Best motor to go with in our trucks?

[pidaster]

I will be restoring my dad's '73 F-100 starting this spring. I have a few different motors I can put in it and was wondering which would be the best choice. I want to mate it up to an AOD so I can have overdrive. On the table I have the original 302, a 351 but not sure yet if C or M (just picked it up with some other stuff), 360 (pretty sure that's a no), and a 390 plus I have some 390 GT heads and intake. What say ye for power plus gas mileage and best overall engine?

[63bird390]

i say do a late model roller block 302 gt40 heads ford E cam . good for about 300 hp and mates to a aod.

[79FordBlake]

Is your truck short-wheel base? I have the factory 302 in my 73 F100 swb with no mods. Getting around 20mpg. Even with no mods the 302 seems to scoot the little swb around pretty good. I played around in it some while it still had the old dry rotted tires on it and if I brake torqued it it would spin them in 3rd without to much effort. In a straight line from a dead stop without braking it would spin from 1st to 2nd a fair distance. Not trying to say I abuse my truck because I don't, I have only done it once just to see what the little 302 actually had and it impressed me for a stocker. I havent ever turned over the new tires I don't have enough cash laying around to see dollars floating in the air as smoke. Sorry for my rambling, Im just a big fan of the tough little small block.

[Crone]

12v cummins...... just kidding, well sorta lol. Anyway, 302's are fairly cheap, the 351m is a little difficult to get parts for, but a 351 windsor is another story.... Or you could just go all out, and gget a 460?

[crazyeddie]

I personally think you should run the 390 with the GT heads and intake. Talk about a ballsy motor! Tugs good at the lower end but can still scream!

[western star]

Originally Posted by crazyeddie

I personally think you should run the 390 with the GT heads and intake. Talk about a ballsy motor! Tugs good at the lower end but can still scream!

X2 unless of course you have a 7.3 IDI laying around in which case mate it to a 4spd with o/d manual and hold on !!!

[crazyeddie]

Originally Posted by western star

X2 unless of course you have a 7.3 IDI laying around in which case mate it to a 4spd with o/d manual and hold on !!!

I second that notion

[Capitlj]

A newer 351 or 302 is what I plan on going with. Lots of cheap go fast stuff available from the mustang guys and will mate to an AOD easily. If you plan on making any power upgrade the AOD a bit though. The OD bands can't handle much, I had a bad experience.

[Blown 331]

Well if you are set on an AOD I would go with a 351w. It will bolt to the AOD and you can get parts cheap and the aftermarket is HUGE! Also look into the 393 stroker. All you have to do is buy a crankshaft for $150, keep your stock 351 rods then use 302 pistons. Its dirt cheap. And if you can find a set of GT40P heads from an Explorer those are cheap and flow decent for what they are. You could have a very stout engine for little money that route. Obviously aluminum heads are going to make a ton more power but they have the price tag to go with it. I would strongly suggest staying away from the 351M or 400. But a 460 or 390 is a great choice too but they aren't going to bolt up to your AOD.
An AOD can be made bullet proof too. In my opinion they can be built to hand quite a bit more than a C4. I have an AOD in my 1992 Mustang. Its a 331 stroker making 14psi. It has internals from a 4R70W which go right in and is regarded by lots of people as the best auto OD trans on the planet. I'm running a 4500 stall with transbrake, manual valve body. This is a full weight car also. It made 516 rwhp at Anderson Ford in Clinton IL. And since then I swapped from 2.5 exhaust with shorty headers to 3 inch long tubes with dual 3 inch exhaust and had the heads ported. The car is making way more power than my 460 and the AOD is loving it the transbrake lauches on slicks.

[pidaster]

I can use an adapter to put the AOD on the 390 so that's not an issue.

[63bird390]

it better be a very built aod a 390 if built right can lay down some power. just keep this in mind. or do a 390 to c6 with a gear vendors unit. it would cost the same as a built up aod. plus you can split gears. im going to put one on my 63 thunderbird. and a c6 is cheaper to build.

[Capitlj]

The gear vendors overdrive is a pretty slick setup. You will need a custom length driveshaft but that's easy. If you want to stick with the 390 that's the way to go. A properly built 302/351 will make almost as much power but be cheaper, and using efi on one is also a lot cheaper.

[pidaster]

My neighbor is big into old fords of all sorts and know a lot about cars. He said the carbureted 302 doesn't have proper power at the rpm range that an overdrive would normally be in therefore causing a constant struggle. I personally would probably be okay with the 302. I'm thinking maybe I'm gonna have to have two trucks. My SWB pimp with 302 and my LWB with 390 for a work truck.

[63bird390]

im sorry that must be a old stock 150hp 302. becuase my 302 in my 68 mustang is about 300 to the wheels and has a 5 speed i have 3.00 rear gears and overdrive. it has no struggle at all. and my engine costed less than 1000 total. carefully picked parts made it what it is.

[pidaster]

Gear vendors looks awesome but stupid expensive! Maybe if I do the 302 it will be sufficient with an AOD since a built AOD will be cheaper than the gear vendors. However, if I go with the 390 it looks like the C6 and Gear vendors would be awesome.