carb

my dads giving me his 72 chevy pickup it has a 350 with around 360k miles on it and is 3 on the tree, but its been sitting for 2 years now without being turned on im sure the gas has turned to jell by now so im wondering do you guys think i should rebuild the carb or buy a whole new one altogether?
im not sure how many times if any that that carb has been rebuilt and if im to buy a new one what brand would be best in your opinions ive asked people i know and some swear to holly and others to edlebrock and how many cfm? its a completely stock engine last time it ran it still ran good no smoking or anything. i plan on doing a minor restore on it once the engine goes its in almost brand new condition besides a dent on the hood so you'll probably see me on here for more help in the future thanks in advance everyone  

First off, some punctuation could do wonders for your query...

Pretty interesting that you think that the fuel has turned to jell - so is it 20° below zero and you're running #2 diesel?

Really, a 500 CFM carb would suffice. The factory quadrajet can get away with more CFM because of it's tiny primaries and air valve secondary design. This would be a fine airflow rating for a Holley carb.

Speaking of that quadrajet, they are excellent street carbs if rebuilt well, but this could cost quite a bit - enough that buying a new carb may be worth it to save headache later on. Holley carbs are prone to require a lot of maintenance if the truck will sit for long periods or see cold weather - edelbrock carbs are a viable option for a engine where power isn't of most concern. Edelbrock also sells a re-man Q-Jet carb for about $375 that would be a fine choice.  

Sorry about that ill work on making my post more readable

That's nice to know everyone else told me that normal gas will jell up if it sits without moving for along time but I'm glad i know now thanks.

Ill look into getting that carb thanks for your help its really appreciated  

Umm the gasoline will not 'jell' up, but from being in salvage yards, I have seen first-hand that gasoline will tend to breakdown into a pinkish color varnish, or something like that. They do make a product called fuel-stabil that stabilizes fuel for storage purposes.

Two, forget rebuilding the Q-jet, there are like 100 different parts in them and are very difficult to rebuild. Gib is right about carb selection. Go with a new Holley, or Edelbrock. They are very good performers, and are easy to work with and calibrate. You may need to buy an adapter plate for the aftermarket carb, depending on your manifold, and type of carburetor. Edelbrocks come with GM throttle linkage for your throttle and detent cable already equipped when you buy them. I think most Holleys do as well.

I wish you the best of luck. You may want to drop your fuel tank and drain the old gasoline out. If the tank was completely full, you might be ok, but if the tank is leaking or only partially full, it most likely has degraded. Gasoline will evaporate at everyday environmental temperatures. Just to be safe drain it and put about 5 gallons of regualr gasoline in it.

You say it has 360K miles, that thing is just getting broke in.....  I seen a 4.3L Vortech with 392,000+ miles on it before. Most of those chevys will outlive us  
Guzzling gas and hauling ass, the true American way.

I would use a 450cfm holley on that engine.  
Professional hi-performance engine builder

Horsepower sells motors and torque wins races.

Rochester Q-jets are great street carbs that are easy to rebuild. They might be hard to rebuild compared to a Holley, but in this hobby you can't be afraid to face any obstacle. Rebuilt correctly, Rochesters are very efficent, powerful, and street friendly carbs. It costs about $30 for a rebuild kit and about $15 for carb cleaner. In my perspective that is very budget friendly. But,if you choose to go with a new or slightly used carb I have had great luck with the Edelbrock thunder series 650 AVS. They are $450 new, but I scored mine on ebay with 10 minutes of run time on it for $220 and you can do the same. If you are really into holleys a 600 would work great. But Holleys rely on power valves to meter fuel over the more effiecent metering rod design used by rochester or Edelbrocks. The choice is yours.  

Before you spend ANY money on any new parts...  why don't you try this:  get a can of fresh gas and about 3-4 feet of rubber fuel line...  one end in the gas can and the other end hook it to the inlet of the fuel pump.  Since the engine has been sitting so long, I would change the oil/filter first off before anything and also squirt some wd-40 or marvel mystery oil or some kind of lube down each cylinder's spark plug hole just so its not dry as heck when you try to fire it up (check the plugs while you're at it and replace if needed).  Maybe your carb is just fine?  I've gotten engines to run decent after they sat in a field for years before with just fresh gas and a good battery.  Just cuz its been sitting doesn't mean it automatically needs a rebuild.  Determine that the carb actually needs rebuilding before messing with it!  Also I think Holley & Edelbrock are good carbs, but if the 72 is all stock and has a factory Q-jet, by all means keep that!  The Q-jet is a great carb and properly tuned it will run better on that engine than any aftermarket carb you can bolt on there.  Those are neat trucks and remember its only original once.

Check the points (unless its been swapped to HEI) and plug wires too.  Just give that engine some TLC and fresh gas and then try to start it.  If it fires up and runs, then drain the gas tank and fill with fresh fuel and enjoy!  That old fuel has turned to varnish sitting there, but it doesn't mean it won't run with some fresh gas in it.  My '67 GTO sat in a field for about 10 years according to the previous owner when I got it.  I did all the above tricks and the engine fired up and ran good! Good luck and keep us updated.   -Joe