Opinions please.............

bannerp

bannerp

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2011
Location
Newland NC
I recently purchased one of the cars on my bucket list. A 1992 Mustang coupe former SC SSP car.
ai1077.photobucket.com_albums_w474_bannerp_Mobile_20Uploads_IMAG0378_zpsdbf6902a.jpg I have had affection for these cars since my 1st 89 LX. I want to reliably drive the car to shows to and from work occasionally and Sunday drives but I don't want anything too radical. This is the only problem.....
ai1077.photobucket.com_albums_w474_bannerp_Mobile_20Uploads_IMAG0379_zps77757b84.jpg Some jackass has completely gutted the EFI and converted it to carb. I have located an 88 EFI intake and distributor. 93 SSP A9L MAF PCM and wiring harness. I will have to buy fuel lines ($89) Throttle cable and bracket ($80) 02 sensors (price unknown) MAF ($40-$200) If I keep it ford I want to buy EDELBROCK E STREET heads ($1100) Anderson cam ($300) Comp roller rockers ($169) MISC head gasket set bolts and pushrods ($300). The engine in the car currently is supposed to be a rebuilt 306 with only 20mi its healthy holds good oil pressure and runs cool BUT when I ran the numbers on the heads it came back to a 67 289 so I am thinking its a flat tappet motor and not roller. My question is should I even mess with the ford engine or just drop a 5.3 ($750 from local junk yard) Headers cost $700 motor mounts cost $280 Ford T5 to LS bellhousing $650. CTS-V oil pan and pickup $200. clutch and Flywheel $? I estimate the cost would be close to $3000 but would it be worth it? I know the benefits of the 5.3. What do my fellow NC4x4 members think?
 
Converting back to EFI would be a nightmare. Especially if you don't know how they hacked the harness. Honestly, keep a carb'd setup, or go for a stock and unmolested notch and save yourself some headache.
 
They gutted everything I have a Complete harness intake throttle body injectors pcm and distributor. But I am unsure if it is a roller motor or flat tappet cam so I don't know if the distributor drive gear and pcm will work. I got the car for cheap but cheap isn't always good..........
 
I have done the carb back to efi on a coupe i had not to bad but from all the mustang's i have had probably 6or7 i think that carb's are better as far as big cam's and easy to work on so i would just leave it carb just please don't put a bowtie motor in a blue oval car ;)
 
it all depends on what you want-drag or hot street? manual or automatic? what kind of budget? a decent boneyard 5.3 makes better power STOCK than a lot of lower budget "performance" sbf motors, but they really come into their own with some variety of forced induction-but that's a few more dollars for plumbing and getting the tune right(stooped power!). if it was mine, i'd be leaning towards a 5.3 with a t56 behind it-no adapters, you gain an extra gear on top. A t56 can be a bit expensive to get into, but they hold power way better than t5's do.
 
I have had 2 drag cars and that's not what I'm after with this build. I want good power 300-400hp with good drivability. Cant afford a T56 so a T5 bellhousing is in the budget right now. I know the T5 wont take much off a beating but I don't plan on thrashing the car just driving it. I am guessing the build with a 5.3 would run close to $3000-$3500 or more depending on how many used parts I can find. I am at a crossroads here. On the 1 hand the car doesn't have the original engine so that's of no concern. I have always loved mustangs but hated the powerplant. LS engines are clearly a better choice but I'm scrounging every penny I can to get this project started. Car still needs paint and rear tires. So I need to have $500 for that stuff. I Know Jamie22 on the board had one but it was an auto. I don't want an auto lol.
 
I'm all about an LS swap! Go snag a 4.8, throw a turbo on it, and hold on! Or....you could go 5.3 or 6.0. Depends on how you like to drive. The 4.8 is a short stroke and likes high RPMs and also has a slightly stronger bottom end which will take some serious abuse.

If you went LS, would you go EFI or swap on a carb? They're pretty mean with a carb on top of them!
 
Don't have the funds for the 03 swap lol. I would keep it efi I have looked in to a 4.8 sway as well. My local junkyard doesn't know there but from a hole in the ground lol. I would keep it efi and just use LS1 intake and NA as much as I would like a turbo I just don't have the budget. I watched Engine power the other day online ( formerly hot rod TV on powerblock) and they did a 4.8 with 243 heads (same as LS6) just changed the cam and valvespings and ended up with 396 hp. I may call the yard tomorrow and price the 4.8. Also looked into a L33 aluminum 5.3 they can be had relatively cheap off ebay for a short block then add some 243 or 799 heads.......
 
The only problem you run in to with swapping heads on a 4.8 is dropping the compression. 862 (4.8) heads have smaller chambers than even 243/799 heads. Now....an LQ4 (6.0) with some 243s will put you at 10.4:1 , just like what I'm running in my Silverado. If I were doing a 4.8, I'd just keep the stock heads and do a cam, springs, seats, seals, locks, and pushrods. However, if you wanted to drop some money on head work, you could have them machined to keep the combustion chambers the same size and have a lot more flow with the bigger valves. Shouldn't have any problem making over 400hp, depending on the cam. I'd go with a high RPM cam for sure and let it scream! Might run in to valve clearance issues though.

My next motor build is actually a 4.8 turbo for my old S10. It's the old motor from my Silverado, I have the S10, and a turbo...now I just need more money to throw at it.
 
5.3 or 6.0, cam from Tick or PCM of NC, Head work from AI, cut the wiring harness down to just whatever you need and replace the factory cluster with a few gauges in a custom panel (oil pressure, water temp, volts, tach, speedo) Its not like you Avery County fools have to worry hard about inspections. :lol: Keep an eye on Car-Part.com for the transmission. There are a few T56's on there for about $800. One is in Monroe. I think youll have a hard time keeping a T5 in one piece even with a stock LS of some sort.

With the ease of the swap, I just cant see sinking money into a Ford engine for one of these cars anymore unless you were just going for a full resto.
 
I'm a die hard Ford guy and used to drag race in NMRA back in the day...
Swap in an LS a don't look back.

Oh yeah, sell me that A9L PCM too while you're at it.
 
My blue oval bloodlines wont let me ay LS swap
IF you build the 5.0 Id pass on the estreet heads and looks at a set of TF TWs
 
Ron said:
My blue oval bloodlines wont let me ay LS swap
IF you build the 5.0 Id pass on the estreet heads and looks at a set of TF TWs
Click to expand...

Like this? :D
powr.jpg
 
Is that headed to the Ranger?

All jokes aside them are some flowing beotches for an off the shelf head.
 
there's been enough swaps done in many different ways, it depends on what you want to fab/modify yourself or if you want to buy new off the shelf swap pieces, if you have time and ability, swap motor mounts can be fabbed using 4.6 mounts and a bit of k-member welding, the truck oil pan can be cut, sectioned and a kickout added for clearance, headers can be made by using a set of 351 headers, cut off the flange and weld on a ls flange. it may be extra work, but it can cut your costs by at least half. for the trans, if a swap bellhousing is $650, that's a real good start towards a boneyard t56. while you're at it, i'm sure there's some ford guys out there that won't mind buying the ford parts that you don't need & will offset the overall cost
 
You say you ran the #s on the heads, but what about the block? Just because it has 289 heads does not mean is not a roller block. If I were in your shoes, I'd rock the carb, and piece together the EFI, over time, with used parts (should be able to find everything you need). Swap the cam the same time you swap intakes, and ditch the high $ head idea for a hot cruiser. You don't want to drag right, what's the point? While looking for EFI parts, don't forget all the other platforms that 5.0 was used in. Although, I am not sure the years others switched from speed density to MAF. I drive Japanese junk though, so I wouldn't listen to me....:lol:
 
Hell I'm a Chevy truck guy but I love them Fox bodies I hate to see the guys that can't make a Chevy hook or make a ford run crossbreed some junk! Heck them '87 up foxes make me mad with carbs on them, dang come on into the '90s and try EFI!! Good looking little car though man, trunks are my favorite!!
 
Jody Treadway said:
I'm a die hard Ford guy and used to drag race in NMRA back in the day...
Swap in an LS a don't look back.

Oh yeah, sell me that A9L PCM too while you're at it.
Click to expand...
Coming from you Jody that says a lot! I was dying to buy your old coupe! With that being said FOR NOW I am gonna convert it back to efi and leave it stock at the moment till I can Find/build an LS motor. I am thinking later down the road LQ4 and AI ported 243 or 799 heads with a MS4 cam (love that cam). For now I got all the pieces to convert back to EFI for free! Minus a throttle cable and fuel pump and sending unit. This is my 3rd mustang and have loved all off them but I have always wanted a trunk car for weight saving reasons. But the Camaro/Chevy man in me wants an LS. Hopefully getting started on the body this weekend and hope to have it painted by the end of the month beginning of next month. 1998 Corvette Nassau blue! If its gonna have chevy paint might as well have the motor too right?!?
 
Ron said:
My blue oval bloodlines wont let me ay LS swap
IF you build the 5.0 Id pass on the estreet heads and looks at a set of TF TWs
Click to expand...

I had twisted wedge heads on my 1st mustang and they did awesome! The E street 205 head I was looking at was $1100 a set with 205cc runners and 2.08 1.60 valves with a 64cc combustion chamber. For the price difference I really didn't think I could go wrong...........Thanks for all the input guys for now she will be a stock 306 I use the term FOR NOW very loosely.................Build thread coming soon..........
 
StretchASU said:
5.3 or 6.0, cam from Tick or PCM of NC, Head work from AI, cut the wiring harness down to just whatever you need and replace the factory cluster with a few gauges in a custom panel (oil pressure, water temp, volts, tach, speedo) Its not like you Avery County fools have to worry hard about inspections. :lol: Keep an eye on Car-Part.com for the transmission. There are a few T56's on there for about $800. One is in Monroe. I think youll have a hard time keeping a T5 in one piece even with a stock LS of some sort.

With the ease of the swap, I just cant see sinking money into a Ford engine for one of these cars anymore unless you were just going for a full resto.
Click to expand...

I don't have to worry about inspections stretch..............as long as I keep my license up to date FTW!
 
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