I am a big fan of F.I. and if you have all the original F.I. components and have the skills, or access to a person with the skills then it should be made to run really, really well.
Having said that, I was in a situation with bucking and surging on a sopposed original F.I. car that had many, many missing components and in the end we were surprised it was running at all.
For me the solution was carbs. Mostly becauase I decided to go with a2270cc combo and at the time aftermarket F.I. started around $3500. Having previously owned two F.I. 914s I can honestly say that the carburated engine runs smoother, has better throttle response with no bucking or surging and also, it starts every time
The downsides are:
- Induction roar, a good noise but can become a bit tiring on the open road ( I guess an air-box or something would cure that).
- Expert tuning can be tricky. Anyone can get a car with carbs to run, but to get it jetted and running correctly has become a sort of black art in this day of computer controlled everyhing.
- Emissions testing. Again, expert assistance is required to tune the car to pass and then re-tune the car to run correctly (carbs & ignition). In some states just having the carbs can cause a failure of the visual inspection.
I am positive that a properly set-up and maintained F.I. system can and will run better, produce more power over the entire rev range, and produce less emissions than a carb'd car. As happy as I am with my current set-up I am constantly watching the market for an F.I. system that I might want to step-up to so for me carbs are a short term solution that allow me to enjoy the car today rather than wait another three years.