Just spent $109.00 to replace the ECU on a 1990 4.3 V6 Chevy truck.
When a carb gets a problem it may run poorly but will usually not leave you stranded.
When the glorified sand (IC) in an ECU goes bad, you are on foot!
Looking forward to getting rid of that F.I. infested truck and only having my 1981 CARBURETED one-ton.
I frankly don't understand what is so mysterious about carbs, most only have two normal adjustments, three if you include the float level.
If you were troubled following carb cars I have to wonder if the altitude was very different than their home bases?
Having had the engine out of the Miata I became all too familiar with the "Simplicity"
of FI and the myriad sensors it requires.
I recently got rid of a pretty nice Range Rover, had a mystery battery drain that no one could diagnose.
Found hidden relays and fuses in the most bizarre places, inside the dash, even inside the doors.
Had to replace the ECU on a Disco, thought I had been sold a bad one, then found out that it had to be "Re-flashed" by the dealer at an excessive price.
I'm probably down to my last few personal builds and only ONE will be F.I., and that only because Weber IDA-3 prices are so crazy now.
But this did not start as a critique of individual features of late model engines, more a caution that the serviceable life of many late model drivetrains is very short as it seems manufacturers have mostly cut support to the minimum allowed by law.
Coupled with the too numerous running changes, and even different parts used in different factories for the "same" car during the same year, I'm not willing to run that gauntlet.
Builders here are generally pursuing a "Low-Cost" approach but that may be false economy if major components cannot be maintained for more than a couple of years.
I basically see the newer cars useful service life as ending the same day as the warranty so will never consider buying one.