how much hp you can get depends on how much money you have, as well as what your intentions are for the truck .... the more highly modified the engine is the more time you'll spend keeping it 'just so' instead of just driving it - a 283 blueprinted to the 195hp version can collect lots of traffic tickets without much fuss keeping it running well, and they sound a treat with the right exhaust system wink

a healthy 283 can do a lot of towing with the stock 3.90 rear, and an OD 3 speed will help on the highway

Bill

Last edited by squeeze; 03/08/2011 5:49 PM.
Moved over to the Passing Lane

"When we tug a single thing in nature we find it attached to the rest of the world" John Muir
"When we tug a single thing on an old truck, we find it falls off" me
Some TF series details & TF heater pics & Rust-a-holics Unanimous parking lot