Decades ago, EFI systems on classic musclecars were in their infant stages, and for the most part they were simply an electronic carburetor, and worked much like one. As technology started catching up with the automobile, EFI systems became so advanced that gearheads didn’t really like them because they were difficult to work on, and required an electronic engineering degree to fix them. It was also during the mid-1980s when musclecars were only churning out about 185-200 horsepower, so gearheads went back to carburetors because they were deemed much better for potential power gains.
But, as you know, technology takes a back seat to no one, and eventually we started seeing EFI conversion kits for classic musclecars. While some of the first kits may have been a little bit much for some, today they are about as easy to install as a carburetor and electronic ignition system, taking just about a day to install in your own garage or driveway.
Holley says, “Holley carburetors have powered every NASCAR Sprint Cup team and nearly every NHRA Pro–Stock champion for four decades.” These days, Holley is still in the racing game, and this time Holley EFI was feeding fuel to the ARCA Ilmor 396 powering Ford and Chevy bodied cars in 2015.
In addition to the Holley EFI system, you can find its throttle bodies, fuel rails, and injectors on the 715 horsepower iron block V8 that puts out 530 lb-ft of torque from the 396ci LSX-based small block. But don’t think that these purpose-built engines are taking things lightly, they’re engineered to withstand 7,500 rpm abuse, lap after lap, and are pulling in some 1,500 miles between rebuilds and taking the win with more than a dozen drivers last year.
Be sure to keep watching for Holley EFI systems this weekend at the Lucas Oil 200 in Daytona, Saturday, February 13, 2016. And for a milder version for your own ‘race’ car, check out Holley’s website for EFI components and conversion kits.