Im looking inot getting a new carb after i get everything runnning again. I forgot which type carb we have, iits spread bore right?

 

The stock carb on US-delivered V8 3rd gens was a computer controlled quadrajet (spreadbore).

What are you trying to "fix" by replacing it?

 

Im just planning for the future. When my car leaves the emmisions bracket (which is 25 yrs old) imma replace the stock carb with a holley or something, along with the distributor, both of which wont need a computer telling it what to do. It just seems like the comp hold back our cars, prolly becuase i dont understand how they really work. I just didnt really see a difference between my stock 305 and the 350 i put in. Prolly partially my fault. Anyway, I just wanted to change it to see what kind of difference i could see. On a dif. note, What kind of timing advance would everyone suggest? Vaccume or machanical? I know they both have their down sides, its just i need to know which is easier to put together. sorry about long post, thanks.

 

I am pretty sure the emissions is not an age thing.. I blieveie if your car came with emissions it is bound to the emissions standards of that car at that time forever.. that is if the car is checked for emissions. Of course it could be different from state to state.

 

For the record: I no longer am subject to emissions testing or inspection. I have retained the computer controlled q-jet. Reasons:
1) It's the best street performance carb out there (until you get on the ragged edge of streetablility).
2) It gives the best fuel economy possible.
3) It is a lot less expensive (as in, zero cost) than buying a new carb and distributor.

Now, if the car was primarily a strip car that I occasionally drove on the street (such as, going to the track), then I'd put on a mechanical secondary Holley-type carb. I would expect to gain a couple of tenths in the quarter, but suffer on fuel economy (which wouldn't be an issue in that case).

For the record #2: If you go with a non-computer controlled carb, you'll want a distributor that has both mechanical and vacuum advance. Unless the car is trailered to the track, in which case a mechanical-only distributor would be fine.

 

Federal law prohibits the tampering of any smog device, doesn't matter how old.
And actually in California, it is illegal to install any part that is not for street use and no C.A.R.B. label on ANY car no matter what year it is. Just not enforced as of yet. So when you see a '32 model A with a blower and two 4 bbls....NOT LEGAL!!!!

 

Well, that's not exactly true, because the federal emissions standards don't apply to a '32 model year.

 

thats right. the fedral emmissions standards only apply to like 1974+ cars. i think '74 was the first year they started putting emission stuff on cars.

 

Of course, Kalifornia is its own country. When I moved to San Diego in 1986, I had to have the '57 smogged!