[loxxrider]

Hey, I am very new to the fox mustang scene and I would just like to introduce myself and maybe get a little advice for the future.

I am currently a first year mechanical engineering major at the University of Florida, and I am a pretty active member in the european car scene. I drive a 350whp jetta that I love and intend to keep at a daily driver for a while. It is a cheap, fun way for me to get around for the time being.

I have always loved the fox body mustangs (notches specifically) and I hope to have one as a project car sometime in the (semi) near future. It would be something for me to work on in my spare time, etc...I love everything about having a project car.

My goal for a project like this is to have some kind of N/A monster between 400 and 500rwhp. I have almost no experience working on domestic cars at all, so I don't really know what that will take. I just love the sound of a nice mild to radical cam (lumpy idle). I probably sound like a super no0b but I figured maybe some of you could relate.

Thoughts?

I appreciate any input you guys may have.

-Chris

Oh, and if anyone here lives near gainesville, fl hit me up...I have a Nikon D-80 and love photography. I am always down for a photoshoot or just to talk cars in general.

[sniperrider]

i would say the first thing to do would be to find a notch.....take out the engine and tear it apart....then build your beast, parts are fairly cheap and there is numerous combinations of parts out there, just make it your own....and if you get stuck, you know where to go these guys know damn near everything about these 5.0's

[HMUSN]

welcome to the forums

[notsoslow50]

welcome to MM. i would start with finding a a 5.0 in decent shape. fair body not one with major dents or bad rust. see how it starts and idles. find theo ne that suits you best. since your majoring in mechanics you should know how to test out a car. i would most likely do a compression test if you dont plan on completely rebuilding the motor. but if its a project you can always find a 351w at a junk yard and use the 302 for now. if you want 500hp i would most def go with a 351w. mostly all top end parts are intercahgeable from a 289,302,351. back in the day before the aftermarket was big people used to put 289 heads on a 351. im not sure how much better it was but it was better compression. then i would go with a lower and upper intake manifold. you can choose your vendor as you wish. but if you can find a 302 explorer motor from the 1998 era they came with gt40 intake upper and lower and gt 40 heads. then you can go with a nice carb setup if you wish to go that route which i would. i have a demon carb and i cant complain. then you can go with a nice set of heads that match the heads. gt40p heads are tricky when it comes to headers and clearence for the spark plugs. then i would go with a cam of your choice i have a crane cam and again i have no complaints. if you want you can get an electric fan from a ford taurus or an aftermarket one. again depending on your budget. you can also get a radiator if you would like. see how the tranny is and see if you want to rebuild it, but if your running hp like that you might wanan look into the c6 tranny. after that you can look into gears for the rearend you can get 3.73's 4.10 's. again this is all just setting the placemat for you so to speak. i am in no way telling you waht to buy..lol..let this be your motro get waht you want. do some research on parts and all that. after everything you dont have to be running 500hp all motor you can get some bolt ons and by some nitrous and see where that puts you. if i forgot anything just let me know..lol..im kinda in a rush to go eat.

[BWAL]

im gonna have to disagree with sniperrider and notsoslow..

i think you should get a nice 2.3L notch mustang.. there are many reasons for this.. you can find one in extremely good condition for less than half the price of a decent 5.0 and with a 2.3, you can pretty much guarantee it hasn't been beaten or raced (who would race a 2.3? lol) so buy that, part out the engine, transmission, and suspension parts, then buy a 5.0 or a 351W to build up, along with newer suspension and a transmission that can handle the power.. that would be more work than having a nice condition 5.0 car to start with, but it would be a whole lot cheaper.. just my 25 cents

and BTW, welcome to MM

[mikebert]

Originally Posted by loxxrider My goal for a project like this is to have some kind of N/A monster between 400 and 500rwhp.

You can't do that with a 302 CID. A 302 block maxes out at about 500hp - the best N/A setup to hope for would be a stroked 347 (that's a stroked 302 +.030" bore). Of course, starting with a 351 gives you a lot of room to grow so that's up to you. A 351 can be stroked to 427 if you really feel the need for speed.

Either way you can do it N/A. A 351 would probably be easier for 400+rwhp on the basis that you would have to squeeze out every possible horsepower to get that from a 302 block.

[Iownastang]

351 gives you alot of room to grow so!!!!what else do i have to say

[loxxrider]

Thank you all for your replies!

Sorry I didn't make my budget and goals more clear, but I am starting on a clean slate knowledge wise. This wont be on a stock bore motor. I was thinking either 331 or 347 stroker. Like I said before, I really don't know much about these things yet, but I intend to become very well learned soon. Since this will me a semi long-term project car for me, the budget isn't much of an issue within reason. I like to do things right the first time, so I wont be cheaping out on anything.

I guess the best thing for me to do right now is browse the history of the forum so I don't fill it up with a bunch of stupid posts!

[Drick]

Welcome to the forums im gonna agree with Jordan ^up there and go with a 351 you can get easyly get the power you looking for out of it.

[loxxrider]

Ok, so I have done a small amount of research, and I think the 351w will be a good choice to go with since I wouldn't be using a stock 302 block for a 331 stroker build anyway. I am just curious as to how much more a 351w build would be compared to a 302 build...assuming I would be buying either a new 302 "race?" block or a 351 block.

[Drick]

The 351W Windsor would be a great block to go with that is the motor almost if not all people on here with 351s in ther foxes have.

[notsoslow50]

getting a 351 would def be the best option you have. as for budget wise it will cost nearly the same thing to build up as a 302 would. mostl ikely just a little more expensive if not relatively in the same area of price. every top end part of the 302 except the lower intake mainfold are intercahgeable to a 351w. so thet top end will cost you exactly the same.

[Iownastang]

They arent that much more than a 302 to build and if you wanted to you can build a 408 stroker and make alot of power for pretty cheap price.