What it takes depends a GREAT deal on your weight. You gonna drive a lightened notch (lightest) or a vert (heaviest) which can mean 400# or more difference. 94-95 Stangs are heavier than the 87-93 cars also.
I'd be most interested in an 87-93 GT hatchback. I'd be willing to rip out the rear seats, but I would probably have some sterio crap in there too so it might actually be a little more than stock.....but lets just say an 87 to 93 GT hatchback.
And i'd want 5 speed as well, i know that makes a little difference.
'91 GT AOD 5.0
Ported E7s and AOD w/3500 stall TFS1 Cam 4* advanced
12.90
Edlebrock Performer 5.0 out of the box
12.80
(Example of Ported vs buying)
There are a lot more faster with more money and time!! But TMOSS is right as Kansas Rain!! Weight is a big factor! and of course Hooking it all up. A lower HP car can put a guys doors on the ground with those two advantages!! Then again remember your giving AWAY 48 cubes with the 5.0, and I have found out IF you tell the Bow Tie Boys you have the same cubes..... 351W, 347, they get scared and run home to mommy, and wont run ya.. LOL
Well if i'm not mistaken, i remember that there are stroker kits for 302's to 351's, right?
No replacement for displacement, blah, blah.....so yeah. So if i had a GT40 intake manifold, ported heads, the right cam, gears, some slicks and not much weight, I should be in that area?
It doesn't take a lot of work to make a stang run good times and its a helluva lot cheaper than what it costs to make a newer bowtie run. A set of ported stock heads, intake, and some good quality upper and lower control arms with DR's and you'll easily be knocking on the door....
There are lots of different ways to run 12's. Most do it with more power. However, the lighter Fox bodies are more than capable of running 12's with simple exhaust mods (long tubes/free flowing downstream system), plenty of gear (4.10's, 4.30's), plenty of traction (slicks, rear suspension work) and GOOD DRIVING. Over time however, the launches necessary for those kind of times will take their toll on stock rear axles and the T-5 tranny.
Well I know that the T56 6 speed swap is a pice of cake for GM cars (mostly because the newer ones all come with them, haha), what are the stronger trannys for 5.0's?
I got in the 12's with gears and anothr $250 spent on a used motor from which I took all the needed parts: heads, intake TB. So all my components are mass produced Ford factory 5.0 parts.
lol
Ok, lets say i've got 4k to use for performance mods. What are the first things i should get? And note, i'm more than willing to use eBay, classifieds, etc. to get stuff cheaper.
The first thing to get is subframes because the lightweight foxbody is kind of flimsy in the middle. Then get some gears, 3.73 for the 5 speed. After that it's pretty much up to you. Some like to go for the exaust, some like to hack at the induction system, some go straight for the suspension to get it hook, some tear off the heads. After that some cheap mods underdrives, then K&N air filter with the silencer removed in the stock airbox, then get a bigger MAF and then a larger TB.
Just remember that the two biggest bottlenecks on the 5.0HO is the lower intake which only flows about 130cfm, and then the exaust ports on the stock heads. The stock MAF is a really restrictor box and the stock H pipe with 4 restrictive cats is another dead spot.
After you swap everything around you will have an engine with GT40p heads, an explorer intake which is pretty much the same as a cobra intake, an upgraded exhaust and a free flowing intake. You will also have a spare engine that you can sell off for a couple hundred.
Take the rest of the money and get a pro 5.0 shifter, brace up the chassis and get some new controll arms for the rear suspension and add a set of 3.73 gears. Some underdrive pulleys might be a good idea, a 3G altrenator would be good for your stereo.
If you do all of the labor, you will have money left over.
If you can find a speed density car [87-88) with a 5spd, you can go faster for less. You can certainly get to the 12's for less. If you want to go faster than that, you'll probably need to convert to Mass Air. You may not be able to luck-into a blown Mountaineer 5.0 like I did, but parts are relatively cheap. The more you do on your own the greater the satisfaction and the less the cost. If gas mileage is not a concern, I recommend buying an '85 5.0 5spd. Modding a carburated car is cheaper and easier -and the '85 has is a roller engine. If I were to do it all again, that's what I'd do.