[Coley]

Carb preference?......well, how about one that is in top condition of assembly and tune and properly sized for the motor...whether its a Holley, Qjet or Edelbrock.
Now, that said I'm a big fan of the Quadrajets. This is a very good carb but you need to make sure you understand it and how to set it up.
I would recommend you buy a spare/cheap one at a swap meet as an 'assemble, test and learn' carb. Then a good book on them (and there are several) and read up and then use some fun free shop time to learn how things work...pretty interesting stuff and really not that complicated.
You'll be very happy with the results.
Good Luck
Coley