Re: Alfa Spica vs Ferrari Webbers

["Paul Misencik" <paul@domain.elided>]

This is an interesting string, because it does seem a little strange how
some manufacturers switched to FI early, while others kept carbs for some
time longer.  I don't think carbs were necessarily a huge liability in terms
of emissions in the early days, probably because emissions laws were pretty
slack by today's standards.  Catalytic converters weren't mandated until '76
or '77.  MG kept their venerable (but increasingly slow and ugly) B legal
with a Zenith carb until it died a quiet death in 1980, and my mother bought
a 1985 Honda Prelude that had twin carbs!

If Honda could make carbs clean in 1985, then I find it hard to believe that
Alfa switched to FI so early purely for emissions reasons, but who knows?  I
wouldn't be surprised at all to find that the reason was sort of a
combination of emissions sensitivity and just good 'ol performance
technology.  Porsche and BMW were getting heavily into FI in the early
1970's, mostly for performance reasons, so perhaps Alfa did the same, also
knowing that eventually, emissions would require it anyway...

Purely speculating...

Paul Misencik
Huntersville, NC  28078
email: paul@domain.elided
www.paoloroman.com
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