1969_Mach1

I removed and saved the original trap door from mine and installed one of those plastic repro trap doors that have the pods for two 6X9 speakers.  I installed two Blaupunkt 6x9 speakers in it.  Being plastic it's not as nice as the original trap door.  But, it still looks nice and neat and is much better than cutting up an original trap door.

My 1969 351W still has the passenger side lower radiator hose setup.  Knowing what I do now, I kind of wish I converted it to a drivers side lower radiator hose setup when I built it.

If the hose specifies with A/C it would be for a 24" radiator.

Don't sell it, or worse, give it away.  I've learned over the years, do not sell good parts unless you need the money.  Especially original parts.  Years down the road you'll regret selling an original part in good condition.

A long time ago, when I was still in high school I had one of those Sears engine analyzers.  It was handy for things like setting dwell, reading alternator output voltage, reading engine RPM, and measuring resistance in wiring, etc.  This was before the days of digital volt ohm meters.
These days, get yourself a good DVOM (Digital Volt Ohm Meter) Fluke is a good brand, a good timing light with built in advance, and a small tach-dwell meter if you still have points (if your car still has points type ignition, a dwell meter is good to have).  For timing lights, don't get a digital timing light if you are using something like an MSD ignition system.  The interference from MSD type ignition systems affects some digital timing lights. Lastly, like Brian mentioned, get a set of the reprinted Ford service manuals.
If that Sears tool is inexpensive, you can still get some use from it.  Obviously, the volt and ohm measurements will not be as precise as a DVOM.  But it will read more amperage than a DVOM which might be useful at times.

1970 Mustangs with a 351W have the lower radiator hose on the drivers side.  That application should work for your 1969.  You do have the correct accessory brackets, timing pointer, and harmonic balancer for use with the drivers side lower radiator hose?  It's more than simply a water pump and radiator difference.

Those are nice looking templates.  But, I agree.  When I made my templates, I made the new holes smaller, 3/6" diameter, for a pilot hole.  I made them from 10 Ga. 304 stainless steel.  Bolted them in place to the existing holes and drilled new 3/16" diameter pilot holes.  Removed the templates then finished drilling in a couple of steps to the correct size. 

Try this one for a 351W.  https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aaz-30-2895/overview/make/ford
I think the NAPA part number is simply 2895.  You will need to install a steel distributor gear.  The 351W did not get a factory hyd. roller can until 1995, and those are computer controlled.  Crane has a spring and adjustable vacuum advance kit if you want to recurve the mechanical and vacuum advance.

I'd look at Accel points.  Summit racing carries them.  Back in the 1980's Standard Motor Products had an ignition line of parts called "Blue Streak" that was very good. I use to run Blue Streak points, condenser, and ignition coil.  I had good luck with them.  If you want to go to a parts store I would choose NAPA before any others.  To get any stock type parts from a local parts store I always go to my local NAPA store.
Aside from that.  To switch to electronic ignition, I think the least expensive and very reliable solution would be Duraspark.  NPD sells a wiring harness for that conversion and the ignition module and ignition coil.  Or you can get the ignition module and coil from a parts store.  You can get a rebuilt Duraspark distributor from a parts store or Summit Racing.  I'm sure there are members here that can tell you what year Duraspark distributor to get.

My thoughts on this topic have always been leave the points system in place using good high quality parts, or do a complete conversion to electronic ignition.  I.E., Duraspark setup, aftermarket with distributor and ignition box, or a ready-to-run distributor.  I've never been a fan of the Pertronix stuff that drops in to replace the points.

Not maintaining a battery is the biggest killer of cranking type batteries the way they're designed if you crank on it till it;s under 50% of a full charge it will shorten the lifespan dramatically. If it's a lead acid not keeping them topped off and using a dumb charger will do the same by boiling it dry. I've had 7-8 year old lead acid batteries check out like new the one in my John Deere is a 9 year old Interstate. I like AGM's just for the fact there's no upkeep to them, really doesn't matter what brand as long as it's made in the US. There's an Optima plant 20 miles from here they manufacture batteries for quite a few brands.

New valve seals should help or stop the oil burning.  Aside from a leaking intake valve, popping through the intake when accelerating can be from a fuel mixture that is too lean, cross firing because of a bad spark plug wire, bad dist cap, or bad rotor.  If your firing order is 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 make certain spark plug wires 5 and 6 are not routed next to each other, if the firing order is 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 make certain spark plug wires 7 and 8 are not routed next to each other.  Also, make certain the mechanical and vacuum advance are working properly and the base timing is set correctly.  If you still have points in the distributor, as the rubbing block wears, the dwell increases and the timing retards.
If all the above tune up items are okay, do a compression test, or better yet, a cylinder leak down test.
Rebuilding cylinder heads on an old motor sometimes causes some other issues to crop up.  Oil burn past the rings, and/or the lower end wear fast.  Worse case is a knock from a rod or main bearing, wrist pin, or piston rocking in the cylinder will occur.  This is simply because rebuilding the cylinder heads on an old motor will increase the cylinder pressure.

In my area of California, about $350 each at a local small chrome plating shop.  I purchased Scott Drake repro bumpers and hardware from Summit Racing.  Free shipping, no sales tax, and I'm close enough to their Nevada store to get it the next day.  The quality and metal thickness looks as good as the originals were.  If you're a purist, just save your originals if you decide to go with repro bumpers.  Like other repro parts, there are probably only one (maybe two) mfgs. making them.  So there is a good chance they all sell the same thing.  

My understanding is byronbush hasn't ran this motor as it is, or very little because it ran poorly due to the compression variation.  Therefore, was never able to determine how the current combination runs and is basically starting over with it.  I think a more realistic question is how will the car be used and what the budget is like.  Most times (at least with me) the budget limits what can be done with a project.

1969-1974 351W cylinder heads have 16 bolts and L-shaped water passages.  1975 and newer 351W heads have 12 bolts and square shape water passages.  Aftermarket aluminum intakes that use 12 bolts also fit the 1969-1974 cylinder heads.  Just use the gaskets the intake manifold mfg. suggests.  A few aftermarket intakes have L-shape water passages, the Edelbrock Performer, Performer RPM, and Torker II.  All others I have seen have square shape water passages.  The aftermarket intakes with the square shape water passages work on the 1969-1974 cylinder heads, and visa-versa.
The Edelbrock Performer and Torker II have carburetor pads moved forward from the stock position.  This can sometimes create interference between the air cleaner and distributor cap.  The Edelbrock Performer RPM and the Weiand Stealth have the carburetor pad in the stock position with regards to front and rear position, but are much taller than stock limiting hood clearance a little.  A stock air cleaner will not fit under the hood with manifolds taller than stock.
I'd almost say, if you want to use a stock air cleaner, I wouldn't install the intake until the motor is in the car.  Then carefully mock up everything before bolting on the intake.  That way, in a bind, the intake can be exchanged for something different.  If you plan to use an aftermarket air cleaner, there are many options to get one to fit.   

My stripes wrap around the door edges.  So double check, yours might be long enough to be installed on both doors.
Repro parts are typically never as good as the original.  I stick with National Parts Depot for reproduction parts.  Many also like CJ Pony Parts.  But I have found if NPD doesn't carry something it's usually because the quality is too poor.

After all those upgrades.  With the stock 2-barrel carb and intake (and exhaust man.), I don't think you will notice much improvement, if any.  Ford's stock exhaust manifolds are pretty much anemic as well.  I would definitely also include a new intake manifold and 4-barrel carb.  Weiand Stealth, or Weiand Street Warrior intake.  If you want stock, find a stock cast iron 4-barrel intake manifold.  Summit Racing's house brand 4-barrel carburetors are modeled after the Ford Autolite carburetors, so look similar.  I'd also look into short headers.
Instead of spending a lot of time on those cylinder heads, look into a pair of 1969 351W cylinder heads with the C9OE casting.  Larger ports, valves, and valve springs without all the additional work and money.  They have a 60cc combustion chamber, so double check your compression ratio.
*** I mention these things because, keep in mind, regardless of what motor you build, it will only be "period correct".  Numbers matching is gone as soon as the original engine is removed.  Unless you find the original motor, it will no longer be numbers matching. 

Since you are upgrading to screw in rocker studs and roller rocker arms, for valves, you can select 1.94" intake and 1.60" exhaust valves for a small block Chevrolet motor.  That's what I did with my 1969 351W.  They are more readily available and less expensive.  Do most of your port work on the exhaust ports.  On the intake ports, merely gasket match and clean up and extremely rough edges.  If there is a hump on the roof of the exhaust ports, it can be removed.  It takes time to remove that hump but, it opens the exhaust port a lot.
I would not have the cylinder heads machined until you have the correct valve springs for the cam you are using.  Most often, the valve guides and/or spring pockets need machine work to fit the valve springs.  This almost always occurs when upgrading to a hydraulic roller cam.

If it were my car and getting the parts for the FMX are too difficult, I would choose a C6 for a trans without overdrive.  There are C6's available with a small block bell housing.  In stock form, the C4 is a weaker trans than the FMX.  The C6 is stronger than both the FMX and C4.  There is a reason Ford used the C4 behind the 289 and 302 motors and the 351C and 351W motors got an FMX.  For than matter, for all the years Ford installed the 289, 302, 351C, or 351W motors in cars and trucks, the 351 based motors always got stronger automatic transmissions than the 289 and 302 motors.  

Actually, I don't want the high pressure KYB Gas-A-Justs.  I've used them once on another vehicle in the past and didn't like them.  I was hoping these Scott Drake shocks were not as highly pressurized as the KYB's.  The shocks currently on the car I purchased back in about 1998 and they are the 3-way adjustable Gabriel Striders.  One of them will not adjust for some reason.  Even though it ratchets like it's adjusting, it seems to be stuck in the softest setting.  Since those are no longer made, I need 4 shocks.  There doesn't seem to be many options for lower cost shocks that are still better than an OEM replacement.  I have found Koni's street shocks for $65 each at Summit Racing.  Those Koni's might be my best choice, I don't know yet. 

+1.  This is why I mentioned switching to a single plane intake manifold like an older Holley Street Dominator or the Edelbrock Torker II.  Also, when you think about how a carb works, based off of vacuum signal strength to it as each cylinder is on it's intake stroke. vs. EFI which is based on an averages of  A/F mixture from all cylinders (or only 4 which makes no sense), vacuum from all cylinders, plus TPS, RPM, and VSS signals, it's more understandable why these EFI systems operate a little better with single plane intake manifolds.  Actually, these are TBI systems, Throttle Body Injection.  The single plane intake provides a little more even A/F distribution to all cylinders than dual plane intake manifolds.  With all that said, I do not know if there is as much, if any, low RPM power loss with EFI on single planes vs. dual planes like occurs with carburetors.  If so, the Holley Street Dominator would be a better option than the Torker II. 

Before you select your EFI system, is your car an automatic trans car?  If so does it use a kick down rod that connects to the carburetor like the FMx, C4, or C6 trans?  If you have any of these conditions, the Sniper EFI is not set up for Ford kick down linkage.  The only EFI I have seen that is set up to work with Ford kick down linkage are Holley's Terminator systems.
If I were to switch to EFI I would also install a single plane intake manifold like the Edelbrock Torker II or a used Holley Street Dominator.

The other issue that arises is the shock towers have moved inward at the top.  If that occurs, one work around is to (1) loosen the top fender bolts except the front and rear bolts,  (2)  lift the car with two jacks on the frame where the lower control arms attach to the frame.  Doing this causes the top of the shock towers to move outward. When doing this, loosening the two motor mount thru bolts might help a little as well.  After installing the export brace, retighten the fender bolts and motor mount bolts (if the motor mount bolts were loosened).

Like Mach 1 Driver mentioned, Boss 302 Chassis Modification book.  It also contains the 1" upper control arm drop with details to make a template.  Shelby seems to get the credit but a Ford Engineer, Arning, discovered the improvement from doing that.

Tough decision.  Consider the cost now to color match.  If the budget isn't there for a full repaint I would seriously consider the path of color matching.  If you are going through a body shop, you will easily have 8 to 10K in paint.
Lastly, I would say most of us have more invested in our cars than they are worth.  It's the nature of this hobby and not like what is seen on television.  Most of us don't consider our cars a money making investment.