Fox engine swaps

Sons first car mmmmm.
Stock engine if it runs good, heads,cam,intake, to keep up with the hondas.
Cheap flat black paint job, nice rims. And let er rip.

Too much car for a first car........ Just an old mans opinion....
My 396 BBC/4speed 41 chevy was probably too much for me...

For your son's first car, the stock OEM 302 engine in the 5.0 mustang is pretty strong.
With the auto, it would make it easier for him to learn how to drive in all situations (traffic, highway, etc) without the pressure of having a manual (think starting on a hill for an example of stress in a new driver's mind).

Here's what I'd recommend -
3,73 or 4.10 gears - with the auto this thing will move out and "feel" like it has more power. Ensure you also change the speedo gear so the speedo reads correctly and shifts at the right time.
Good exhaust - shorty headers are easier to install along with an offroad mid-pipe and Flowmaster 2.5" catback exhaust
K+N air filter in the stock box is just fine.
Advance timing to about 12 to 14 degrees initial if using 93 octane.
Set the TPS voltage between 0.995 and 0.997.
Fresh spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor button.
New fuel filter and I'd drop in a new fuel pump (BBK 190lph is a great upgrade).

The car should run really good, sound good, and be very reliable.
Ryan

Gravity said:

..... looking at doing a 351W swap..... build/rebuild the 302 ..... looking at a rear disc conversion..... looking at a vinyl wrap or paint job.....

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Gravity said:

..... either a new engine or some form of forced induction, (supercharger, turbocharger, procharger, etc.). ..... looking to swap it from automatic to manual..... some form of turbo/super.....

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Don't usually associate that kinda stuff with...

Gravity said:

..... minimal cost in mind..... a relatively low budget.....

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I would check for codes and address those. The check engine light (CEL) only comes on for emissions related codes so there can be codes without the CEL illuminating. Get any leaks taken care of so valve covers, intake gaskets, exhaut gaskets, etc. Put a tune up on it so cap, rotor, plugs, plug wires, fuel filter, air filter, and check the timing (stock is 10 deg BTDC but you can run up to 14 deg BTDC). If it runs good there then let him drive it and get used to the car as is. Start piling up suspension parts as they are most likely shot so control arm bushings, dampers, new springs, and get some Maximum Motorsports caster/camber plates so you can get a good alignment on it. Drive it some more and let him get used to the handling. Pile up the parts to swap over to SN95 brakes as the stock Fox brakes suck so before you go fast you need to be sure you can stop it. Driver it some more and let him get used to that.

If the motor is healthy (compression test and leak down test will tell you this) then you have a couple of choices.

1) Heads, cam, and intakes or HCI. There is more to this as you will need to upgrade the fuel pump and depending on your choices you make also need to get bigger injectors. I would also suggest a 65 or 70mm throttle body and a minimum of a 70mm mass air meter (MAF). If you need bigger injectors I would not go much more than 30 lb/hr with a "calibrated" MAF.
2) Put a single turbo kit on it, get a tune, and move on down the road.
3) Put a super charge kit on it, get a tune, and move on down the road.

2) & 3) should come with all the parts needed to support the power level so read fuel pump, injectors, etc. You may have to do some exhaust work with the turbo so ask the vendor.

If you decide to go to a manual transmission you need to know what king of power you are going to devlop as a T5 is a great transmission but it has limits so do your research here. You could also opt for a built AOD.

Whats your budget?

I have had this car since i was 18 i'm now 50.
Forget adding power.
Let him learn to drive it as is, then slowly modify it.
He should grow with the car, not wake up one day with 200 extra rear wheel horsepower.
My personally belief is that mustangs are wrecked in videos all the time because the drivers just can't handle the power without experience.

There are zero electronic aids, which makes foxes fun and dangerous. People wreck them in stock form and snap oversteer is real.
I'm lucky to have survived the first 4 or 5 years with my car.
They are also light in the rear, so putting more weight on the front probably isn't great for a new driver.

Bolt it on one part at a time like the rest of us did.

I'm all for the discs in the rear, i despise drums, i hope to never work on one ever again.
Using high quality suspension parts (that aren't cheap) from maximum motorsports can help make the car more predictable.

My kid wants a fox, if i were to put him in one the mods would be as follows before any real power gains:

5 lug conversion with rear discs.
If it were an auto it would get a manual swap.
Then we would do an entire maximum motorsports suspension setup.
Gears, only after the manual swap so you decide which set is right.

As for paint, a wrap is probably going to beat a paint job by $5000+.

No chance my kid is getting power before safety, reliability and predictability in a foxbody.