I have a 1962 Ford F100 that was given to me by my dad. It has a Chevrolet 350 small block. I don't mind Chevys in Fords, but I'd like to be different by stroking it to a 383 or swapping it for a Cadillac big block, but the Ford guy in me wants to put a Ford power plant back in it. Any opinons would be appreciated.
350 / 383 / Cadillac and Ford.... put one of each in it. that would be different seriously , the choice is totally yours.
My dad had a 65 long bed with a 455 buick. Id love to get that one back! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Bout 40 years ago I replaced the 223 and three speed in a 62 short bed uni with an FE. I used the Trans-Dapt front motor mount and used a 65-66 galaxie trans mount with a cast iron cruiseomatic. About the easiest swap I have ever done. I left the 3:89 gears from the 223 in it and it really accelerated well.
Truth be told I'm actually looking to sell or trade my 350 setup so I could either get a 472 or 500 Caddy motor, I keep reading on how they're great for budget builds and produce unspeakable amounts of hp/trq, along with decent gas mileage. It would definitely make my truck a unique and powerful F100.
You shouldn't have any problem finding a nice 390 FE runner or core (if you want to build one up), Ford only made about 16 billion of the darn things and they are still readily available. The FE should almost be a bolt in with '65 or '66 mounts, and assuming the Chebbie installer didn't F everything up. Also, don't over look the big Ford 300 inline 6. Lots of torque, good mileage if built correctly, practically indestructible, and even more available then the FE. Again, a 300 should be a bolt in with '65 or '66 mounts. Here is a 300 I built up for my shop truck. It will run circles around a 302 and out pull a 351W.
What's your budget? A FE isn't a particularly cheap engine to build and has been out of production for 30+ years. Little aftermarket support for the Caddy. And a 383 Chevy looks the same as a 350. If you're going for 'period correct', a FE or Y-block would be good choices. Otherwise, you might look at the 400M or 429/460 Fords. These motors were installed in a ton of trucks starting in the late 70s, find one of these as complete trucks and you'll have most of what you'll need for the swap as Ford didn't change the truck frames all that much. Same thing goes for the 300 six; there's a bunch out there, pretty good aftermarket support, and if fuel economy is an issue one of these will probably be the best choice...
I think the mounts for my 350 are homemade but it looks simple. I don't have too much of a budget right now, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled. I thought about getting a 300 I6 or a 390 FE, either one is indestructible, and that's what I'm looking for, especially a 300.
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