what motor and trans should i use and how to cool it

[henry715]

well i have a 460 and a c6 but dont think i have enough radiator and also have 302 ford and c4 stock rad. would be fine just not a lot of power in stock form and also have stock 350 and th400 could cool it fine but low on power side in stock form

[2ndA]

The 460 is a mediocre motor regarding its size vs power output. The C6 is an excellent tranny.

The 302, if a pre-late 80's, is a great little motor and fairly cheap to build up. The C4 is a crap transmission.

The 350(Chevy I assume) is an outstanding engine, cheap to build and the TH400 is, along with the C6 and 727, one of the three best automatics ever made.

There are aftermarket radiators out there that can be made to fit, especially if you move the core support on the one side to the J-truck position, that will cool almost anything.

[Ronner]

Going to disagree with you there. The '86+ 302 will get you a roller motor and the aftermarket support is as big as the chebby 350 - and just as cheap to rebuild. The C-4 can be built into a monster! he chebby 350 is a good motor with the absolute best in aftermarket choices and overall the GM auto transmissions are better than the others.
The 460 is a torque monster that with a set of aftermarket heads can make insane power fr not too much money.
As a bonus the 460 is almost a bolt-in to the stock motor mounts brackets.

[2ndA]

The 302 is notorious for bottom end problems. I simply never bought any 88 and up Ford truck at auction without figuring in the cost of a bottom end and for almost every one over 100k I did in fact have to put in pump, crank and bearings.

I've never seen a C4 built up that was anywhere near even a moderately built TH350 or even a 904 for anywhere near similar cost. In fact, I've never even heard of it but i suppose maybe someone could do it. Now the FMX, OTOH...

Any big block of similar time period is a better choice than a 460. Caddy, Olds, Chevy, Chrysler, all better motors, and I had a lot of Lincolns with 460's when I was younger. The annoying habit of dropping the rotten valve stem seals down thru the heads into the pan and plugging up the screen/locking up the oil pump leaves a special nasty place in my heart for them, too.