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The Pathfinder and Toyota Forrunner are good rigs. So are the Blazer and Bronco, and probably a bit cheaper. Do your daughter a favor and teach her to drive a stick shift. I'm sure she could handle it and the skill could come in real handy for her sometime. But automatics are sure easier to drive in traffic or over the road. There are some Fords out there with 460's, but I have not seen many with manual transmissions and I would guess a Dana 70 would have been a special order item. The ones I have seen had Dana 60's in back and Dana 50's in front. The 460 went to fuel injection in 1986 and previously used a Holley 4 barrel that seems to be the most expensive rebuilt U.S. carb at the parts store. When I got my truck, a Carter AFB had been installed. It works fine, so I haven't fooled with it. I don't know when Ford quit using the C6 behind the 460, but it is one tough transmission, although it does not feature an overdrive. At least some of the 1 tons used a solid front axle on the 4x4 and while it probably does not ride as nice, the solid axle would be my choice for a tighter turning radius and in my opinion, a simpler unit with less to go wrong. Another thought would be to put a big block in your existing Chevy, assuming it is a 3/4 ton with a transmission other than the TH350. It is not hard to do at all. A 454 needs a different flywheel and any big block will probably need more radiator. I also would suggest getting a complete engine with all the brackets and pulleys for the accessories, as they can be a pain to find in the right combination. There are lots of parts available to fix up older trucks, from the dealer parts houses, NAPA, and catalogues like JC Whitney. The only real things to watch for are rust and prior accident damage that was not repaired right. The mechanics are very straight forward. I don't think you will be sorry if you get an old Ford or keep your Chevy. Good luck!
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