Preacher, what has happened for so long is that too many inline tinkerer's have simply chosen the wrong carbs for the task. Over time, this has skewed manufacturers perception as to what carbs are truly in demand. This unfortunately has driven down the costs of the "wrong" carbs, while the "correct" ones are still pricey, but still the better choice. Holley has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in Research and Development to provide carbs to fit and suit every need including performance, economy and both combinations together, but the "bigger is better" mentality is ingrained so deeply it still makes many choose the "wrong" carb even though voices of experience tell them otherwise. Over the last 40 years, if all the inline guys had purchased the "correct" carb to start with, this supply and demand for manufacturing would have brought the price of them down to where the price of the "wrong" carbs are priced today. Most of the original aftermarket 4 BBL inline engine intakes were meant to use the WCFB carbs because they were closely sized to the needs of these engines, then and now, that's why they are drilled for that bolt pattern. So trying to re-invent a solution that Holley and other manufacturers have already done is really futile.
