thor'svr4

I think I found my new baby, but theres a catch.

So a while ago a friend of mine traded a truck for a mustang gt. He had the car for about a month but couldn’t get it to pass emissions. The car was converted from fuel injection to carbureted by the prev owner. Originally the cars exhaust ended right under the driver and passengers seats. After a hefty dose of CO2 poising my friend spend 800 or 1200 on whole new exhaust system with a new cat. He figured that the car would then pass emissions… it didn’t. so (without me knowing) he sold the car. Well now that same car is up for sale again. Last I heard the new owner put on a smaller carb and got it dyno tuned. I’m not sure how accurate this info is but that’s what I was told. I’m assuming the new owner is selling the car because he couldn’t get it to pass emissions either.

So IF I can get a good deal on this car should I buy it? My main concern is getting it through emissions. While it isn’t going to be a daily driver, I still want to be able to drive it to the dyno/track instead of having to buy a truck and trailer. Does anyone have any ideas on how to help the car run cleaner?

I know the following was done by my friend
New plugs and wires
New catalytic converter
New mufflers
New headers
Cleaned the air filter

What else can you do to make a carbureted 88 gt run cleaner?

67mustang302

Good luck getting a car that originally came with EFI to pass emissions with a carb. At WOT maybe you could get them the same, but not at cruise or idle etc. The standards set for the EFI are just too tight for a carb to meet.

thor'svr4

If fuel injection is so much more precise than why would anyone convert back to carbureted? The only reason I can come up with (and im completely guessing) is perhaps because the car has a 347 the extra 45ci needs a little bit more fuel and the prev owner didn’t want to mess with adding a little extra fuel so he went with a carb for simplicity?

67mustang302

At WOT carb's and EFI perform close to one another. Carbs tend to put out a bit more on the top end assuming equal systems in equal tune. EFI tends to run a bit better on the low end, generally speaking. They both will run fine at part throttle, low rpm areas, but the carburetor isn't nearly as precise at low rpm and part throttle as it is at WOT, or as precise as EFI. Engines aren't all that ultra sensitive to afr ratios, they can be off a bit and you'll never notice as far as power. For drivability that means they both drive fine, emissions output is ultra sensitive to afr ratios though.

The only reason manufacturers switched to EFI was because of emissions regulations. Carburetors can get good mileage(though EFI is generally a bit better) and run just fine, but their emissions are bad, ESPECIALLY at idle, where most emissions are produced.

I'm sure you can get that car to run really nicely, however I seriously doubt you'll ever get it to come close to passing emissions.

lilponyv6

i just bought a 85 5.0 hatch and it needs a new carburetor what would be the best to get i've been told to keep the same type i have which is a holley
any suggestions

stanks347

The car will never pass a visual inspection with the carb set up. Maybe see if you can get an old 5.0 motor and swap it in and out just for smog.

67mustang302

For states that have visual inspections, this is true. For states that sniff it won't pass either. Not sure on other states, but here in Cali you're allowed to switch engines etc and fuel delivery systems to NEWER year versions that were in the same vehicle(Ford Mustang for example, you can put a EFI 5.0 in a Mustang that came with a carb etc), but you can't go backwards.

Bubba 95SN

I bet the reason for carb was $$$$$$$! Costs more to upgrade with efi. TB,MAF,Injectors,manifold, tune costs a bit more than carb swap with intake.

thor'svr4

i could see trying to save a bit of money, but personally if i knew it was going to make the car impossible to get through emissions than i would have just waited a extra paycheck or two. now I’m starting to think that this car is just being passed around for so cheep because no one can get it to pass.

in ct we dont have 'inspections' per say. IF the guy doing the emission testing wants to bust you for something im sure he could but they never seam to know what there looking at, and if they do they dont care. when i brought my mitsu in i was sure i would fail the instant he asked me to pop my hood. instead he just asked me what she ran at the track and never even bothered to physically look under the car to see if it even had the precats or main cat. It seams like as long as you can pass the tail pipe test most places will just pass you.

lilponyv6

my car came carbed so y would it not pass its all stock