'88 Budget "Strip" Build

spartanpride

Member
Feb 17, 2011
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Hello all! Just got myself an '88 hatchback with a stock 5.0 in it recently. I'm looking to get more power out of it for some "street/strip" use you could say. Right now this is what I'm thinking I'm going to get and slap on it (I'm kinda new to 'stangs, but not to engine overhauls).

Trick Flow aluminum heads-61cc chamber

Trick Flow 75mm throttle body

ACCEL 24lb injectors

BBK Full length headers (and straight pipes back, (no cats), and glass pack)

Ford Racing B303 cam and lifters to match (284 duration and .480 lift)

What kind of numbers should I expect on the dyno with this setup, and what numbers should I expect on the 1/4? I'm hoping for around 320HP and in the 11's...
I'm open to all suggestions and ideas ya'll have to fire away!
Thanks much! :D
 
Get ford racing 24's.
The b cam is pretty worthless. Find a different one. I'm not sure which one in the hunt for 11's, i'm accustomed to spending more and going custom.

You also need an intake and mass air meter.

With a b cam i wouldn't expect much over 285rwhp.

The stock suspension and gears aren't going to help at the track either.

11's are entirely possible on a h/c/i mustang, but it's a complete combination of parts on the car, not just a little here and there.
You are definetely going to need gears, a posi unit that works flawless, sticky tires and a supsension that keeps the car straight.
 
It might be more likely in the 13's. With the stuff in my sig & a lot of weight reduction, my best time was a 12.9. once I get the turbo install done, Im hoping to be in the 10's.

I think you are being a little overly discouraging, lol.
Not sure how you only managed 12.9 with those mods, but there's an issue.
Was you mph extremely high?
There's guys here that run 12.9 with stock explorer engines.

Guys run high 11's all the time all motor stock shortblocks.
It just takes practice, good parts and suspension.
And when i say good parts, that doesn't mean it has to be afr's or tws.
I know a guy 11.86, gt40 intake, gt40x heads and e cam.
 
Hey thanks for the input guys! And I know I really need different gears and what not, I've got a Ford 9 inch rear with a posi and it's a 4:10 (You think thats too low for street use also?) I need to swap on there.
 
I will say that my slow time is due to lack of experience. also I forgot to mention that I had a stock MAF at that time too. I only made 3 passes that night before it started to rain. After reviewing my data logs, I found that my MAF was pegged out. I havent actually been back to the track after upgrading to the 90 mm LMAF. Track prep wasnt that good that night either. At my local1/8 mile track I have pulled off a 1.85 60ft time. That night at the 1/4 mile track, the best was a 2.18. I dont think top end speed was all that good either as I only ran 109 mph.
 
****, 90 stang, you work out the bugs and you might get 'er into the 11s. My first time at the strip on my old n/a 302 combo netted me a 110mph trap, but by the time I was done tweaking, my car ran an [email protected].

To the OP, here's the deal if you want to run 11s:
-lighten up to less than 3k lbs
-TFS TWs are good heads, and so are AFR 165s and AFR185s. Talk to whomever your cam guy is to see if you'll need to flycut your pistons
-bump your compression ratio up to around 10:1 by picking a smaller combustion chamber. Starting with a 58cc head is a better idea than a 61 if you can help it. I took AFR165s that were 60cc chambers and flat-milled mine down to 56cc (.024")
-Good pick with the long-tubes, BBKs are quality, but there's still room for improvment. Open up the collector to a full 2.5" (almost all you can open them), and dremel the primary welds so that theres nothing actually sticking into the exhaust's path
- ditch the B-cam and get a custom, drivability will be better to boot. Tell him you want to shift at 6500rpm.
- 3.73 or 4.10 gears - no brainer and hell no there's no problem driving around on 4.10s
- replace front springs with 4 cyl springs, remove the front sway bar, and air-bag the passenger side rear
- 15" rear wheels with a nice big Drag Radial or slick for traction
- ditch the 24 lb/hr injectors and run at least 30s, they'll be easier to tune up high, IMO and will leave a little room to grow
- A tune without an MAF is a must!
- Have fun with the T5 while it lasts... Get ready to buy a TKO or T56, though.
- short-belts and underdrive pullies are a good investment and will net a couple of tenths together.
- You need a good long-runner intake. A ported GT-40 or Cobra is a good choice, but a better choice would be an Eddy RPM.

If you can $natch some gears while keeping the gas planted, you're going to fly in this car. Good luck! It's a lot of fun when you get a 302 running right. Sooooo many people could not believe that my car was just an n/a 302. It was gratifying to blow supercharged 302s, LS1s, Supras, etc... out of the water. Production cars are getting a lot quicker these days.... If I did it again, there'd either be a 150shot to help out for the quick ones, or some extra cubes under the hood.

Yes, it'll be a more expensive combo than you originally envisioned, but it will be worth every penny once you're done.
 
Thanks a ton for the input guys! And to be honest with you all, I'm actually only sixteen. I just got done with my truck project, a '69 F100 with a 351 Cleveland I rebuilt the heads and carb on it, put a hot cam in, exhaust, well many many things I have done to that truck. I'm very familiar with carb'ed engines, not so much with FI, that's why I might seem to be missing some obvious things, I'm still learning. But I'm ready for a new (simple) project something different than the trucks I've been into. I'm selling my truck to my dad's friend for $4,000, hence the 'Stang budget.
 
Oops didnt mean to hit enter.. anyway, I bought the '88 for 1500, I'll post pics later. It is in very nice shape for the price! And now I just want to do some moderate mods to it (like the things I've said already). This will be my DD to school and work. And might take it to a strip with my dad 2 or 3 times a summer is all.
Again thank you guys so much for the help! And please excuse my ignorance on these FI engines ;)