Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Welding Holes in My Rear

[a91what]

Get engine and engine harness.

Buy a micro squirt with 8' harness cost 395$

Wire it up with simple instructions (I'll walk you through it) enjoy.

Heck I believe it used edis6 can't get any easier to setup.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I'm assuming there would be a way to hook up my T5 to this too.....

 

[Black1987]

I'm assuming there would be a way to hook up my T5 to this too.....

i have seen 2 supercoupe swaps one in an SN and the other in the fox.

The supercoupe has the 7.5 IRS and turbocoupe has the 4 lug disc brakes.

I'll see if I can find the build threads but its been years.

 

[90sickfox]

I'm assuming there would be a way to hook up my T5 to this too.....

Yes, the t5 can bolt up to either one...the 3.8 in the super coupe is the same as yours. To bolt up a turbo coupe engine to a t5 you will need a 4 cylinder 2.3 bell housing and such.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

The supercoupe sounds like the engine for me. Forged crank and rods.

I'll have to see what Danny can do for me at the yard.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Good Job Dave,....Welcome to the path less traveled.

I was reading up on the essex,....Interesting to learn that this particular engine is a blatant rip off of the Buick 3.8 that is typical in Regals. Bore/stroke identical to the Buick engine, with a lot of other similarities right down to the usage of an external oil pump.

I guess if I were gonna copy a mean ass V6, seems none would be better than the one that comes in a Grand National.

If the internals are in deed forged like you say Dave, and if the heads aren't just full of emissions restrictions I'm very confident that you could make that thing a very fun combo, that should be on par w/ a N/A small stroked 5.0 (327/331) output wise.

Looks like Ford changed out the M90 that was originally on the 89 SC, and in 94 opened the blower up, changed out the rotors and got the engine to make 230/330...

A head port, cam, smaller pulleys and some water meth injection away from 300/400....

Certainly no Earth shattering numbers,...and probably damn close to what I'm making...
But when you're doing it with six cylinders instead of eight......

The extra smarts required to make that happen in of itself makes it eligible for one of these...

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

He actually has both out there, but I don't know if he'll part out the turbo coupe as well.

The turbo coupe rear is 8.8 and filled w/ 3.73's if it is an automatic car, but it's 4 lug, and potentially too long for a Fox mustang....(your dorky lookin' 10 holers will be hangin' out all hippy joe and sht).

 

[General karthief]

That would be ricer joe, hippy joe has daisy wheels

 

[90sickfox]

I'm sure Dave can narrow a rear end....he did tub ROBY.

Uh oh ! Here we go giving Dave ideas again

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Good Job Dave,....Welcome to the path less traveled.

I was reading up on the essex,....Interesting to learn that this particular engine is a blatant rip off of the Buick 3.8 that is typical in Regals. Bore/stroke identical to the Buick engine, with a lot of other similarities right down to the usage of an external oil pump.

I guess if I were gonna copy a mean ass V6, seems none would be better than the one that comes in a Grand National.

If the internals are in deed forged like you say Dave, and if the heads aren't just full of emissions restrictions I'm very confident that you could make that thing a very fun combo, that should be on par w/ a N/A small stroked 5.0 (327/331) output wise.

Looks like Ford changed out the M90 that was originally on the 89 SC, and in 94 opened the blower up, changed out the rotors and got the engine to make 230/330...

A head port, cam, smaller pulleys and some water meth injection away from 300/400....

Certainly no Earth shattering numbers,...and probably damn close to what I'm making...
But when you're doing it with six cylinders instead of eight......

The extra smarts required to make that happen in of itself makes it eligible for one of these...

I'm just wanting to be more like you Mikey.

 

[a91what]

Dave....did you know your standing on the wall!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

It only seems that way Steve, it's because I'm in Oklahoma.

 

[a91what]

Oh ok I was concerned...

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I'm just wanting to be more like you Mikey.

See the difference between you and me Dave is that you had to hide in the back room where the compressor is to even consider wearing that box on your head. You have to own it Dave...If you wanna belong to the royal order of box-heads, you gotta display your box head wearin' self openly.. You gotta live the box head life, You gotta walk the box head walk.
Are you really ready to do that Dave?

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I'm sure Dave can narrow a rear end....he did tub ROBY.

Uh oh ! Here we go giving Dave ideas again

Dave cannot narrow a rear end,....I cannot narrow a rear end. I/he can cut the axle tubes down and make them potentially shorter....It's the welding them back on straight that requires a jig that most of us don't have...

I s'pose somebody could clamp angle iron in place to keep the tubes aligned,...But "seasoned" 8.8's are notorious for having forward facing bent axle tubes that need correcting w/ a jig bar running through bushings where the bearings are clamped down.

My personal SN 95 8.8 had tubes that were 1/4" off at the ends after the rear was welded back together.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

If I do squats and lunges I can narrow my rear end. Don't know if I really want to try using a jig though...

Fact is, I might be needing to do that. I've been packing on a few, getting kind of rotund.

Odd that y'all are talking about me needing to narrow my rear end though....oh well, it was effective. I'll start exercising tomorrow morning right after my second beer.

 

[stykthyn]

Not a fan of the sc motor. Unless the allure of the path less travelled is what's calling you, then once you're on it you might see why others don't swap that engine too often.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

There's truth in what you say Clay.

I think why I like it is that this car will be a daily driver that i would be perfectly happy with 325lbft of torque. I'm not really worried about the HP number. I'm NOT racing a t-top coupe.

Obviously this would be a much easier accomplishment with a 351 like I was hot and heavy for earlier.....

Had God decided to not make my finances pure sht for the last year this conversation would be moot. I would have already been up to my a**hole and elbows in a 351 and the blue car would be close to being done.

But since opportunity has given me a chance to be more frugal than I already have been, I was going to just get the little Essex running. And for the first time I can remember, @RaggedGT didn't give me the idea for something i wanted to do....

At that point, I'm stuck with a mighty 108 at the crank HP, pretty terrifying, huh? Then I thought about that turbocoupe t-bird that used to sit by my car. So I thought I would ask the yard owner if he had any supercoupes. He has several. He will part out one that has a blown head gasket, easy peasy fix.

So,here I am buddy. It will be different. Not @madmike1157 different, yet, not the usual.

And later, if I have money again, I can throw all sorts of money at that engine! Holy crap! There's craploads of aftermarket hi-po stuff for them.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

There's truth in what you say Clay.

I think why I like it is that this car will be a daily driver that i would be perfectly happy with 325lbft of torque. I'm not really worried about the HP number. I'm NOT racing a t-top coupe.

Obviously this would be a much easier accomplishment with a 351 like I was hot and heavy for earlier.....

Had God decided to not make my finances pure sht for the last year this conversation would be moot. I would have already been up to my a**hole and elbows in a 351 and the blue car would be close to being done.

But since opportunity has given me a chance to be more frugal than I already have been, I was going to just get the little Essex running. And for the first time I can remember, @RaggedGT didn't give me the idea for something i wanted to do....

At that point, I'm stuck with a mighty 108 at the crank HP, pretty terrifying, huh? Then I thought about that turbocoupe t-bird that used to sit by my car. So I thought I would ask the yard owner if he had any supercoupes. He has several. He will part out one that has a blown head gasket, easy peasy fix.

So,here I am buddy. It will be different. Not @madmike1157 different, yet, not the usual.

And later, if I have money again, I can throw all sorts of money at that engine! Holy crap! There's craploads of aftermarket hi-po stuff for them.

The irony for me is....how much is too much?

Several guys here have taken a step off the deep end and built 700-1000 hp/700-1000 ft lb torque cars to be used as street cars.......
Why?
Where in the world will you ever see the difference between 400 hp, or 450 ft lb's of torque and that nirvana number?

In excess tire spin?

Pfft.

That number is a big boy pissing contest, a dyno chart super hero so that the magazine will have a big number to highlight if the car is ever covered by one.

What ever number the Monster is making is too much,...when tires spin in second from a slow roll,..there is more power than can be used...and even at that, it isn't anywhere near the above mentioned dyno super hero status.

If you stay the course, and put the SC engine in the car, you'll make it nice. It'll be fun to drive. It'll be easy to work on,...and as you've already discovered,..there's an aftermarket for it.

It's not a Windsor. It won't sound like one, and it won't look like one (good things here). It's different, and that'll be the talking point. If you can get it to make it's rated potential factory stock numbers 230/330 it's be on par w/ any stock 5.0. 350 ft lbs is a fast street car, and when it all happens starting at 2000 RPM and goes to 5000,...again ....fun street car. And that is so doable with that engine.
When the time comes, I'll offer to port on the heads if you're not up to it,..you just gotta get them to me.

There's a really cool potential project in front of you Dave,..you just have to stay in your lane.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I'm not knocking the guys with big horsepower, it's just that this car will really be my dd.

Hitting the snow in February will be challenging enough with 350lbft of torque. Heck, hitting wet streets will be enough.

But at that level, I can feather the throttle and still make it on shtty days.

Who knows what a few years down the road will bring though. I would love to have a "fun" car that stays in the garage during bad weather and tear up the roads on nice days. 700hp sounds pretty sweet for that type of car.

Right now though, I have cheap access to a supercoupe drivetrain, and I like that idea.