When it comes to carburetors, Holley Performance Products has been a household name for decades. Whether it’s street, strip or oval, we all know and reap the benefits of using a Holley carburetor. In this day and age, though, there has been a shift to electronically fueled systems. Chalk it up to new innovations in technology, higher gas prices or just the change in tastes, EFI conversions have been the fastest-growing mods to carbureted classics in recent years.
Typically swapping a carburetor for an EFI system is a pricey process, one that requires someone with the know-how and ability to retune your car. However, Holley has come to the rescue with their Terminator system. This system is more cost efficient and allows the car owner to swap out their carb with some instruction, a few bolts and wires, and around a weekend’s worth of time. Our friends at CJ Pony Parts walk us through it…
The Holley Terminator kit comes equipped with the throttle body, ECU, sensors, and all the wiring needed for the swap. It also comes with a handheld tuner, which, after a few questions, prompts about the cubic inch of the motor, camshaft, and ignition will program the EFI system for you. This Terminator kit does not come with the fuel system, though, but it can be purchased separately or included in a master set from Holley.
The throttle body will directly replace the carburetor on engines producing anywhere from 150-600 horses. It is as simple as unbolting the carb and bolting the throttle body in its place; as long as the mounting flanges are the same style. Once that is complete, the computer can be mounted and all the wires run. The computer can be mounted inside or outside the vehicle; wherever is most convenient so that it can be hooked directly to your 12-volt battery. Besides the wiring, an oxygen sensor needs to be placed in the exhaust, a water temperature sensor in the manifold, and the return style fuel system needs installed.
Once the installation is complete, the handheld tuner will do the rest of the work for you. With the key turned on, the wizard can be run on the tuner. It will ask you a few simple questions and calibrate the system itself. Then, it is as easy as turning back off the key and starting the car. The computer will learn about how the car is driven and adjust accordingly after it is brought up to temperature and driven in different conditions.
While there are many who enjoy adjusting the carburetors on their old hot rods, there is something to be said for an EFI system. Instead of feathering the pedal and allowing the engine to warm up before it will run on its own, the EFI system will allow for cold starts and a smoother drive. Also, with the ever fluctuating gas prices, the swap will improve fuel economy without affecting the overall performance of your engine. The Holley Terminator kit is a great weekend project for the car enthusiast wanting to get a smoother start from their carbureted engine.
Ashley Cegelka basically grew up at car shows as a kid, which nurtured her love of classic musclecars. As she got older, her love heightened for the Ford Mustang specifically, and her first car was an ’83 Mustang with T-Tops that her grandpa helped her to get out on the road. Now that she’s grown her summers are spent at car shows and the dragstrip, taking in the rumble of an awesome engine and the clean lines of a great ride.
