I'm glad the 440 looks like something you can use without too much hassle. If you can take good measurements and it looks acceptable there's no reason to throw cubic dollars into the machine work. Chances are the block is better than the build. Someone obviously did machine work to it and likely had the local garage slap it together (assuming they didn't do it themselves).


Dave, I didn't price out a system for him because I wasn't asked to and don't know what components he might already have or have access to. I feel confident it would come in under $2,000. Yes, more than a carb and tuning kit but that amount of money means different things to different people. What is painful to some is not a great concern to others. You determine your pain threshold.

Throttle body injection is a quick and easy way of getting into EFI and there's no doubting that it works. Yes, some people struggle with it but the same can be said for carbs. How many posts have there been on carb tuning and related concerns? As for the wet intake, isn't your intake wet now? Throttle body systems work with dual plane intakes. It's true that single plane intakes have a better track record but they aren't mandatory. There have been lots of intakes that don't perform well under certain carbs, too. Remember, it's a package and you've got to match components properly no matter what kind of build you're doing. I bet your Dominator doesn't like a stock 19173 cast iron intake.

As for the mature technology bit, that's like saying you're not a mature carb tuner because those things have been around well over 130 years and your experience is only a small portion of that time and in only a very small fraction of the applications.

Timing map! HA! Where did that come from? See that distributor poking out of the engine? USE IT. No problems there. Just the same old thing we've all done before. Yes, you can get systems that include ignition control but that's optional. In fact, you can add similar ignition control to a carbed engine. Try it. You might like it. The best ignition timing for nearly any situation and it's adjusted on the fly.

As for the difficulty of programming a non-self learning EFI system, if I can do it, your typical gearhead should have no problem at all. When I threw my EFI system at the hot rod I knew nothing about them. Sadly, I picked an old outdated system that had very little support and hardly anyone knew how to make it work. It was a $400 purchase off Ebay. I read the manual and figured it out. After looking at other systems I now know that it operated a bit backwards from most yet I was still able to get it running and reliable in a turbocharged application. You'll notice that I have not recommended the Electromotive TEC II to anyone.

Now, you're starting to sound like someone who's hero has been challenged or is afraid of technology. Perhaps I'm wrong. The big take away here is to know that there are multiple solutions to each situation.Some of those situations lend themselves towards a carb while others are better off with EFI. The decision is a personal one to be made by the person who owns the car. Some want carb. Others want EFI. Some enjoy popping the hood and tinkering with a carb. Others enjoy tapping a few keys while sitting in the car.

You may have noticed that I've posted something recently about carb selection. Yes, I'm leaning towards slapping a carb on the Imperial. Rest assured, it's a temporary solution. I want to get the car up and running on the cheap and would prefer to spend the money elsewhere at the moment. I'm following the "good enough" philosophy for now. EFI is planned for later but I want to get it up and running first.

You make your choice. Others can make theirs. What is good for one may not be the best for someone else.