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Hey guys Im debating whether I should just keep the Tpi or go with the carb. I just picked up a '79 350 and it has a Holley carb and intake on it. As of now Im replacing all of the gaskets on it due to it sitting for 7+ yrs, before then it was recently rebuilt. Right now the engine I have in my '86 TA is a 305 Tpi and the damn thing keeps sputtering and spitting but having just hit 160K miles and needing a tune I just dont want to pay any more for the shop to fix everything.
So what is it guys?? Go Old School or the present TPI??
I have time because I'm not doing anything major till the winter.
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__________________ Live Every Day Like It's Your Last.
i myself have a older 70s chevy motor with the same components you said yours had. im going through the process of rebuilding it with some goodies now and personally i say go old school. post some updates if you decide to go this route id like to see. what are the numbers on the block and heads?
from previous experience from friends and such stick with the TPI.
Whats weird is that people with old school motors go with new stuff such as TPI motors and people with TPI motors like to go Old school like you do. So this is a no win situation or a 50/50 answer on that question.
Im just about to go back out in the garage and work on it so I'll update you on that later...much later lol. I know what you mean, but I do have an 89 GTA with 24k miles on it!! It has a 350 TPI and its bone stock I also have a 98 Ls1 TA that I got for a graduation present, but my sisters car....make that beast when she can drive is a 1979 Ford Bronco, 400ci of raw CARBed motor, It does need a new carb because having a rebuilt motor...ya its choking it
The funny thing is I don't event know how to tune it, No I'm not rich or live ina $1+ dollar house, although that be cool cause of more garage space, I just work realllllly hard to get stuff at a good price
So sorry for the VERY long history of me, does that give ya any other thoughts??
__________________ Live Every Day Like It's Your Last.
I think you should get the '86 a tune up, swap it to your sister for the Bronco and sell it to someone to build a rock crawler out of.
That 400 ci Bronco will eat $1200 in gas the first year she drives it...
(how do you afford insurance on all 4?)
Im having such a hard time deciding, I know the carb doesn't adjust itself like the TPI would, but I love the look of a carb, I lost, I dont want a TBI because of all the other junk I would have to deal with.
I know what you guys think but try to put yourself in my shoes
__________________ Live Every Day Like It's Your Last.
Ahmen to that.
I still have mine, it ran a 9.6 in the 1/8 mile at the strip before I pulled it out.
Ran great. Looks great.
It lives in the garage.
On a stand.
It is weird how people who have the tbis, or carb want tpi and with the others its backwards, like i have a tbi but i am wanting a tpi but to pricey to do the swap
So you had a Tpi engine then swaped it for a Carb?
I changed the whole engine package. But I'm old and I know I can make HP with a carb and don't give a crap about under-the-hood glitz. BTW isn't Illinoiz an emissions inspection state? If the '88 wasn't available with a carb, it won't pass inspection.
EDIT: Oh, it's an '86, my bad.
Last edited by Supervisor42; 10-16-2009 at 10:20 PM.
Reason: senior moment.
In all honesty, the TPI setup is capable of feeding a 350 so it is more than adequate to make plenty of HP with the 305. If you are going to keep the 305 block and pass emissions, it's a no-brainer. Keep the TPI.
Yea like everyone has said. Tpi a go or Carb a go. But in all and all its how you want it. I myself rather have carb with manual choke for the reason NO computer bs. It gets real old when the electronic this and that went out. So if you go mechanical less hassle. IMO though. Also cheaper.
But again NO emission law where i live. Keep that in mind.
Emission here is only for '96 up, they only test the obdII computer for the emission crap. For everyones info I HAVE a 305 but Im putting in a 350, that what Im deciding to put a carb or Tpi on.
__________________ Live Every Day Like It's Your Last.
Im on my first tpi car and I really enjoy it so far. It really has to be one of best street inductions you can get from the pre obdii era. No pumping your gas pedal on cold mornings and great throttle response and torque. Some people like to shake their fists at evil computers controlling their cars but honostly a tpi system is really pretty simple. You just need to take the time to learn it and once you start to understand the simple diagnostic procedures for it and how the componenets interact, it isn't nearly as bad as some people think to work with.
[quote=300hpse;4315011]Tpi=old school .
compared to the ls models tpi is old school, not as old as carb. I had a carb on one of mine(had to baby it to get around 16 mpg)...swapped over to tpi...i get that mileage with ease now(while giving the car a work out) driveability is better IMO....I was just never happy with a carberator.
Making a carb work is a dying artform. It's probably just as well...
Some of us will still keep one around just to hear "the back barrels kick in" and remember when....
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