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I'm looking to pick up something with one of these two engines. I'm having a hard time deciding which one to go with as they're both solid work horse engines.
I'd go with a Mopar, but I prefer them over Fords. Plus I'm sure the Slant 6 gets better mpg and has more potential performance upgrades. The Ford probably has more torque though. Are you shopping for a 80s truck or something? Not sure if Chevrolet offered it in full size, but the 4.3 is a good motor.
I'd go with a Mopar, but I prefer them over Fords. Plus I'm sure the Slant 6 gets better mpg and has more potential performance upgrades. The Ford probably has more torque though. Are you shopping for a 80s truck or something? Not sure if Chevrolet offered it in full size, but the 4.3 is a good motor.
I'm mostly looking at 70s and 80s Dodges and Fords. As for Chevy/GMC, the worst vehicle I ever owned was a GMC Jimmy that had the 4.3. It was nothing but a money pit. The spark plugs ended up rusting on to the point that the dealership couldn't get them off. I got rid of it when the engine would buck and stall and was too cost prohibitive to troubleshoot. Needless to say, that experience left a very bad taste in my mouth with respect to GM.
Depends what you want out of it. Both are rock-solid and reliable. Go for the 300 Ford if you're pulling a trailer or regularly hauling heavy loads, it has significantly more power. The Leaning Tower of Power is better on gas. Stay away from anything later than about '83 with the Slant 6, Mother Mopar made some changes to the fuel and emission systems that had some bugs that were never really worked out as the engine was on its way out by that time.
I had the Slant Six in a 1967 Fury, 1979 Volare, and 1983 D-150 and found it to be a good engine; I've never owned a 300 Ford, but I've known plenty of folks who have had great luck with them.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I agree with the 300 Ford, that was a great engine. Beware of the automatic trans from 89-92 or so when they first came out with automatic overdrive, they were weak.
I agree with the 300 Ford, that was a great engine. Beware of the automatic trans from 89-92 or so when they first came out with automatic overdrive, they were weak.
The ZF-5 (5 speed manual) is the best transmission. However if there was a 5 speed behind it, it was usaully the mazda 5 speeds that was not the best. The older c4 and C6 on the 70s are great along with the NP235 4 speed is very reliable.
Heck, they used the 300 Ford in single axle tilt cab C600 trucks that had GCW's of 34,000 lbs! That's torque. And there are plenty of power upgrades for them. Of course I am partial to Ford's anyway.
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