Holley question

Just got home from a friends place. He hasn't thrown anything away in years and while I was there I was telling him about my 331 Caddy I'm building. I mentioned I had an intake manifold for 4 - 3 bolt carbs I was going to use but that I didn't have a matched set of anything. He proceeded to walk down one of the many paths through his building which was still passable and pulled a box off a pile on top of a cabinet. He says "here take these with you, maybe you can make something out of them." Inside the box were 4 model 2110 Holley's. One was marked 94 the other 3 were 1 5/16. A couple had a piece or 2 of linkage missing and 2 had chokes missing but all are in pretty good shape for the most part. Now for the problem, all 4 are 4 bolt bases. Can these be replaced with 3 bolt bases? Since the price was so right on the carbs I was thinking I could spring for 4 new based from Vintage speed if they would work. Would I be better off redrilling the manifold for the 4 bolt carbs? Or should I just keep saving my pennies for some rebuildable 3 bolt carbs?
He said he had a bunch of others somewhere but he wasn't sure where but that he had seen this box just a couple weeks back and remembered its location. He's getting older and like I said has been accumulating for the last 50-60 years so I guess its understandable that he doesn't know where they might be.
So now its time for you all to school me on the vintage Holley carburetor. As always, thanks for sharing your years of knowledge with a FNG looking to learn.

Chuck

 

Dude you gots to go here and read alot.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=289

After that before you buy anything from Vintage Speed you need to talk to Dickster27 here on the hamb. He should be able to hook you up good.

 

Man I think the first thing I need to do is figure out what I'm doing wrong when it comes to the search feature on this board. I type in all kinds of searches but you guys always show me somthing I haven't found! I know I'm an idiot when it comes to computers but I just hate feeling like a dope when I'm directed to somthin I should have found.
Thanks for the quick reply, looks like the schoolbook I was needin.

 

Feeling alot more confident about the Holley's but still not sure about the answers to my original questions so if anyone else would like to chime it, I'm all ears, or in this case eyes.

 

Anyone? I guess I can go out tomorrow and take one apart and one of the 3 bolts and see if they'll interchange. Whether they'll work right, thats another question.

 

I don't know if they will interchange or not, I never messed with the 4-bolt Holley's because there are so many 3 bolts out there to get and fix and that is what I would do. They aren't too difficult to rebuild and they look very cool when you run multiples. I prefer Strombergs myself, just for that extra vintage look but 94's probably are the better carb IMHO. You can usually pick up a complete 94 for $30-50 or so and kit them for about $25 each. You will probably want to match them so if you go that route look for the matching 94-ford logo-etc.. I have a Holley manual somewhere in my computer if you need it PM me your email address and I will dig it up.

 

I have an Edelbrock C-355 (IIRC) intake that takes the 3 bolt strombergs and I just made adaptor plates from about 3/8 or 7/16 aluminum to use small (center) and large base rochesters from a Pontiac. Bolted the plates to the intake with 5/16 countersunk allen head bolts, plates are drilled and tapped for the 5/16 studs in the 4 bolt pattern. You can see the plates in this pic

 

I just went out and checked and I think the easiest way to go would be to redrill the intake flanges for the 4 bolt carbs. Appears to me the flanges used could have been drilled either way as there is plently of extra material at the corners. I think the 3 bolt ones have a more nostalgic look though. I have 4 pretty worn 3 bolt carbs but they aren't matched.
Your adapters look great, thats what made me go out and see what I might be able to do.

 

I know this is a bit old..but if someone else was thinking the same thing, I think you can buy 4 to 3 bolt adapters...saw this one on line, bought one a while ago..

 

If you do redrill the manifold, be sure you mount the Holly's correctly. The float chambers go to the front. This means the fuel inlets are facing the driver's side.