Part two on parting out my rusty 66 LTD into my new, less rusty 65 Custom 500. Part 1    • 1965 Ford Custom. Will it run? First ...  

My 66 got this 5.3 LS when I realized the ol' FE was burning a hole in my pocket with how much I spent on gas daily driving it. Now, it's getting passed on to my 65 (instead of its 289 and 3 speed transmission). The engine is from an '02 Avalanche that read ~300k on the odometer, it's paired with a junkyard AR5 5 speed out of a Chevy Colorado. This was the cheapest way for me to get decent power and fuel economy and amazing drivability. I'm astonished by how well this swap has held up, it even paid for itself within the year on gas savings. It's no Ford, but for now, this Chevy engine will do.