Okay, this will sound crazy but I want to swap out my stock 4.9 for an engine that still uses dumb carbs, distributers and points and condensers. I guess that puts me looking for about a 1978 302 that will pair up with the 4 speed
manual tranny. Yes, this in preperation for EMP doomsday type of crap...

 

Why not convert your 300.

 

Convert my 300? I'm not sure I am following you. I am a shade tree at best,,,

 

You can just swap the parts needed into your engine and not swap the entire engine. Distributor, wires, carb etc.

 

Yep, that'd be the way to go. Plenty of distributors, intake manifolds, etc for the six in the salvages. Lots easier and cheaper than going w/a V8.

 

Plus id say a better over all motor.
302 might get you there faster. But 99.99999999999999999999% of the time the 300 will make sure you get there.

 

EMP doomsday?

Leave your RUNNING 4.9 where it is.

If there is a "doomsday" with or without EMP, where do you think you are going to go? Stop drinking the "doomsday" koolaid. Don't waste your time and money making a functional vehicle into an unreliable POS with a mish-mash of mismatched parts. Focus on something else. Work some overtime. Unless, of course, you WANT doomsday. If so, pull that working engine and put in a '78 302. You'll have it then.

 

Yes, agreed. The 302 has very little torque at lower RPM, which is where you need it in a truck. And, that's the 300's forte - low RPM grunt. Stay with your six.

 

This is an old farm truck and the current carb is not working well anyway. As far as my bug out area; I've got that covered with 9 acres with a well, Ford 1520 tractor, and cache of food. So 85e150 ..I might send you a Lat and Long when the EMP occurs if you can still make it down

 

Unless he's put the lat/long on a map before the EMP it isn't going to do him any good. Also, make sure you change to a points-style distributor as the DS box will be fried.

I guess you read One Second After?

 

Couple of things here:

1) You don't need a points ignition for a doomsday vehicle. The body panels, frame, and such all provide a type of Faraday cage that will keep an EMP from impacting the electronics on your truck. It's been reported that most vehicles will still be functional and able to drive in the event of an EMP. The thought that as soon as an EMP goes off will kill your vehicle and keep it from driving is laughable, and is something best reserved for a science fiction movie. In fact, in the event of a high altitude nuclear explosion, if your vehicle is oriented correctly (pointed away from the blast, just behind a hill, in woods, in a metal barn, etc.), then you'll probably be able to jump in and start it right up. Even then, the power of the EMP depends on the strength of the blast, how high up it is, how far away you are, etc. There are a lot of reasons why your car/truck will still be able to run in the event of an EMP.

2) The probability of a foreign country detonating a high-altitude nuclear explosive to create an EMP is very low in and of itself. Let alone said EMP disabling your vehicle. I realize North Korea and the Russians playing around is one thing, but I highly doubt any of them have the big fuzzies to fire one off. If they did launch a nuke, why would they detonate it in the upper atmosphere? One would expect them to hit their target instead.

3) If you're looking for an EMP proof vehicle, get a Dodge with a Cummins and mechanical injection. Either that or a bike. If you're still intent on keeping your truck for an EMP BOV, then yes, converting to a points ignition for your 300 is an option if you'd like to go that route. I'd rather get a dedicated vehicle and keep my daily driver a daily driver.

Don't get me wrong here. I agree with being prepared and having the means to take care of yourself should things go wrong, and in my opinion, things will hit the fan pretty soon. But I don't think an EMP is one of them. I'm expecting the economic collapse that's about to hit our country and civil unrest. Take for example the DHS buying up 1.6 billion rounds of hollow point and ball ammunition, 7000 fully automatic "personal defense weapons", and 2717 armored MRAP vehicles. Not to mention the body armor they've bought and empty prisons sitting all over the country with barbed-wire facing inside AND out, with the President holding power over executive orders that would initiate FEMA and the DHS to move and thus "quell the civil unrest".

The last thing I'd like to point out is an easy one that you've probably already thought about, but are you willing to have the only vehicle that would still be able to drive after an EMP, if it does knock out all of the other vehicles? You'd become a pretty hard target that would be pretty easy to hit for anyone willing to steal your ride to get where they want to go. Obviously you'd want to get to your BOL and hunker down, but you'd also have to contend with traffic jams, people trying to get a ride or take your ride, the availability of fuel, etc.

All I'm saying: Make sure you look at things in a 3-dimensional view. Not everything is 2-sided.

X

Footnote:
(To anyone that reads that, no I'm not a "doomsday prepper" (the guys and gals on that show are morons picked for television) and I'm not a "conspiracy theorist". There's my disclaimer.)

 

I'll second this. I wish I had bookmarked it, but I read an article maybe a year ago about some research that was done on this recently, using modern cars as test subjects. Even up to fairly high simulated pulse values, almost all vehicles were able to start and drive with no more than the occasional warning light or 'relearning' period. I imagine the simpler electronics of our older vehicles would do even better.

If I were really worried about this, the most I would do for preparation would be to buy a spare DS-II module and store it in alternating layers of aluminum foil and plastic baggies, in an ammo can. Stick it behind the seat, and you're ready to cruise through the apocalypse.

 

Oh, boy, here we go again with more Y2K-type of fears....

 

Chris, when did you get a cat?!

 

That reminds me. I bookmarked this and just now remembered it:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/m...copy-98950.jpg

Not that there's anything wrong with being prepared, but, imo, it can't interfere with the more likely prospect of having to slug it out going to work every day for the rest of your life, paying bills, sending off the kids etc.