How to choose the right carb?
 

So I got talking with a freind of mine about what carb I should run on my extended port 12a?
The motor is nothing fancy. It has large exhaust ports from pineapple racing, and they're racing port all the way around.
I'm a cheap prick tho, and decided to run the stock stationary gears. But flipped for windowed/race bearings.
Anyways...
I have yet to buy an intake, and carb. But I'll probably drive this motor a lot. Which means it'll get run in sub freezing temperatures. Should I say screw it, and go with the IDA. Or should I just run a 650cfm 4 barrel with a choke?
I'm not really interested in a sidedraft DCOE, but that's not off the table either.
I need some help to decide what is best? Would the IDA run in temps well below freezing, or would I never get it started?

What's wrong with a modded Nikki?

I would rather spend the money on something more simple, than have a bunch of block off plates, and a carb I dont trust.
Plus Rob at pineapple racing said I might suck the bowls dry on a Nikki with my ports.

So, you don't want one. Fair enough. :)

Of the choices you mentioned, I would have to go with the DCOE. My reasoning? You mentioned "sub-freezing temperatures", and I know that my Dell'Orto never once gave me a cold-start issue for as long as I owned it. I never owned an IDA as a carburetor, so I don't speak from experience, but I do know they don't have a choke and are therefore considered cold-blooded. As for the Holley, my brother's car actually did not have a choke, and if I'm honest, even in the worst winters we had, it did pretty good. There were a few times when it dug it's heels in and didn't start without serious intervention, but it wouldn't dissuade me from owning one for myself.

It's a hard choice...
It really is.
I like a lot of things about the DCOE, right down to opening the hood. I hate how it flops over the motor, it looks weird.. lol
That being said I'm a huge Edelbrock fan, and know my way around the thunder series carbs like I've got my hand down my pants. But I just dont know if a 4 barrel would suit this motor?
I can't spin it hard with the factory stationary gears, but it'll like fuel if I give it enough.
It sucks I live in a cold climate, cause I bet the IDA would be the right call.

Do not use a Holley. Edelbrocks have worked in the past but none of t he aftermarket 4 barrels are as good as the nikki on a rotary. I would bet a modified nikki would work well for you and its your cheapest alternative. That said, any weber or weber knockoff (Mikuni/Dellorto) would work well enough. The cold start issue (even in Alberta) is not an issue if you just keep the revs up until the carb is warmed up. Lived in Pittsburgh PA with a Dell for years and drove on clear days in the winter with no startup issues. I would sometimes see icing in the carb if the dew point was very high and it was in the teens but that was rare. It was also easy to remedy by just keeping the revs up.

Unless you've got emissions to deal with you can't go wrong with an IDA in my opinion. Even on our race prepped vehicles we don't have the biggest of deals starting when cold, though I've never dealt with sub freezing.

if you simply must have a choke, the DCOE on a lake cities manifold is really good. (actually the DCOE choke is really lame, but the manifold is really good)

i find the IDA to be not bad, even the P port will idle on its own after about 30 seconds, i am not below freezing though

the webers are expensive, you need the carb, which is cheap, and then the manifold and jets and such, and it adds up. fuel injection is also an option

I've looked into the new throttle body EFI kits.
I contacted holley about they're sniper setup, but theres been no R&D as far as running it on a rotary.
That being said, they're not cheap either.
I found a modded Nikki, and intake at the junkyard today.
Maybe I'll just bite?
If I dont like it I can always upgrade later.

Modded nikki for the win. What was done to it? Can you tell. If you post up a bunch of pictures with the cab top on and then off we can probably figure out the mods to help you out.

I bet the only modified part about the Nikki you found is that it was stripped of most or all of its outside "bulk" (emissions, choke housing etc). Beware of it possibly no longer having OEM needles and seats.