I couldn't have said it better myself! I've been there and done that, in fact I sold my first Mustang, a cherry, A-code, 4 speed fastback because I was sure that old cars were simply a money pit, and nothing could ever be as reliable as a new car. Every single problem with that car was caused by me. I was sure I could build a killer small block that would live every day. The problem is I had no real goal of what I wanted the car to do when it was finished. You can't have everything. You know all the crap you read about so-and-so's 1000hp daily driver? It's a lie. Every word of it. I put too much compression, too much cam, too big a carb, too stiff a clutch and too low a gear ratio in my '65 and then wondered why I went through three motors in two years. Go figure. This time I set a more realistic goal of having my '68 perform as well as my '88 5.0 GT. That car's pretty quick, even though it's something like 350 lbs heavier than my '68, handles well and stops nicely. By setting an acheiveable horsepower goal ( 250 rwhp) rather than just bolting on whatever looked good in the catalog (like I did on the '65) I will get a decently quick street car that will not need constant attention and will be perfectly capable of being driven daily, unlike my last effort.krash kendall said:Something I have noticed on the board here is that the guys who have souped-up engines are the ones that complain most frequently about repairs or breakdowns. Well, what do you expect when you are trying to get 1 to 1 1/2 hp per cubic inch? Breakdowns are inevitable.
The point is that the compromise for higher hp output is reliability, you just have decide how much you are willing to compromise and accept the results.
If you want both power and reliability then go down to your Ford dealer and buy a brand new mustang.
I feel for you, but it is the nature of the beast so to speak.
I really don't want to pick a fight here. But not all of it is BS. I daily drove mine with over 500 hp EVERYDAY before gas sky rocketed. I did finally tear it out to freshen it up after my tranny took a dump( I expected it, after I passed the HP rating for the clutches).I also had to replace some stuff BEFORE it started breaking, and add SFI equipment. But that was literally after beating the absolute piss out of it for 3.5 years and most of it was WOT. I couldn't drive it on the streets until recently. Insurance was too expensive in Fl. Long story short I think with the right parts, it can be as reliable. With the new block I plan to make and honest to god 650hp, and get 15-18 MPG.zookeeper said:You know all the crap you read about so-and-so's 1000hp daily driver? It's a lie. Every word of it. I put too much compression, too much cam, too big a carb, too stiff a clutch and too low a gear ratio in my '65 and then wondered why I went through three motors in two years.
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