3.07 diffs & np435?

[XOLATEM]

I have a chevy C-10 2wd (1974) that I drove from Jan. '90 to somewhere about 2014. It must have been an 'ordered' truck because I could see that it had a few options...the best of which I liked was a 3.42 12-bolt and the heaviest suspension I have ever seen on a half-ton.

It came my way because of a bad THM-350 and the heads had loose valve guides. I bought it for 150 bucks, built a transmission for it, and got another set of heads...

All together with a 2BBL it got 12 to the gallon.

Couple of years later I scrounged up enough parts to build and install a 700R4 and 'WHAM'....17 MPG...this is with skinny tires...

Put on an iron 4BBL manifold and built up a Q-Jet and it went to 18MPG...IF...that is a big 'IF'...I could keep my big foot out of it....

This is with a points distributor...mind you....

Put a set of wagon wheels on it with 265 tires and I am back to 16.5...

Put a HEI in it and it ran better...but never checked the mileage...I was satisfied...

Now it sits...waiting to be a donor truck for the '86 I mentioned earlier...once me and The One-Ton get past the honeymoon stage...

IF we ever do....

 

[FrozenMerc]

When I first built my '51 Ford F1, I used a 351W, NP435 and 3.08 Dana 44 rear axle. Not a 4x4, but there was plenty of grunt in that lightweight little pickup. In fact, the NP435 had that ridiculous 6.68:1 1st gear, which only ever got used for parade duty. Took off in 2nd gear for regular driving. Eventually had a syncro fail, and replaced in with a BW T85+R10 3spd/OD. The .67 OD and the 3.08 rear gave it some very long legs.