2000 4.6l cobra crate engine swap into 65/66 mustangs?

[zathan]

Hi, anybody know what it would take to make a crate engine like this fit in a 65/66 body mustang? Any restomod/hotrod articles about it would be helpful (online or magazine references).

2000 cobra crate engine

 

[rebel65]

well since it is a mod motor, you would have to go to a Mustang II front end, i remeber an article about a gt350H with a cobra engine in it i will try and find it for you.

 

[tjm73]

32 valve modular V8's are physically wider than BOSS 429's......so, the very first thing you will have to do is abandon the stock front suspension for something that will open up the engine bay. Probably a Mustang II setup. The stock front suspension towers that protrude into the engine bay are in the way and they have to go.

Mustangs & Fords did this very swap a year or two ago. It can be done.

 

[wildstang]

You could maybe get a bolt in strut suspension set up from RPS or fatman fabrication and maybe be able to cut out enough of the shock tower (and then reinforce again to carry the spring load), then coat the valve covers with some KY jelly and slip it in.

You may also be able to get a coil over suspension upgrade from global west or a similar place that would replace the big coil spring with a much smaller diameter coil over spring and shock and maybe be able to cut enough of the shock tower out to have room.

The other definite way is to do as mentioned above, the mustang II suspension replacement.

For the cost of the engine and trans combo, you should be able to build a 302 or stroker for less with much better power in a lower rpm range, but I do not know what your intended use or purpose will be for the car.

 

[allcarfan]

$6300 for engine and trans assembly plus extensive modification and only 315 hp....

Or...a drop in 350hp carb gt40 crate motor and another $1000 for a nice transmission with no modifications necessary...ask yourself which is a better deal...or, are you just going for a wow factor?

 

[tjm73]

This article has a car with a 4.6 SOHC and some info on the swap. It was all I could find.

http://www.mustangandfords.com/featuredvehicles/5202/index.html

 

[jmagilto]

I agree with the post above - the power of the mod motor is hardly worth the effort to modify the car. Get a stroker small block and run circles around the mod-motor configuration for considerably less $

 

[zathan]

Thanks for the info guys. The need to do the M2 conversion means more work, although it would mean better steering/handling too... I was just playing with the idea of having a reliable and more efficient (mpg wise) late model engine in my daily driver without doing too much work myself. I've seen they fit the cammer engine and wanted to do something like that, but it's not street legal (and expensive) and I wan't to convert my daily driver to a restomod with modern driveline like that... but it's just a dream at this stage. What other solutions should I consider?

 

[one2gamble]

I say snag the new XJR motor in the 65, now that would be cool.

 

[rebel65]

what about a 351w with a t5? that's pretty modern..

 

[tjm73]

or a sensible 331 5.0 roller motor with a T5. With 25"-26" tire and 3.50 gears it'd get out and really move and on the highway you would get 20+mpg. My '98 GT 4.6 SOHC get's 23 mpg with country/city/highway mix driving.

 

[10secgoal]

Although definetly not the cheapest route, I would do it in a heart beat. I wouldn't go thru all of that for reliablity and mpg though. You can fuel inject a 302 pretty easily. And contrary to popular belief, you can still get good gas mileage with a carb.
I would go thru all that for an aftermarket 32 valve motor with say a #20 huffer on it !!! The fastest mod motor in the world runs sixes in a cougar with a STOCK cobra block!!!!!

 

[Fostang]

So much hatred for the modular motors.

A stock modular block will definatly handle much more power than a stock windsor block even a sportsman block.

A cobra crank is forged. All that is needed is a some quality H beam rods and Forged pistons and your good to go with the bottom end.

Aftermarket parts are becoming much more available.

 

[Hack]

Thanks for the info guys. The need to do the M2 conversion means more work, although it would mean better steering/handling too... I was just playing with the idea of having a reliable and more efficient (mpg wise) late model engine in my daily driver without doing too much work myself. I've seen they fit the cammer engine and wanted to do something like that, but it's not street legal (and expensive) and I wan't to convert my daily driver to a restomod with modern driveline like that... but it's just a dream at this stage. What other solutions should I consider?

Just so you know, the M2 conversion does NOT guarantee better handling. The stock suspension is preferred for good handling. For really good handling, you'd want to go to one of the high-buck setups as suggested above.

If efficiency is the key, you could put a 6 in the car. I'd say that a mild 302 with a 5 speed is a great choice as others stated. Even with 2.79 gears, you'll have no problem spinning the tires at the line. If you're driving a lot of highway miles, keep the cruising rpm as low as possible.

 

[tjm73]

So much hatred for the modular motors.

A stock modular block will definatly handle much more power than a stock windsor block even a sportsman block.

A cobra crank is forged. All that is needed is a some quality H beam rods and Forged pistons and your good to go with the bottom end.

Aftermarket parts are becoming much more available.

I don't think anyone hates the Modular engines. They're just not practical yet when you compare the power delivered for the dollar spent. If I spend $4000 on a 5.0 stroker it will absolutly decimate the Cobra crate engine which costs like $6500 not counting the costs to make it fit the car, make the computer work, etc....

The 5.0 stroker woud drop in and hook up to eveything that's already there. It's simple economics. Not hatered for the Mod motors.

 

[Fostang]

In the end it's just money.

You can't take it with you might as well use it.

 

[one2gamble]

Im telling you...pull the motor out of an XJR!!!!

but how is there a 2000 cobra crate engine There was never a 2000 cobra

 

[allcarfan]

I had a video of a stock block 01? cobra with a centrifugal supercharger on it...racing a C5 on the highway....

He split the crank, destroyed the block and left two rods in the road behind him.

 

[tjm73]

but how is there a 2000 cobra crate engine There was never a 2000 cobra

Yes there was, it was the 2002 Cobra that never exisited.

 

[rebel65]

I had a video of a stock block 01? cobra with a centrifugal supercharger on it...racing a C5 on the highway....

He split the crank, destroyed the block and left two rods in the road behind him.

yea..but that's an 01 dood, those were not the ones with the forged components in the engines, the 03/04 are.