I'm already kind of doing that with my '96 Cherokee. I'll own it forever. Like, take away my keys when I'm 80 years old, but I'll still own it (I'm 28 now). But Trav rebuilt the injectors in 2018 so I should be good for a while.
 
My vote is EFI. But there is also mechanical fuel injection on some European cars. We use mechanical fuel injection on aircraft engines and it's amazingly simple and reliable.

Here is a Lycoming mechanically injected engine. The throttle body senses airflow, moves a diaphragm and meters the fuel. The injectors are simply orifices with no moving parts. The injector lines are the tiny ones on top of the the engine.

header-engine_1.png
 
My vote is EFI. But there is also mechanical fuel injection on some European cars. We use mechanical fuel injection on aircraft engines and it's amazingly simple and reliable.

Here is a Lycoming mechanically injected engine. The throttle body senses airflow, moves a diaphragm and meters the fuel. The injectors are simply orifices with no moving parts. The injector lines are the tiny ones on top of the the engine.

header-engine_1.png
Half a million $$$$ with the prop setup. Remove the prop and it is a fancy Porsche engine.
 
Last edited:
Wpod said: Half a million $$$$ with the prop setup. Remove the prop and it is a fancy Porsche engine.

Aircraft engines have become stupidly expensive. But that one is not half a mil. If it's a 580, it's about $93K and if it's a certified 540 from Lyc, just over $100K new and $60K "rebuilt" which includes all new parts except the crank and possibly the case. The prop will be $12K to $15K.
 
Is this a purely hypothetical exercise or is it actually under consideration. If not purely hypothetical what car specifically.

A lot of older EFI is getting hard/expensive to obtain parts for (try to buy something for a an old L jet System)

I would (did) probably choose an old carbureted dinosaur with a modern injection system...
 
Back
Top