I know that if buying new I'd go AFR most likely. But if the budget is in the $500 range I have just fallen back to a low mileage Explorer engine and maybe upgrade the valve springs depending on the mileage of the engine.
For instance Ford sells a nice crate motor that is set up for a GT40 package that is supposed to make 345 hp and you get a choice of an E or B cam. But look if you look at the numbers on the stangpro site I posted above here you can easily see how the GT40P stacks up and is really close to that.
Here is another thing I noticed.
E303 with 1.6 rockers.
Duration is 220/220 with a .498 lift.
A stock HO cam 89 model with 1.7 rocker
Duration is 218/214 with a .471 lift.
An HO cam gives a much easier car to tune, and rock solid idle and these cams are basically free. The numbers with a 1.7 rocker are not that far from an E303 and a stock ratio of 1.6. The Crane rockers I'm using are the Ford part# used on the Cobra's and so far are super quiet.
I'm looking at it from a "bang for the buck" perspective. I will soon have my car dynoed with the HO cam and if I can find this post I'll update it.
Here is another point. You will see the "Power Heads" in the same site above. Those are very nicely ported E7 Heads. We used a set in two cars back in some class racing we ran locally where we had to run a Production head. Later my friend replaced his Power Heads with some Trick Flow high ports and slowed the car down over 1/2 a second!! He ended up swapping a cam, having port work done, and a new torque converter installed just to get the car to run 2 tenths quicker than when he started out! Add that up and he spent a CHUNK of change for 2 tenths and he lost a bunch of driveability compared to his older combination.
This same guy is the crew chief for the current 2 time NMRA Drag Radial World Champion. Those guys always were quick to tear a motor apart and soon after all that class racing they went to NMRA Drag radial.
Its all about getting the combination right. But my combination usually is Budget controlled
For instance Ford sells a nice crate motor that is set up for a GT40 package that is supposed to make 345 hp and you get a choice of an E or B cam. But look if you look at the numbers on the stangpro site I posted above here you can easily see how the GT40P stacks up and is really close to that.
Here is another thing I noticed.
E303 with 1.6 rockers.
Duration is 220/220 with a .498 lift.
A stock HO cam 89 model with 1.7 rocker
Duration is 218/214 with a .471 lift.
An HO cam gives a much easier car to tune, and rock solid idle and these cams are basically free. The numbers with a 1.7 rocker are not that far from an E303 and a stock ratio of 1.6. The Crane rockers I'm using are the Ford part# used on the Cobra's and so far are super quiet.
I'm looking at it from a "bang for the buck" perspective. I will soon have my car dynoed with the HO cam and if I can find this post I'll update it.
Here is another point. You will see the "Power Heads" in the same site above. Those are very nicely ported E7 Heads. We used a set in two cars back in some class racing we ran locally where we had to run a Production head. Later my friend replaced his Power Heads with some Trick Flow high ports and slowed the car down over 1/2 a second!! He ended up swapping a cam, having port work done, and a new torque converter installed just to get the car to run 2 tenths quicker than when he started out! Add that up and he spent a CHUNK of change for 2 tenths and he lost a bunch of driveability compared to his older combination.
This same guy is the crew chief for the current 2 time NMRA Drag Radial World Champion. Those guys always were quick to tear a motor apart and soon after all that class racing they went to NMRA Drag radial.
Its all about getting the combination right. But my combination usually is Budget controlled