The problem with nostalgic thinking is there is an INCREDIBLY strong tendency to remember the good times and downplay the bad times.
Those of us old enough ALL have fond memories of expertly tuned carburetors that had perfectly functioning choke pull-offs that started every time on a cold morning. Or that carburetor equipped engine that, when warm, would effortlessly start with the slightest bump from the starter motor.
We tend to forget about trying to teach the non-mechanically inclined driver the difference between starting a warm engine and starting a cold engine (I’ll avoid being overtly sexist here but all of us over a certain age had to teach “someone” the difference between how to start a warm or cold engine). Or teaching someone how to properly operate a manual choke….and remembering to disengage it.
We tend to forget that annoying carburetor that had a loose throttle plate (you know, with the screws that could only be accessed from the bottom of the carburetor after it was removed from the manifold?). Or the cracked fuel filter inlet on an abused Quadajet when some idiot mechanic cross threaded it? How about that tiny, tiny piece of dirt that held the needle valve open in the fuel bowl or the float with a pin hole?
I know how to work on carburetors, and I can make engines with carbs run like a well-oiled sewing machine. I have fond memories of American engines running at full operating temperatures on cold days. You could cruise down the highway at 70 mph with the throttle barely open and the engine would just purr forever. But it wasn’t all sunshine and butterflies.
EFI allows for control of the fuel system that just was not possible with carbs. From the driver’s point of view, starting an EFI equipped engine is the same if it is 10 degrees or 110 degrees. Mass air sensors, engine temp sensors, throttle position sensors and lots of computing power can yield the perfect fuel to air ratio, under any load. Engine oil being contaminated with gasoline is almost non-existent in an EFI engine unless something is broken. Fuel mileage can be significantly increased without sacrificing power. The maintenance required on a modern EFI system is pretty much confined to replacing the fuel filter occasionally and maybe correcting the occasional sensor failure – which OBD-II diagnoses for you.
EFI isn’t perfect but it sure has come a long way since the early 1980’s.