74 Carrera Coupe Resto

[stevesc_us]

Would love to get some feedback from members here as I am just about to embark on a full resto of a US 74 Carrera coupe (#63 in the production run). The car came with the factory sport seats and orignal duck tail. The body is in very good shape, but has been color changed from lime green to red. I will be having the body taken down to bare metal and repainted back to the original factory color, which I love. All of the body work will be done by Freddie Hernandez here in the Bay area.

The question I have is with respect to the engine rebuild. I plan on having all the expected upgrades for a 2.7 motor rebuild, but can't decide whether to stay with the stock CIS injection or instead save the original injection system for originality sake, but go with PMO carbs instead. I have heard it said that going with PMO's would boost HP by 10 to 15%. First of all, is this really true and secondly, do you guys think it is worth the extra $4k to have done.

Thanks for in advance for your feedback.

[Mr9146]

You're in CA so you don't have to smog the car. If fuel consumption isn't a concern go with the carburetors. You may lose some of the turn-key ease of use that you get with fuel injection, but you will get more top end horsepower.

If you're interested in elastic midrange drivability and turn-key simplicity then go with the fuel injection.

[peekaboo]

When you rebuild , since you have an early 1974 . You will have a motor that originally (if their still there) came with special Nikasil CIS Cylinders. If you need to replace , make sure you get the same...not the later Alusil cylinders.

I would keep the CIS , but that's me. In general , original will always be more valuable for collectors. But if you already have a changed motor for instance. Then that boat has sailed anyway.

[stevesc_us]

It is a matching #'s car to begin with and will remain so with the rebuild. I was just thinking if I keep all the parts for the original CIS stored in a safe place for originality sake, then would it be a real detriment if I went with the PMO's? If I ever decided to sell the car way off in the future, as long as all the CIS system is still intact, it would be sold with the car. I just think the motor would look so much better with the carbs since it isn't hidden be the mass of CIS and factory air cleaner, plus from what I understand there is a significant performance boost with the carbs setup.

[Macroni]

I would keep the CIS.........

[mrbeverlyhills]

The CIS is a great everyday driving set up and very civilized, not a real neck snapping horsepower machine. For the money you are spending why not rebuild the car as a Euro Carrera and go with MFI and 210 HP? That adds value to the car especially if the CIS is in a box back home but I think you would be amazed at the performance improvement plus....not too many Carreras with carbs.....

[rynoshark]

When you rebuild , since you have an early 1974 . You will have a motor that originally (if their still there) came with special Nikasil CIS Cylinders. If you need to replace , make sure you get the same...not the later Alusil cylinders.

When exactly was the switch from Nikasil to Alusil? I haven't been able to track this down anywhere definitively, but I may not be looking in the right places!

[MountainRoads]

Something else to consider in this debate. I spoke to friend yesterday who has a '73.5 (??) T with CIS, as well as a couple of earlier longhoods, one of which he races. In chatting, he commented that the CIS was very "drivable" in-city and with gobs of torque, but started to run out of breath at about 5K RPM, which is exactly where MFI and carbs would start to show their stuff. (Yes, I know there are other factors, as well.)

Although not having to work the gears as much has it's plusses, you also lose a little bit of what these cars were to drive. The point is you have to decide which of these attributes is most important and base your decision on that. My additional .02.

- MR

So

[Fidalgo911]

Above 5k rpm is exactly where SC cams give a CIS car more life. I had stock cams on my '74S and it fell off a cliff at 5K (same motor as the '74 US Carrera). With SC cams it pulls hard past redline.

Something to think about.....

[peekaboo]

When exactly was the switch from Nikasil to Alusil? I haven't been able to track this down anywhere definitively, but I may not be looking in the right places!

rynoshark ,

I'm sorry if I cannot get any more specific. I just know I have had this bit of info. stuck in my brain for a long time. Someone told me or I read along time ago. That the very first 1974 CIS 2.7 S models (I don't know about the normals) had nikasil cyl's . It is probably not chronicled by serial number by the factory (well , it MIGHT be somewhere...buried in some factory archives). It was a cost factor deal. And I would think the piston for each was differant (CIS alusil & CIS Nikasil) . But I am not certain of this. Maybe just the rings.

I'm sure someone out there , knows something about it. Try a post on the Bird.