The Official 356Talk Forum

We have a 1960 Super 90 Cab, vin 154339 with engine number 801667. The engine number is original to the car. The car currently has Zenith carburetors and the research I have done suggests that the car originally came with Solex. Could the engine have had Zeniths originally or is it more likely that they were swapped out sometime before I go the car. If they were swapped is there any reason to try to go back to the Solex carburetors?

You would need to see what heads the engine has on it, as Solexes need larger intake ports to work properly. You may find that the Zeniths were just slapped on, small manifolds on large ports. It would run with no problem, just not as well as it was supposed to. I put Zeniths on a 912 once, it wasn't so bad, but lost some power.

A S-90 would definitely not have had Zeniths from the factory. Martin's advice on the heads is spot-on. If they are the original S-90, then a set of Solex manifolds and carburetors would be needed; well as air cleaners and fuel lines.