Engine help!

ras50gt

Member
Oct 25, 2005
200
2
19
I have a 93 gt with about 110k miles on it. I wanted to get some opinions on what i should do. Right now the car is pretty much stock. It has headers, x-pipe, and a few other small mods. I also have all my suspension parts sitting in the garage, im just waiting for my next day off from school/work. But, i have been thinking about either getting a rebuild or buying a seperate block and building something. One reason i was thinking about building an engine on the side is because this car is my daily driver, im not too sure how long a shop will take her for a rebuild, but i need a car. The other thing i was thinking is price, once you buy the rebuild kit then also have the shop do everything. Also, i dont feel like my car is in desperate need of a rebuild but like i said ive lost a lot of power, it needs some attention. Well here are the different ideas i had, i just want to get some opinions and any help you guys can give me.

1. Rebuild my motor. Then add heads, intake, cam, etc...... Im not too sure on how much it will cost, i know a rebuild kit is somewhere between $400-600. Then the labor, which im sure gets up there in price.

2. Find a 302 bare block and build it on the side. I have seen these for pretty cheap, then i would have to pay a machine shop to clean it up and whatever else, anyone have an estimate on how much that would cost? Then i was thinking might as well get a stroker kit, i was thinking 331. Or should i just go 306? I know stroker kits arent as expensive as they once were and if im paying 4-600 for a stock rebuild kit. Also, ive always thought about having a supercharger, would a 331 with a supercahrger be a good daily driver? If i just buy a block, i can keep it in my garage, over the next few months buy heads and other parts. Then when im ready i can just swap the engines out. Should i also be looking into a new transmission or at least rebuilding the one in my car?

3. Buy a shortblock, however this would come with stock internals right, so that would make things kinda pointless? Then i would have to buy new pistons, cam, etc.

4. Buy a new long block, i can get one for $1500 through a hookup. But once again, that would be all stock, so limited power gains right? Then i would add bolt ons, etc.

Those are some of the ideas i have for my engine. I want to keep this my daily driver but also want more power. I dont need anything crazy. Im also not looking at spending a ton of money, i dont work full time anymore because im going to school. Either way, i dont make much so im trying to stay in a reasonable budget. I just want to get some opinions or ideas you guys may have. If you can give me price ranges or where to get a block or parts, that would be nice. Thanks for all the help.

One more thing while im at it. Ive noticed that first gear doesnt seem to hold as long as it use to, is this the tranny? I dont know if im explaining that right but maybe you will know what i mean. I do know that my throw out bearing is rattling like crazy and have been meaning to get a new clutch, which is also in my garage waiting to get installed. Im thinking once the new clutch is in, it will drive smoother. Does anyone have any ideas on what i mean? The only other thing i noticed is that, it doesnt have that jump or torque anymore, like i said first doesnt seem last long, then in second gear it seems like the car takes a long time to get up to speed and it seems like its sluggish. Like when i step down on the gas, it just seems different than when i first got the car. Maybe im down a cylinder? I dont know, ive noticed that over the last few weeks/months, i figured its just the engine getting tired and maybe something is wrong internally.
 
I'm in the same situation as you, going to school full-time and not working full-time anymore. My stang isn't my daily driver, but I plan on building a motor on the side. I can always find a short block that needs rebuilding for a good price or free (I see 1 or 2 of those a month around here). But from there I'm going to build it on what quailty parts I can find at a good price and make sure its put together well. As for heads I am saying up for AFRs or maybe TFS if I find a good deal.
 
Having been thru this, I would say build one on the side, theres MUCH less stress when small things come up...like a cracked block!! DOH!!

But by the sounds of it(blown 331) you may want to save for sportsman or even an R/A4 block. After getting ~450-500 NA,FWHP I still want a blower..but the stock block wont RELIABLY take much more than ~450 at the wheels. 8PSI on my motor would push it to 560 WHP...so my stock block with all the $$ machine work is pretty much useless when I get a blower. So plan around your future power estimates.

Call around your local shops, see if they'll offer any sort of warranty which shows they stand behind their work. In the end, it would have been cheaper for me to go with a keith craft or DSS block, which is what I'll do with my next block.

I have a 347 now, but will be going with a 331 as it reduces the ring speed and the harmonics that the longer stroked 347 gives. 331s will last a good amount longer under street conditions.