[Sirrotica]

The reason a holley can run cold is because most of them are rich, and cover the lean stumble that is common with a stock carb that has an improperly operating choke. Holley doesn't have to make a car run clean as Rochester had to do to satisfy the EPA, etc.

After working with Q jet carbs on my own cars, and customer cars, if all the adjustments are made correctly, they will run like fuel injection. Most times the problem is someone that has either no knowledge of how a Q jet operates, or is ignorant of all the adjustments, and how to make them, has gotten their hands in it, and made it worse. It takes maybe 10 minutes to set all the adjustments on a Q Jet with proper tools. Most people won't make the investment to buy the tools, or take the time to do the adjustments.

On the subject of holley spread bore carbs. I once bought a 70 Judge with one. after a month or two it would be running badly, very rich and dumping fuel out of the venturi clusters. I would take the bowl off, set the float levels (the spread bore holley I had didn't have external float adjustments, requiring float bowl removal), and it would be fine for a month or two. Reset the float levels and again be good for a short period of time. It got old in a hurry, but I would take a Q Jet over a spread bore holley from that experience.