I did the conversion. From what I read before doing it (from a Mustang & Fords Magazine article) that the best ones are from 1970 and up because it has a larger input shaft and forward clutch hubs that are stronger. It also has a stronger case. I used a 1980 unit in my Tbird.
I don't know if they had both a case mounted full tube or a pan mounted fill tube in those years.. I my opinion, the case fill is better.
With that said, I have an earlier (68) C-4 in my 48 street rod. A lot of miles and years on the trans and only had one problem with it after using it for 15-18 years..Still going strong.
Another thing to look for - the shift arm on the trans. For a Bird, get one that has the arm pointing up - it originally would be for a floor shift.