Stay with a carburetor or go EFI

OK, so my Duster is apart and in a state of limbo right now. First and foremost it needs to be rewired which I will be tackling soon. It's also getting new headers, exhaust and possibly some other trinkets before I get it back on the road.

While everything is out of the car, I am seriously considering converting to EFI. Nothing wrong with a carburetor, they certainly have their place, especially in a street/strip car like mine.

However, I have had a good experience so far with the Holley Sniper in my B body. Frankly, that car runs light years better than it ever did with a carburetor. I believe having a digitally controlled ignition and higher fuel pressure are both a big help in getting our older cars running more crisply. Plus, I like the data logging capability and being to tailor the tune on the fly with a laptop.

That said, converting to EFI adds a lot of complexity. Integrating an aftermarket EFI harness into an aftermarket wiring harness based off later-model GM products is not the easiest project to tackle. Also, my battery is in the trunk. EFI stuff "generally" requires that the power leads go right to the battery posts so I'd either have to roll the dice, connect to a junction point on the firewall and hope it works as it should or move the battery back up front. Having the battery in the trunk can be a PITA but I'm used to it. Not so thrilled with the idea of undoing all the work I did to make it work back there but it's just a few wires at the moment, not a total loss.

Going EFI will require changing out the current fuel system or at least modifying it to accommodate the EFI components. Right now the car is using a giant Clay Smith mechanical fuel pump. The fuel tank is a brand-new fabricated aluminum tank but currently has no provision for an in-tank type of pump. A lot of work went into getting that stupid fuel pump to fit and that gas tank cost a pretty penny. But, in the name of progress, they might have to go by the wayside. Suppose I could keep the tank but it would have to have a recess cut out for the fuel pump. I'm not a TIG welder so that will need to go somewhere to get done.

The ignition system would also get changed out from Ye Olde MSD 6 and cool-guy Mopar Performance tach drive distributor to the Holley EFI ignition and distributor. It's not worth the effort to make the EFI work with non-EFI ignition components. The tach drive is bitchin' but it's not digitally controlled. The timing curve is all in by around 1,200 rpm or so, almost like being locked out. The digital ignition provides way more tuning functionality. There's a two step feature and nitrous/boost retard if I ever choose to go those routes.

Carburetors can be finicky and are comparatively crude compared to EFI. This is especially true with weather changes. From most of what I've read about it, EFI seems to give up some HP at the very top end but otherwise it's a better way to mix air and fuel especially during part throttle driving. I want the car to be fast but I also don't want to mess with it every time I take it out. Sure I can buy a top-shelf, custom carb but they're almost as much or more than today's EFI systems.

Lot to consider. Would the benefits of EFI outweigh the added complexity? Should I keep the thing super old school and see how it goes? Let me know what you think.

Greg