I'm a quasi-regular lurker here, with a '78 F100 4x2 SWB Styleside (factory 302/C6 combo). A few months ago I posted about my DOA C6, and unfortunately replacing the tranny has been pushed back until next month.

One of the joys of owning an old car/truck means there's always those wonderful "surprise" moments--and few of 'em are good. In getting ready to drop the transmission, I discovered that one of the previous owners busted the heads off of two of the pan bolts...and then broke off bolt extractors in BOTH of them. I've tried to drill out the extractors, but short of a laser, nothing's working. Moreover, finding a rebuildable small-block C6 has been frustrating. Craigslist here has tons of the 460's, and even some FE's, but nada for what I need.

Consequently, I'm now looking at alternatives to a C6. This truck does no towing, no and basically is my weekend toy. I've found that the C6 is one of the best transmissions Ford made, but it also kills gas mileage & hp. Therefore, I'm now looking at a C4 or AOD.

Other than changing the yoke & adding a TV cable (for the AOD), any opinions, tips, or words o' wisdom? Can I keep the C6 driveshaft as is? This is definitely something I don't want to do twice...

Thanks y'all!