Choosing Carb over Fuel injection – Why I did it?

The builder behind Regular Guy Garage skipped fuel injection and dropped a 347 stroker topped with an old-school Holley carburetor into his 1986 Ford Mustang notchback — on purpose. In a world that’s gone all-in on EFI, he lays out exactly why the carburetor still made sense for his project. It’s a refreshingly honest take on cost, simplicity, and character. Watch to hear the full case for going old-school.

Fuel injection won the war decades ago — every new car on the road proves it, and plenty of engine builders won’t even entertain the alternative anymore. So when the guy behind Regular Guy Garage sat down to plan the heart of his Fox-body Mustang, the expected move was to bolt on a modern EFI setup and never look back. Instead he went the other way, on purpose, and he’s not shy about explaining why. There’s a 347 stroker involved, an old-school Holley perched on top, and a decision that flies straight in the face of conventional wisdom. His reasoning might just change how you think about your own build.

The Case Against the Obvious Choice

The project is a 1986 Ford Mustang notchback, the lightweight, no-frills body style that has become a drag-strip favorite precisely because it weighs less and cares nothing for luxury. Into it goes a 347 stroker — a 5.0-based small block punched out to 347 cubic inches for a healthy jump in displacement and torque. It’s a proven combination, and the notchback is exactly the kind of car where every extra cube pays off.

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347 Cubic Inches and a Holley on Top

Rather than crown it with electronic fuel injection, he chose a Holley carburetor, and the video is essentially his defense of that call. The arguments are familiar to old-school hot rodders: lower upfront cost, mechanical simplicity, easy roadside tuning with nothing more than a screwdriver, and a throttle response and sound that many enthusiasts simply prefer. There is no laptop, no wiring harness to chase, no sensors to fail.

What a Carburetor Still Does Better

He is honest about the tradeoffs, too. EFI generally wins on cold starts, altitude compensation, fuel economy, and rock-steady consistency, and for a daily driver those advantages are hard to ignore. But for a weekend-focused build where the owner enjoys the tuning process and wants the classic feel, a well-set-up carburetor still earns its place. It’s a refreshingly practical take in a hobby that often treats new technology as the only right answer. Watch the full video and share your thoughts below.

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