Tony,
Thx for the compliment. I actually bought a complete used "Fast Freddies" 48IDF setup from another CC member. It was configured for an engine similar to mine so I figured I could pretty much just bolt it on. The polished manifold and linkage wasn't as nice as the Inglese manifold I already had, so I swapped the carbs over to the Inglese manifold and installed Inglese linkage. The key to having a nice functioning Weber setup (besides the proper e-tubes, jets, air correctors, etc) is good linkage. I don't know about Pierce Manifolds' linkage, but I know the Inglese linkage is the best I've seen.
Inglese sells a nice 44IDF system for the sbf that is in the range of $2,500, Mickey L. had it on display at the Daytona Turkey Run last November. It did not include any of the extras like powdercoating, or chrome hardware, etc, but that is still a nice bolt on system. At the same show, I also came across a complete used 48IDA system that I nearly bought for $1,900, so I know there are good deals on used assemblies out there. BTW, unless you're building your engine to run consistently at the upper rpm limits out on a race track, 44IDAs or IDFs should be fine on your mostly street driven sbf. Most guys run choke sizes between 37mm & 41mm on a sb, as well as some with bb.
Good plan to have the manifold port-matched to the heads and Bill P is the right guy to send it to.
If the carbs you buy come with the brass fuel inlet nipples that are threaded into 3/8 npt (?) threads instead of pressed into the boss, you should be able to replace them with AN fittings and install braided hose fairly easily.
10:1 or 10.5:1 compression will be fine.
Good luck,
Mike
