help me plan my eng build

[russ1979]

i'm trying to pick what parts i whant for my project and what path to take to reach my goals.
THE CAR: a 88 lx 5.0. it will have a tko 500, 5-speed. the eng is out of the car right now and i have sold the gt-40 heads and rpm2 intake to pay for the trans. that was missing when i bought the car. the short block has 150k miles on it and it prob needs a re-build

THE GOAL: a mid 12 sec. street car (street tires,and pump gas) that will act like a stock mustang till i punch the gas. i need it to pass the sniffer (e-test). however it will not be a daily driver just a fun weekend toy but i don't whant to have to be always be working on it.

THE POSSIBILLITYS:
A: buying a stock intake and heads as cheap as i can find them, taking the eng back to stock then throwing a turbo on it with a tuff as nails 306 short block. my major problem with this is i realy don't thant to lose the priceless sound of a 5.0 with a h-pipe and flowsmasters.

B:a 347 with good flowing h/c/i keeping the comp. down to add a supercharger later if i need it and or whant it later on.

C: keep the eng near stock and supercharge it

D: 306 with h/c/i

E: other

so what do you guys think? what would you pick? cash is a issue this is not on a un limited budget but i will spend cash where i need it. oh and no juice
been there done that.

 

[87foxstang]

I would definitely go with the H/C/I 347

 

[russ1979]

why

 

[Daggar]

There are at least a thousand different ways to reach those goals. Due to that, this thread is an opinion poll and not a technical issue.

--moved to talk section--

 

[russ1979]

fair enuff

 

[Daggar]

I posted this in another thread but thought you might wish to review they "why".

shopping thread

--moved to talk--


Friendly Note:

I've been seeing a lot of these kinds of threads lately and just wanted to remind folks about what the difference is between a Talk thread and Tech thread.

A Talk thread includes all of those things that ask for an opinion, are created for the purpose of shopping, or are just not technical in nature.

A tech thread is just that. A technical question or set of instructions for a fix, repair, modification, or proceedure.

So a talk thread might start out like, "What set of heads/blower/underglow kit/headlights etc. should I get for my 19xx Fox?" vs. a technical thread that would start out like, "How do I install this set of heads/blower/underglow kit/ headlights etc. on my 19xx Fox?" -- or -- "What modifications do I need to make to my car in order to install this set of heads/blower/underglow kit/headlights etc. on my 19xx Fox?"


See the difference?

Sorry to interrupt your thread.

 

[5spd GT]

THE GOAL: a mid 12 sec. street car (street tires,and pump gas) that will act like a stock mustang till i punch the gas. i need it to pass the sniffer (e-test). however it will not be a daily driver just a fun weekend toy but i don't whant to have to be always be working on it.

Very standard goals there and I like them.

THE POSSIBILLITYS:
A: buying a stock intake and heads as cheap as i can find them, taking the eng back to stock then throwing a turbo on it with a tuff as nails 306 short block. my major problem with this is i realy don't thant to lose the priceless sound of a 5.0 with a h-pipe and flowsmasters.

A turbo sounds very nice on a 5.0L. The 306 will only be as tough as the block you have it in. I am assuming stock. They are good to around 500 bhp and reliability and piece of mind start to fade away. A turbo is likely to be a bit more expensive than a standard supercharger kit, unless you can "engineer" a kit yourself.

B:a 347 with good flowing h/c/i keeping the comp. down to add a supercharger later if i need it and or whant it later on.

Sounds like a great idea, but again the block is going to be your weak point. I would NOT add a blower to the mix of a decent flowing 347. So I would give a suggestion for a N/A 347 that can easily put you at high 11's with some drag radials and good driving.

- 347 (5.315" rod/1.175" piston)
- AFR 185's
- Holley Systemax
- 30-36 lb injectors
- 70mm Accufab throttle body
- 80mm Pro-M MAF
- 1 3/4" headers with a decent collector length
- FTI custom cam (let him know you want to pass the "sniffer")

Easy "mid-12's" and more with that combination and it will be reliable.

C: keep the eng near stock and supercharge it

This is not a bad option but mid 12's will be a little harder to come-by without increasing the boost, to 10+ psi. Then you are working with a factory bottomend and stock headgaskets/bolts. You will want a good set of headgaskets, head studs, and a solid tune from a reputable shop.

D: 306 with h/c/i

This combination is done by many and can be done as well with some drag radials. In fact, I did it for my car (but emissions was not a concern). Here is what I would do personally.

- Bored .030" (306 cubic inch)
- AFR 165's or Trickflow Street or Track Heats
- Edelbrock Performer (lower ported to match)
- 70mm Accufab throttle body
- 80mm MAF from Pro-M
- 1 5/8" longtube headers, offroad H, and your choice of muffler.
- FTI custom cam (tell him about emissions concerns)

E: other

I think A-D options are some good ones to start with...

so what do you guys think? what would you pick? cash is a issue this is not on a un limited budget but i will spend cash where i need it. oh and no juice
been there done that.

I do not like nitrous either myself. Just an opinion of mine.

How much are you looking at spending, because much of the time, it cost 2x more than you would realize.

 

[russ1979]

this is going to be kinda a pay as i go kinda deal. i have a daily driver so this project does not have to be put togher fast.
but the cheaper it is thow the faster i get to have fun in it.

 

[NKau]

I'd think the 347 would be the easiest

 

[russ1979]

anybody elese?