First off, I appreciate you guys taking the time to read this. Just a little background on what I am working on. It started out as a 1972 Ford F250 Highboy, since that point it has a Dana 70 rear with 35 spline axles and a Spool. In the front HD 60 with big outers and drive flanges. 1350 u joints throughout, 3 link front 4 link rear with approx 15 inches of wheel travel at each wheel. Full hydro steering along with every link on the truck being SOLID 5150 alloy, no weak pipe here 1 5/8 upper link diameter and 2 inch lower link diameter. The front steering is 1 5/8 along with the track bar. Basically i've been working on this truck for a little over year so far beefing and building all components as much as humanly possible. Roll cage is exiting the cab in 7 places tying to the frame, custom dash seats on and on.
Well here is my delimma, I have came down at this point with winter time coming up to focus on the drivetrain. The truck has a 68 model 390 HO 4v motor out of a mustang and currently has the NP435. Now I am too old and way to wise to run a stick shift tranny in the woods, and especially behind a big block. I have in my possesion a C6 Tranny that's in the process of getting the valve body tweeked and I'm going with a mild stall converter to compensate the Edelbrock package I'm putting on the motor (Performer heads, 572 lift 306 duration cam, Performer 390 intake, air craft roller rockers, etc) now for my questions.......what carb should I run? I've heard good and bad things about holley truck avenger carbs. Also holley makes a fuel injection conversion but it's around 6 grand and call me cheap but I think that's a bit much considering I can buy a nice card for around 400. This truck has a divorced 205 T case with respectable gearing so low end torque will not be an issue, I went with the divorced for increased ground clearence as I relocated it 7 inches up from it's stock location with a custom crossmember that also serves as a skid plate :-) i'm just worried about the sidling flooding problems carbs are most known for. I know from personal experience how terrible some carbs can be in the woods. Also, this truck is going to have on board air and an onboard welder, that being said are their any advantages to using an electic fan to at least cut down on SOME clutter that I'm going to have under the hood. Or with being a big block engine is that a terrible idea? I will be running a respectable aluminum radiatior, of which sort I haven't decided yet but the trucks in that model are very capable of have a 4 gallon coolant capacity with the correct unit. The last and final question is this is the heaviest truck I've ever built so I'm VERY concerned when it comes to my tire choice. I have test fitted a 42 inch TSL and that is the largest tire I would ever want to run. I would even be ok going just a little smaller than that, but with my beadlocks I need a tire with a TOUGH sidewall. I can't tell you how many sidewall's i've split in my day. I'm leaning toward either a Mickey Thompson Baja Claw, a Ground Hawg, or the Pitbull Rockers......do any of these seem ideal for my application? Or does anyone have any suggestions......any help would be much appreciated as I want to have this thing done in 2010.......thanks guys

Where the hell do you get $6000 for an efi conversion??? Whatever, if you're going that deep into the truck go for the efi....hot rod magazine just did an article on all the different generic efi conversion options that were out there...most were between $1500-$3500 depending on what you bought and most were throttle body style with a carburator style throttle body that just bolted in place of the carb...sounds like a good idea to me.

I guess I can't say much about carbs, but there was some recent talk in the mud forum about better carbs and the suggestion was 'Predator'....not familiar with them but this was the resounding answer.

You need to be more descriptive about what you will be doing with this truck, you've given no terrain or intended use so it is difficult to answer some of your questions.

electric fan would probably be fine as long as you have a quality radiator and a strong water pump...that's a lot of motor and I would hope you're going with some sort of high flow pump. 4 gallons of fluid and all that radiator could still fail without anything to move the fluid. As well, a good shroud could make all the difference in the world. Be cool, Griffin, etc. should probably be called to setup a good radiator/electric fan/shroud combination to ensure proper cooling.

Can't comment on the tires cus you gave no terrain info in your post, but the pitbulls and baja claws seem to be more popular unless you're talking to the mud guys and the rednecks.

Hope you've got the bottom end to support all that cam lift...I don't know the 390, but just saying.

First off,

Were you looking at multi-port injection? I haven't researched TBI for a FE but I can't imagine it would cost 6g's.

If your not going to be rock crawling and getting into really steap angles, there are a few simple things you can do to make a carb run on sidehills. How steep are we talking?

PS. that sounds like alot of cam.:question:

The truck has a 68 model 390 HO 4v motor out of a mustang and currently has the NP435. Now I am too old and way to wise to run a stick shift tranny in the woods, and especially behind a big block.

What in hell does being too old (okay could kinda understand) and being too wise (not getting that one) have to do with running a stick shift tranny in the woods? And behind a big block?

a 435 is a stout tranny and will live just fine behind your 390. Good choice of motor btw.

Just me, but I hate automatics and love my big block powered, manual tranny woods driven truck. But then Im not 65 years old either.:flipoff2:

Thanks for the responses. This truck will be a hill climber/rock crawler vehicle. NO MUD unless there just happens to be a hole I can't go around, I've spent more than enough time in my life packing wheel bearings and working on crud packed undercarriges. As for the pricing on the Injection, I was looking at the setup that Holley has out that comes complete with every component needed including all the small things. I believe Summit Racing is where I fould it, it's not quite 6 I was rounding up, I belive it was around $5499. I have no previous experience with setting up a fuel injection system, and considering i'm dealing with an engine that hasn't been produced in 34 years so I can't go the the local scrap yard to grab an ECM or a fuel rail I would be going with somthing that comes complete if I decide to go that route. As for the trans, it's not that I'm too old to drive the stick shift it's more that I have seen and personally broke more parts with manual transmissions than I even care to talk about. With the auto unless your the guy on the trail that likes to tach it up to about 4 thousand and pull it into drive (believe me I've seen it), the transfer of power and force is MUCH less and applied more smoothly on those rotating components. I've seen things stay together much longer with these setups. Not only that, but my wife goes with me on said adventures and it makes it much easier for when she decides to get behind the wheel on certain obstacles to not deal with the clutch. This truck will be an all out serious machine, and will be making it's way across the country to various places I've heard about either through the internet or on television. I just know that several new tires are floating around out there but my main concern is how much heavier my rig is compared to alot that I ride with and the ability of the tire to handle said weight properly. Naturally I carry a full sized spare and understand that tire failure happens, but at the same time if I can put a little more out for a set of tires, I would rather do so than to be changing them on the trail. Thanks again for the input.

I'd look for a Quadrajet off a 425 ci or bigger caddy and rebuild it.
I have 38.5 Groundhawgs on my Jimmy, I don't think their sidewalls are that tough, I put a hole in 1. Swamper sxs are a lot thicker sidewall, or maybe get Michelin XLs or the 12x 37 inch Goodyear wrangler radial Military surplus hummer tires. Check the vendor section here, there are some deals on them.