I am the original party pooper...too pragmatic for my own good!

 

Its all good/at least you're the "original". That's something.

 

Depending on the year of the 351W $500 isn't a horrible price if it's a good runner. Depending on the year of the motor and condition I think I'd offer them $350 for it and go from there. If it's just a core and needs to be rebuilt then $200 is a better price.

The 351W is a great engine. That's what I've got for my project. Mine has an aftermarket 4V carb and intake , full length headers and a mild cam. It has great power, sounds great and gets decent mileage. But I prefer a good old 4 spd manual transmission over an automatic but the C6 is one tough transmission.

I'd pass on that 9". It would take a lot of cash or a lot of time to get that diff useable for your truck.


Sure it's a bolt in if you don't mind running no shocks! Everyone says it's a bolt in but since the 9" has larger axle tubes you can't use the stock spring plates that have the lower shock mounts. So you are stuck welding new shock mounts on or buying custom spring plates. Unless you are lucky enough to have some 53-56 F250 rear spring plates with the shock mounts.

But the 57-72 Truck 9" is still the easiest to swap in. But another good choice is the 95+ Explorer 8.8" rear diff. It has 31 spline axles and factory disc brakes. The down side is they have the smaller 5x4.5" bolt pattern. Not a big deal if you are swapping to front disc brake or a IFS.

 

Thanks for this Info! The 9" is on my hit list and it's nice to know what I'm jumping into before I jump. Joe

 

getting closer to starting the project, been slowly collecting some things (motor mounts, 351w x-member, new transmission mount, pads for both, and every bolt kit i would need)i have officially decided to go with the 351 w, however have not found the right one yet. located in jacksonville, nc and have been all over craigslist. would it be better to stick with carburated or fuel injected? i thought it might be pretty complicated and costly being my first build to deal with all the wiring and everything for FI?

 

I paid $200 for a 351w with a C6 a couple of months ago. The engine was apart, but all of the rebuild machine work was already done (it came with a crank kit, block bored to +20, new cam bearings, and the heads had already had a valve job done). I had to buy pistons, cam, timing set, and bearings. The C6 is supposed to be OK, but I'll probably end up going through it so that I won't have to pull it out later.

I've seen ads on craigslist for a guy in Santa Rosa with a complete (carb to pan & fan to tailshaft) 351w from a Ford van for $300. I think it was supposed to have 65k miles. That is close enough to you for a Sunday drive. That ad was relisted several times, so I'm guessing that it was hard to sell (maybe still available!).

If you're working on an F-250 the 9" rear end might have a different bolt pattern for the wheels. You might be happier with a Dana 60.

Dan

 

Doh....you're in NC....that is a little far from Santa Rosa. Well...you get the point. SBF engine/trans combinations are cheap.

Dan

 

i am considering taking my 460\c6 out for a 3.8v6 so i can drive and enjoy it everyday! just saying the 3.8 cause a family member has a 90's cougar could get for cheap

 

Those Ford 3.8's were notorious for blowing head gaskets on a regular basis. They kept many a dealership tech in the money doing warranty repairs. That would be the last engine I'd spend any time, money and effort putting into anything I wanted for a daily driver.

My 2c.

 

I love my 460 c6 Combo. What a blast to drive! I built it as a street rod, so mileage wasn't/isn't a concern for me. While it has tons of power it is still very streetable.

 

I love my 460/c6 as well.. can spin the tires anytime.

I think I get close to 5mpg..

Sam