I'm a novice engine builder and am new to this site. I'm looking to run EFI on my 383 short block. The vehicle is a 1970 El Camino and will have either a 700 r4 or a 200r. As you know the car doesn't have any type of EFI hardware so any kit that I get would have to include all the electronics. The engine will also have a set of aftermarket aluminum heads (Patriot Performance). I searched around the site and noticed that a lot of people are in favor of the mini-ram system. Can I get that system with everything I need or do I need to already have some of the electronics?

I know this question has probably been asked before so if you don't feel like explaining again could you point me in the right direction to execute a search.

 

The MiniRam is just the hardware; manifold and fuel rails. No electronics of any kind.

There are numerous ways to add the electronics to an older car. It's not too hard to use a stock ECM; in the case of the MiniRam, it was designed to replace TPI in cars that came with that, so the ECM from a TPI car is one way. Accel, Holley, FAST, Big Stuff, are some of the aftermarket systems that are a complete electornics package, even including the wiring harness if you want to buy a pre-packaged one of those. There's a stand-alone fuel-only system called Megasquirt, that you would run with a traditional mechanically-controlled distributor.

The Accel and Holley systems are available with complete packages; manifold, throttle body, wiring, computer. All you'd have to buy is some of the sensors and the right injectors for your engine's fuel requirements (probably 30 lbs/hr or 36 lbs/hr for a typical 383). And of course a laptop with either a really good battery or a 12V adapter, is required for tuning any of them except the stock ones, which you tune by burning new tables of values into a PROM and replacing the stock PROM with your altered one. The aftermarket ones you just pull up a screen on the laptop and go in and change stuff until it runs like you want.

None of this is cheap. But you can often find it used, or NIB, for less than list price.

 

Thanks