How Much Power Does it Make

sneaky98gt

10 Year Member
Apr 23, 2008
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NC State University
Wassup guys. I've been around Stangnet for a while now, and 2 valve Mustangs even longer, but never the 5.0s. I've got a quick question about a 5.0.

My granddad has a Iris Metallic 94 5.0 5-speed vert. Off topic, but it was actually this car that first got me into Mustangs about 5 years ago. It's got: mild self-ported and polished stock heads, E303 cam, Cobra intake (or at least it says Cobra on top of it, and is definitely not the stock one), cold air intake, underdrive pulleys, long tube headers, offroad H, and Flows. Although they don't affect power, it also has a Steeda (I think) short throw shifter and 3.73s. He asked me the other day how much power I thought it made. (He bought the car with all this work done to it, and actually never asked how much power it made or if the previous owner even knew.) I had no idea. I figured you guys could help me out.

I don't know if it has been tuned. It drives and runs great, so I'm thinking that it most likely has had at least a little tuning. I've always heard that a mild HCI 5.0 with full bolt ons will make around 300 hp, but my granddad also has a stock 04 Mach 1, and honestly, I think the Mach would beat it. The 5.0 definitely has tons more torque, but the Mach pulls so much harder up top. And I've always read that the Machs make 275ish in stock form (his is an auto).

So, ballpark figure of the horsepower/torque? I'm thinking 250-260ish horsepower and maybe 315 torque.
 
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Id say your estimates are relatively close. Certainly no where near 300. I know everyone always says it so I will too, get it dynoed its about the only way you'll know.
 
Until the day I see someone line 2 dyno's up next to each other and "race" them, who the heck cares what kind of hp a dyno says. Every dyno is differant, and will give you differant numbers. The only way to tell the kind of power you are making is in your time slip from the track. (I'm not saying dyno's are useless, they provide a great way to tune a vehicle, but the numbers are just that numbers.)
 
Until the day I see someone line 2 dyno's up next to each other and "race" them, who the heck cares what kind of hp a dyno says. Every dyno is differant, and will give you differant numbers. The only way to tell the kind of power you are making is in your time slip from the track. (I'm not saying dyno's are useless, they provide a great way to tune a vehicle, but the numbers are just that numbers.)

I could not agree more. I'm in a drag racing club here at school and all those guys talk about are dyno numbers, and I'm the same way as you; I couldn't care less about how much power a dyno says you have. I regularly beat those guys and others that have a solid "100 hp" more than I do. I know that the true test of performance is the track, which is why I've made a couple hundred passes at the strip with my car, yet never put it on a dyno. But, this is a car that's owned by a 75 year old man that will NEVER see the strip, and he was just curious.

Really depends on how well...or poorly...the E7;s are ported.

I think it is probably a pretty decent job. The guy that did the work owns a pretty reputable machine shop, and has/has had quite a few Mustangs. He certainly knows his stuff, and if I ever were to take my car to a shop to get work done, he would be the one doing it. So I suspect that, at the least, it was a decent job.
 
Until the day I see someone line 2 dyno's up next to each other and "race" them, who the heck cares what kind of hp a dyno says. Every dyno is differant, and will give you differant numbers. The only way to tell the kind of power you are making is in your time slip from the track. (I'm not saying dyno's are useless, they provide a great way to tune a vehicle, but the numbers are just that numbers.)

I could not agree more. I'm in a drag racing club here at school and all those guys talk about are dyno numbers, and I'm the same way as you; I couldn't care less about how much power a dyno says you have. I regularly beat those guys and others that have a solid "100 hp" more than I do. I know that the true test of performance is the track, which is why I've made a couple hundred passes at the strip with my car, yet never put it on a dyno. But, this is a car that's owned by a 75 year old man that will NEVER see the strip, and he was just curious.



I think it is probably a pretty decent job. The guy that did the work owns a pretty reputable machine shop, and has/has had quite a few Mustangs. He certainly knows his stuff, and if I ever were to take my car to a shop to get work done, he would be the one doing it. So I suspect that, at the least, it was a decent job.

Crucify me for answering the question. The whole subject was bench racing and how much HP. Track times also DO NOT dictate HP right? I just answered the question, didnt say that was the end all.. Gese guys, widen your scope a wee bit :rolleyes:
 
Crucify me for answering the question. The whole subject was bench racing and how much HP. Track times also DO NOT dictate HP right? I just answered the question, didnt say that was the end all.. Gese guys, widen your scope a wee bit :rolleyes:

Oh no no. I wasn't talking to you or about you, just answering the post that questioned why I cared about how much power it makes. The numbers are actually what I'm looking for, lol.
 
Really depends on how well...or poorly...the E7;s are ported.

^ this.. I had a dude i was doing work for, swore up and down he had "race" ported e7's, well he cracked the block since his dumb-ass didnt put any antifreeze in and the guy had sanded the sides down with emory cloth, the stamp was still in the intake port.. im still laughing about that one, it had a e cam and cobra intake as well. it would only go 14.0 at 95mph..
 
I know some guys who's idea of "porting" is just running a dremel around randomly to "hog it out"

To be honest, when i was looking for an Explorer intake on CL, i came across a few that were "ported" in which i found out were done by the owner...i just stayed away.

In the OP's case, it sounds like the guy know what he was doing...but plenty of people out there don't and just go wild with a dremel or think gasket matching equals race porting.
 
For us people who don't know how to do it we search out guys like Mr. Moss :D. Shaolin Crane is pretty much on target with the #'s would be real suprised if they where higher. A dyno is a great source for base line #'s, not everyone tracks thier cars and a crappy driver can take a high hp car that can run 11's and have it run 12's or higher.
 
Usually that combo will get you 230-250. Doesn't sound like much but it's at least 40 over stock. Ecam is 25year old tech....and a mild grind at that and E7's are what they are, even ported they don't flow all that well. Cobra intake is a nice pc...looks great works ok. All together it's a mainstream common setup that's been done for litterally 20years now exactly as he has done it.
 
My granddad has a Iris Metallic 94 5.0 5-speed vert. It's got: mild self-ported and polished stock heads, E303 cam, Cobra intake (or at least it says Cobra on top of it, and is definitely not the stock one), cold air intake, underdrive pulleys, long tube headers, offroad H, and Flows.

I've always heard that a mild HCI 5.0 with full bolt ons will make around 300 hp.

So, ballpark figure of the horsepower/torque? I'm thinking 250-260ish horsepower and maybe 315 torque.

Those mods are pretty similar to mine. Depending on how good the head port job is (I consider mine as decent), your granddad's 5.0 could be making anywhere between 290-310 crank HP or 250-270rwhp. Torque estimated to be 350-360 crank or 300-310 at rear wheels.
 
Crucify me for answering the question. The whole subject was bench racing and how much HP. Track times also DO NOT dictate HP right? I just answered the question, didnt say that was the end all.. Gese guys, widen your scope a wee bit :rolleyes:

I would trust someone calculating HP more off of a cars weight and MPH at the track versus a dyno though, my personal expieriences with dynos is that they are way inconsistent, my car made 30 less HP two days after the original pulls and the only thing that changes was the dist. It was even strapped to the dyno the whole time.
 
I would trust someone calculating HP more off of a cars weight and MPH at the track versus a dyno though, my personal expieriences with dynos is that they are way inconsistent, my car made 30 less HP two days after the original pulls and the only thing that changes was the dist. It was even strapped to the dyno the whole time.

Variables of weather, traction and so many other variables affect that though. I have seen 12 seconds in a 600 HP car and 11 seconds in a mid 300's. Trap speeds help show what it should be capable of but throw in a good driver mod and your theory is out the window as well. They are both ball park figures really as far as HP goes.