Howdy Dave and All:
Be sure to start with a good tune up. Add an additional 5 degrees of initial advance to your distributor setting. Be sure to listen for knock, when the engine gets hot and lugs.
You didn't say where you are located, or better yet, where the car originated from. If it's a '65 California Emmisions car your options will be different than others.
The Stock '65 Autolite 1100 carb and vacuum advance only distributor are designed to work together with a special Spark Control Valve in the carb that send a specific vacuum signal to the carb. If you change one, the other will not work as designed. They will work, but just not to their optimum or as designed.
For a 49 state (non-CA/EM), standard consider upgrading to a '68 to '72 point type, non-Load-a-matic type distributor with a Petronix Ignitor upgrade, or a '76 and later Duraspark "Pointless" distributor. Both of these will have centrifugal advance along with vacuum, giving a better performance and economy advance curve. This will give your engine a stronger spark, allow for a wider plug gap and require less maintainance.
Upgrade your carb to an Autolite 1101, for an increase in cfm from your current 1100 capacity of 185 cfm to 215. This carb will require a little tapering of the carb adaptor to clear the larger butterfly. The stock choke, air cleaner, fuel lines and linkage will all bolt up. These carbs were used on the '69 250 engines, '63 and later full size Fords and trucks with the 223 six. All other carb upgrade options will require more changes, mods, adaptations or adapters such as- linkage, air cleaner, adapters, etc.
The ideal for a performance upgrade is a header system. The full value of a header system won't be realized without increasing the performance of the cam, increased compression, intake. The header system includes the header exhaust pipes and muffler. You can make an upgrade compatible with the above carb and distributor upgrades by moving up to a 2" exhaust system. That would be a 2" header pipe, from the manifold outlet clear back to the muffler, and a 2" turbo type muffler. Leave the muffler in it's stock location at the very rear of the Ranchero, for best weight distribution.
If you every decide to move up to a header, the rest of the exhaust will be ready.
Please reread the sticky at the top of this forum as to the pitfall of composite head gaskets on a rebuild and how to deal with it to, at least, maintain CR.
Add to all of the above a specific tune up to your situation and enjoy.
Adios, David
