stock '78 L42.. best intake with what carb?.. stand alone efi and intake?.. i've been away for these things way to long ta trust my judgement on this application.. plan a very mild build down tha road....
stock carb (Q-jet) is starting ta dish out a few problems.. can ya'll help a guy out please?

 

Best thing to do is contact this guy....lars He is the forum carb GURU here and has helped a ton of people with carb issue. GL

 

alrighty,,, thanks.

 

Carb or EFI really does come down to personal choice.
.Your absolutely most economical method if your ORIGINAL Quadrajet is in need of repair/rebuilding is to contact Lars.
If your carburetor has been changed out over the years then it could be a problem.
There are absolutely pros and cons to both systems.
That said. I run a stand-alone EFI and would never go back to a carburetor. But not everyone agrees with me.
Certainly the cost to change the entire fuel system over from gas tank to intake manifold for EFI is far and away going to exceed rebuilding the Quad. Not to mention all the little things that add up like changing the throttle cable mounting. Air filter fitment, vacuum line connections etc, etc. And then there is getting the tune all set just right. It all really adds up.
The end result is of course fabulous.

 

appreciate it.. got time ta think about it.. got a lotta suspension, brakes and wheel bearing stuff i wanna get done first.. just hopin' i live long enough ta see it all done......... this thing is really nice "ta look at"... paint, body and interior are all justa 'bout perfect but it has "foundation problems".....

 

If you are staying with a carb, a QJet is the best, hands down, for a stockish motor, as long as it is not a commercially rebuilt (and ruined) one.

If it is, maybe Lars can save it, and maybe not.

Very little goes "wrong" with a Q-Jet, except maybe ethanol gas drying out the accelerator pump.
That's not hard to get or to change.
You want one with a green ethanol resistant diaphragm.

On intakes, you are limited to 3/4" taller than stock, or you have hood fitment problems. 4.25" pad height max. But decide on the Q-Jet (spread bore) or Holley (square bore) first.

 

good information.. i was wondering 'bout tha clearance problem (intake) form tha get go when i got inta tha changin' junk, 'specially with tha efi stuff...

 

I have a Holley EFI system on my 427 in a 1968 Corvette. It was easy to swap the carburetor for a throttle body EFI system. Many of the newer EFI systems are easily installed and the engine will run pretty good straight out of the box. I have the Holley Stealth Sniper on my car because I wanted the throttle body to look more like a big Holley carburetor as that is what they ran on the highest horsepower L88 engines. It worked as many people who do see the throttle body mistake it for a carburetor at first glance.

Hood clearance can be a BIG issue for many people. I have a 1968 L88 Hood and the Stealth Sniper sitting on a Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap Intake manifold barely fits beneath the hood. It will work but it is snug when the foam gaskets make contact when closing the hood.

Your Quadra Jet should be restored by Lars just so that you have a great carburetor to either use or store away for future use. I use a custom Holley carburetor made by a company called A.E.D. near Richmond, Virginia and it was set up so well I didn't have to do anything to use it on my street car.

Other EFI options are available like using different components. It is not hard to find a lower/flatter intake with drilled injector holes. Then using a (short) "dry" throttle body and either a Terminator or Dominator EFI controller will give you an easier to install EFI system that has no height issues like the throttle body systems can give you. If you have any questions about a potential EFI purchase please call the guys at efisystempro.com and you will reach a small business in Melbourne, Florida that sells the Holley EFI systems and parts for less than Holley does. The guys there "KNOW" EFI systems and will provide their customers with 2 years of post sale service which is awesome. I bought every part I needed including the OEM fuel tank module and it cost less than $1700 for the complete system. There are places that sell other brands and they might be cheaper but none have the tech support of the guys at efisystempro.com.

 

Recent intake height thread with some measurements:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...e-c3-swap.html

FYI a 78 hood is 1" higher than a 68-72 std hood, and the same height as a BB / LT-1 hood.
So you have a little extra room to play with.

 

If you are flush with $$$ and want a foolproof induction system, pay someone who "knows" to install the best EFI money can buy.

If not, buy a good quality spread-bore aluminum intake manifold and install a well-built Quadra-Jet carb (preferably built by Lars). Either will give you many good years of service.