thinking about the new msd atomic efi system

I agree,if you can not work on the carb than a efi system will really leave you out in the dark.If you drive it away from home and have a problem I would say you will have a better chance of finding parts at a store for your carb.I don't think there are any off the shelf parts for the efi system.

I would buy a new carb or adding a choke to the carb you have now.
Lots of books and articles on tuning your car,I can but a lot of tools and books for what they get for an efi system.:glasses7:

The OP said he's looking for something more reliable for a long haul. Fuel injection would be best for what he's looking for. Also, those MSD Atomic systems are self learning. All you have to do is install the throttle body, fuel line, and ecm. Then go drive the car. The ecm will automatically adjust and tune in the system for your application. There are limitations to how much cam it can handle though.