I have been gathering parts for my '72 Camper Special (2WD/longbed) with an eye to doing it as inexpensively as possible. Not CHEAP & SLOPPY, but not budgeted like I am sending it over to Chip Foose. So far I have scored some good finds in a few junkyards and off craigslist for great prices. Now I am geting to the end of my rudimentary knowledge of Fords' and I am needing experienced opinions/thoughts/ideas in regards to what thoughts I have running around in my mind. Here goes;

1) Cooling- was roaming one of my favorite yards when I noticed that a '73 F-350 had a 390 and a huge radiator with the shroud still attached. The core support looked similar, so I pulled it and took it over to the '71 from which I pulled my Merc 410 earlier this year. I slid it into place- no dice, the mounting was different from the rad to the core support. The inlet and outlets look to be in the same spots, the radiator opennings are identical so will a '73 core support work in a '72? I am having no luck finding a shroud or a clutch fan for my '72 (not to mention the core support in my truck is soft over by the battery and will be replaced), so is this a decent option?

2) Ignition- For HEI, I am debating wheither I should use the factory version, aftermarket (such as MSD or ACCEL), or the conversion style that fit under the cap of the points distributor.

3) Carb- Got an Edelbrock electric choke 600 CFM carb (model 1406) off a 390-powered F-150 in the yard for $48. I think it is abit too small for my 410, but for the price I couldn't turn it down and it cleaned up very well- the "Endura Shine" finish is shiny and it appears to have only been on the truck a short time. I was thinking a 750CFM with a 1" phenolic spacer would better suit my engine, anybody have any ideas?

4) Intake- Found an Edelbrock intake for $50 in the same yard. It is older, but it isn't corroded and my plan is to grind off the logo and paint it with the motor. Is this a good intake for my truck? Also, should I use the more simple '73-up pedal assembly on my 4-bbl conversion or is it not worth it?

The truck will be used for hauling stuff and a "just in case" back-up vehicle. I will bounce more ideas up on the forum list as they come up, but for now this is all I have. Thanks for your knowledge, hope to hear from good sources soon.

 

From what I remember there have been other guys that have put 73-up core/inners on our trucks as they are galvanized and less likely to disapper from rust. You just need to use the inner fenders to get it to bolt up.

Ignition: Just put a Pertronix in your stock dizzy. For $80 you'll have a nice unit. No extra boxes(like MSD) will be needed. No Ford Dura spark box to wire up either. The Pertonix is only two wires, simple.

Carb: for the money, use it. If you come up with a 750 some day you can sell and get your money back on the 600.

Intake: ditto. Is it just a Performer or Performer RPM? The first is lower rpm, the latter is higher rpm use. Either do okay, and there again if you do find something better you can always sell it for what you bought it for.

 

Yes, the 73-79 core supports will interchange with little modification. You will have to watch out for different supports that were made for different size radiators. I currently have a 70 that my brother switched core support and inner fenders. He said he had to drill a few holes that weren't original. The hood hinges will be on the inside (73-79) instead of the outside (67-72). Still bolts up to the hood OK.

You can use the cable gas pedal assembly if you want. I pulled a 79 pedal assembly for use on my truck. The 3 bolt holes are the same as the rod style gas pedal assembly I replaced it with.

 

I took a radiator from a '76 Camper Special and it fit some pre-drilled holes in the radiator support. The c.s. radiator was wider than the original. I did have to move the mounting hardware.

If you read any of the posts I've repied to concerning ignition, you'll know I'm a fan of Ford's Duraspark. After spending 15 minutes making a simple harness, everything plugs right in. Mount your control box in a cool location (mine's on the driver's side inner fender) where it can stay cool. Parts are available at nearly any parts store or salvage yard.

I like 600cfm carbs for street use and towing on my 390's. I don't think you'll gain much by installing a bigger carb. I've had two 460's, a 352. and three 390's, and they all ran well with 600cfm carbs.

As long as the intake is a dual plane, it will work well in your application. Look carefully for corrosion, especially at the thermostat mounting area.

 

The intake is a Performer RPM, thankfully there is no corrosion in/around the thermostat housing. Carb wise, I am going to try the 600 CFM on the 410; I will be putting the Sanderson shortie headers, a slightly bigger cam, and I want to change the rear gear from a 3.73 to a 3.55- my worry is that it might lean out or not be able to let the engine breathe. The core support change is looking promising. I have to pull it anyway to make the engine swap easier and the current one is soft at the bottom (inner fender under the battery is amazingly solid). Thanks for the suggestions and keep 'em coming if possible.