New Holleys for limited OEM applications are still available. Both dual - and single - inlet versions were used on Chevelle Hi-po engines.
It seems like Holley carburetors and hi-perfomance have been virtually synonymous terms for as long as we can remember. And almost since Chevelles first started rolling off the assembly line, Holley carbs have been a part of their performance picture. In fact, by 1965 the legendary L-79 (327ci/350hp) Chevelles relied on a Holley carb to get the job done, as did the rare and even more powerful Z-16 (396ci/375hp) Chevelle that was introduced later in the year.
New Holleys for limited OEM applications are still available. Both dual - and single - inlet versions were used on Chevelle Hi-po engines.
Holley carbs continued to be used on Chevelles through 1970 in almost every SHP (Special High Performance - generally Chevrolet's hottest version of a given engine type or displacement) engine application that was made available as a regular production option (RPO). As you might have guessed, many of the more famous engine RPO codes were fueled by Holley carburetors. If L34, L35, L78, L79, and LS6 mean anything to you, then you know what we're talking about.
Today, many original Holley carbs from the performance era can be hunted down at swap meets, garage sales, or in a dusty corner of speed or machine shops that were in business back then. That is, if you're lucky. And should you be fortunate enough to locate the correct carb for your Chevelle, chances are it'll be in need of a major refurbishing. what's a person to do?
For some, it may be as easy as calling the fine folks at Holley Performance Products (P.O. Box 10360, Dept CW, Bowling Green, KY 42102-7360 (502) 781-9412 customer service of (502) 781-9741 technical service) to find out if they still have the parts enabling you to restore your carburetor; or if you're lacking in ability or inclination, their Custom Shop can even restore it for you. Yet another alternative is purchasing a brand-new Holley carb for your application. Due to the demand of the restoration industry, Holley has limited offerings of new replacement carburetors for original hi-po Chevelles. See the sidebar for a listing of available applications.
Side-hung float bowls and a fuel transfer tube make the single inlet OEM Holley easy to identify next to the dual inlet version. Either way, the throttle linkage is the same as the original.
Part 2, Identifying Holley Carbs for Chevelles
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