Hi,

First post on this forum. I have a chopped, "Z"'ed (2 places), "B" pillars and rear window laid forward, slammed, '40 Chevy tudor sedan with a 496" BBC running Edelbrock aluminum heads and intake with Edelbrock 800 cfm 4BBL, Comp Cams hydraulic roller cam, beefed 700R4, 3:70 posi, and lots of other goodies.
My question has to do with what kind of induction I'd like to ultimately end up with. I'm wanting something nostalgic (50's-early 60's) looking. I know a BBC probably isn't the most nostalgic looking engine but it's what I have and I really like it. I've tried to make the engine as nostalgic looking as possible by installing Mooneyes finned valve covers and some other things. But I want something other than the usual single 4bbl carb. I like dual quads and that does have a nostalgic look, but what I really would like is Hilborn/Crower style fuel injection. There's just something about those 8 stacks sticking up that really flips my switch.
I've looked into actual Hilborn mechanical-converted to-electronic systems but the price tag would make Bill Gates wince (about $7400.). There's a guy on Ebay selling Hilborn mechanical systems "for strip and street" for around $2400. and he says you don't have to convert a Hilborn system to electronic to make it streetable. He does say it will have a rough idle and will need an electronic fuel pump in-line (I think to help return unused fuel to the tank?) in addition to a high capacity mechanical pump.
On the other hand, I can buy a turn-key Edelbrock Air Gap dual quad system from Summit or Jegs for under $2000. I prefer the looks of the fuel injection but I just don't know how streetable it really is? I'm also open to supercharging but a turn-key supercharging system will come in at about the same price as the Hilborn electronic fuel injection. I'm open to suggestions and recommendations. What would you do and what should I be concerned about? Thank you.


Tom  

The biggest problem with mechanical fuel injectors is they have no idle circuit.  Lil John Buttera put one in his sons' street Camaro quite a few years back and I think the build up was covered in Hot Rod Magazine and he had worked out a way around that problem.  If you can find the articles it would be worth it.  

I would check the Hot Rod forums, to see if they know what issue that article that Jalopy45 recomended was from.