Generally speaking early is 1970 and earlier. Late is 1971 and after. All that concerns is the width of the support bushing. There were other changes as the yrs went by. The plastic vent came about sometime in the early 70's. Sorry, I don't remember exactly what year.
I think it was already mentioned but you use what ever shift lever the aftermarket valve body calls for. Most call for a 5.0 lever but I've also seen some call for a 3.8 or 4.2