Thread: First time Ford

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I just got my donor to spruce up the 54 Plydo. As much as I would have liked to keep it Mopar I couldn't pass up the opportunity of the Ford. I'll save all the details for later.

Does Ford make a good automatic tranny, and where can I get info on interchange/addaptabillity(is that even a word in the Ford lexicon) with a 79 302?

The ford AOD is the most commonly used automatic.

Oh, now that I re read the question, yes Ford does make a good automatic Transmission but u can't convert it to fit on a Plymouth unless u are planning to convert the whole powertrain to ford.

The most common trans used behind the 302s are C-4s and are used in about every type of ford vehicle,C-6s were used behind the smallblocks in trucks and vans. If you dont want to use a overdrive the C-4 would be the way to go.

It is actually going to be all Ford drivetrain and chassis. The 302 is good (as soon as I get rid of the veriable venturi) and I got the 9" w/factory Discs.........anybody know yet what my donor was. hehe. But the tranny is Garbage, I'll investigate the C-4, it's not gonna explode on me is it, Ive heard rumors about FORDS!!! hehe

Thanks guys.

Fords are fine if u take care of them. Is the variable venturi a Predator? I don't know if the Predators ajust themselves with a variable venturi but in my mind they are the best carb.

The C-4 wont explode unless you really abuse it,I had one in a 77 F150 behind a 351 cleveland that I pulled a car trailer with and had no problems,you can find a smallblock C-6 in the late 70s to mid 80s trucks and vans. A regular two barrel carb will bolt where the variable venturi carb was as I done that swap on a 82 F250. There are two different C-4 trans,the car version and the truck. The car trans has the dipstick tube going in the case and on the truck trans the tube screws in the pan,I have allways used the truck trans as I have been told it has heavier clutches and seems to shift firmer that the car version. If you get the two trans togather you will notice the truck versions case is larger than the cars.

Thanks Jeff.

Matt, the variable venturi was a late 70's Ford attempt at better MPG from what I understand. It's really sluggish and actually doesn't do that good of a job on the MPG. But then again mebe in in a perfect world it might. I think they continued until 91 then went to full EFI. 79 was the last year they used it on my particular model car. An aluminum intake and Holley 500 will put the go back in that 5.0!

The variable venturi carb worked good when it worked as I had a 82 F250 with it on a 351-w C-6 and 3.50 rear and it got better gas mileage then my 87 F150 with a 351-w C-6 with a holley 4 barrel and a 3.08 rear. It got to where sometimes when I hit the gas it would bog bad and no one wanted to work on it so off it went.

I saw many of the VV carbs LTDs in the late 70s early 80s timeframe. Liked em better than the GM version (feedback carb with moveable needles)

As to a trans, the C4 can be built to take most anything. A C6 is much larger physically, heavier and will suck an additional 40 or more HP in parasitic load. Use a C4 unless you want to go OD.

The 302 came out in '68, and most any ford small block trans will fit from then on up. Earlier than 68 had a different (smaller) bellhousing, and the big blocks have their own bolt pattern.

chris

is a Lincoln Versailles?

I have a 9 incher with discs under my f100 sled. I liked how narrow it is, and the fact it's a posi.
I can run my reverse smoothies on the back and still scrape the rockers, no interference from the tires on the fenders.

Yeah 79 Lincoln Versailles. Runs great, sucks gas(tune up time), and the 9'er w/disk is great. $600 bones, too get my plydo to make those long 101 trecks. Hopefully I can get it done fer Paso but I'm not holdin my breath, theres a lot of projects goin on between a friend, my brother and I each doin a car from the ground up to drive to Paso in, all in one home garage. Have welder will travel! It's cool though cause when I hit a snag I just go work on my bro's 36 or my buddies 29.

Whats yer wheel and tire dimmensions on those smoothies. It's so nice beeing able to stop, heh!

Justin94117; If your planning on hopping up the motor at all, I would go with a smallblock C6. the C4's just don't stand up to any kind of torque. I went thru four C4's behind a modified 302. I had shift kits installed tranny coolers they just don't like any kind of horse power,so why take a chance. Do your self a favor and get a small block C6 tranny. FMX trannys are tuff to, but very heavy and there hard to find a shift kit for.

Vegas

and finally found a C6 from a 1-ton Econoline van. It slowed me down a little in the 1/4, but I have yet to break it.