high rise vs. low rise

[rfisch]

I'm still looking for an intake/carb set-up that I am happy with and have a few more quick questions. What is the difference between high and low rise intakes, will I have clearance issues? With some prices I found there is only about a $20 difference so I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on a better set-up. Also, this is really broad but I was wondering if anyone had any more suggestions as to some engine maintainence/clean-up that I should probably do while having the carb and intake out of the way. I have done some simple things to the car in the short amount of time that I have had such as plugs and wires, valve cover gaskets, heater hoses, etc. but if I'm going to have it in the garage, out of commision for a while I would like to do all that I could. Any quick fix suggestions or common problem areas to look for would be great.
Thanks!