lx and gt...

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rebel65

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Feb 1, 2004

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SF Bay Area

Mar 16, 2004

#1

• Mar 16, 2004

• #1

hey, i feel really ignorant right now but i know almost nothing about the 79-93 mustangs, and im planning on giving one a 351w heart transplant. Anyway i'm looking at them while i bring together cash and build the engine and im trying to figure a few things out...i have no idea what to look for, originally i was going to find a cheap 89 GT, i have seen LX's with 4 cyl and 5.0's when im searching for cars what should i look for? should i just keep looking for GT's? thnx . +is there anyone else who has done this?

 

Ray III

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Feb 10, 2004

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fixin Boomhower's John Deere in Troy, NY

Mar 16, 2004

#2

• Mar 16, 2004

• #2

GT is pretty much just a better trim level than LX along with a couple extra features, but for some reason it's 300 or so pounds heavier... For a drag car you are better off starting out with the LX as they have the fastest 1/4 mile times to begin with due to the weight difference.

If you're going to get an LX and swap in a 351, get a 4 cylinder. You will need to do a few upgrades like springs, spindles, and rearend to match what the LX 5.0 offers (besides a low oil light on the tach and possibly other minor differences), but they are pretty much the same car. Except you can get a 4 banger in good condition for $1,000-1,500.

I'm talking about the 87-93 cars here... don't know very much about the older ones.

 

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Matts89LX5.0

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Nov 1, 2002

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Long Island, NY

Mar 16, 2004

#3

• Mar 16, 2004

• #3

get a mustang that has a blown 5.0 motor in it and just swap in the 351

 

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ka0tyk

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Oct 10, 2001

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Los Angeles, CA

Mar 16, 2004

#4

• Mar 16, 2004

• #4

if you want the "best" platform to build off of get a 4 cyl notch. the notch is the lightest and strongest of the mustangs and since you'll prolly upgrade everything on it anyways, you can save money by getting a 4 cyl...

i have a 4 cyl and so far everything has been replaced with something better, just waiting for the 347 stroker...

 

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rebel65

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Feb 1, 2004

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SF Bay Area

Mar 16, 2004

#5

• Mar 16, 2004

• #5

my plans were to upgrade suspention, and most likely the entire drivetrain my estimate is that i will have about 6,000 dollars to spend on this car so we shall see what gets upgraded heh. im guessing if i am going with a 4cyl i should go carb for the sheer convenience and cost effectiveness. this will not be a strip car...a street car that needs to be able to school some kids. i am planning a hydrollic roller and i was thinking that EFI would be a better street application? thoughs? and thanks a lot for the input.

 

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Ned

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Apr 30, 2003

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s'land

Mar 16, 2004

#6

• Mar 16, 2004

• #6

I agree, get a 4 banger notch dont even bother with a GT, since you will be changing the engine anyways. might as well save a bit of $$ and put it into your project.

 

bmorrisj

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Sep 26, 2003

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Buena Park, CA

Mar 17, 2004

#7

• Mar 17, 2004

• #7

and if you get the 4cyl car you'll have the VIN # of a low performace 4 cylinder vehicle on your car insurance....

 

65ShelbyClone

Founding Member

Sep 9, 2000

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119

Antelope Valley, SoCal

Mar 17, 2004

#8

• Mar 17, 2004

• #8

rebel65 said:

this will not be a strip car...a street car that needs to be able to school some kids. i am planning a hydrollic roller and i was thinking that EFI would be a better street application? thoughs? and thanks a lot for the input.

Click to expand...

EFI or carb wont make a huge difference, but you're in CA, so you have a whole pile of smog laws that will limit what you can do to the car. The only way you can use a carbed 351W is if you got a real old Fox body and found a 351W out of a carbed LTD or other passenger car(not truck) of the same year or newer. For smog simplicity, you should start with a 5.0 LX if you can. That way you wont have to take the car to a state smog referee to get it looked over with a fine-tooth comb to make sure the V8 swap is 100% stock or at least 50 state legal. A 351W looks surprisingly similar to a 302 when its in the engine bay.

 

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FoxChasis

20+ Year Stangneter

Dec 23, 2003

589

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Mar 17, 2004

#9

• Mar 17, 2004

• #9

Who here just changes the engine and transmission in a 4cylinder car and leaves everything else as is? You mean to tell me you're going to leave the 7.5" rear in there behind a 351W? Hope you have AAA. How about the 10" front brakes? Small sway bar up front and none in the rear? Lighter duty springs all around?

Get a 5.0L car and put the 351W in there. Save the four cylinder conversion for strip only cars.

 

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rebel65

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Feb 1, 2004

363

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SF Bay Area

Mar 17, 2004

#10

• Mar 17, 2004

• #10

well the answer is that i wouldnt...anyway i was thinking more along the lines of a LX notch or hatch 5.0 because i am thinking of going EFI so i can play with the computer to get smoged... something that sounds like a gift from god...someone told me i can do this if i get an expensive programming gizmo, does it work like that? can i play with the computer to make it pass smog then re-program to make the car come alive? if i can then it's EFI for me...and if i get a 5.0 LX are there still things i should upgrade? the rearend will be a tracklock ( or the like ) 8.8? thanks for the help btw u have been most generous.

 

Ray III

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Feb 10, 2004

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fixin Boomhower's John Deere in Troy, NY

Mar 17, 2004

#11

• Mar 17, 2004

• #11

FoxChasis said:

Who here just changes the engine and transmission in a 4cylinder car and leaves everything else as is? You mean to tell me you're going to leave the 7.5" rear in there behind a 351W? Hope you have AAA. How about the 10" front brakes? Small sway bar up front and none in the rear? Lighter duty springs all around?

Get a 5.0L car and put the 351W in there. Save the four cylinder conversion for strip only cars.

Click to expand...

If you're going to spend more than $2,000 to change the front brakes, rearend, and suspension, maybe you shouldn't be doing any 351 conversion to begin with...

Personally I'm going to get a GT and put a 351 in it, but only because I like the GT model and I want to have an "official" factory V8 car.

 

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rebel65

Member

Feb 1, 2004

363

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SF Bay Area

Mar 17, 2004

#12

• Mar 17, 2004

• #12

Ray III said:

If you're going to spend more than $2,000 to change the front brakes, rearend, and suspension, maybe you shouldn't be doing any 351 conversion to begin with...

Personally I'm going to get a GT and put a 351 in it, but only because I like the GT model and I want to have an "official" factory V8 car.

Click to expand...

do u mean if you are not going to? i like the GT's more personally i think they have a nice design, and would be a better starting block for putting a 351 in, but the fact is that GT's cost more than LX's and this is Cali, cars cost more ...