My plans for a 351 swap

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

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Mar 25, 2013

#1

• Mar 25, 2013

• #1

Hello everybody, been a long time since I posted in here. I sold my 89gt for 5 grand to put a down payment on an STI. Regret selling the fox every day, but not buying the STI(loads of fun, but that's another story). Anyways a few years ago I had a 94 gt convertible and bought a 351 Windsor from a 90s f250. Seeing as how I was working fast food at the time I quickly got in over my head and sold the car without really doing anything to it. Now that I have a good job I bought the 89 fox, loaded everything I can think of short of forced induction and sold it. I have the 351 just sitting in my yard wrapped up. I don't want it to go to waste so now I am planning on putting it in something. My plans are to buy all the parts I need for the swap including H/C/I then once I get them all ready I'll rebuild the 351 with all new forged internals and drop it in a fox I will buy later.
I will research what I can about the swap, but I do have a few questions:
1: carb or efi? I would assume its probably best to go with whatever the car I buy already has right?
2: What head/cam/intake do you guys like?
I plan on having this car on the road by the end of the year at the latest. Thanks guys

 

88LX5.Oh

15 Year Member

Dec 30, 2011

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Mar 25, 2013

#2

• Mar 25, 2013

• #2

Why all forged internals?
They're a waste if you're not going forced induction or nitrous.

Also, what's the plans for the vehicle? Drag car or just a fun street car?

 

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

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Mar 25, 2013

#3

• Mar 25, 2013

• #3

Good point on the internals I hadn't thought about that lol. Saved me a wad of cash. And plans for the car are just a weekend warrior pretty much. I want it to be respectable at the strip but still be able to drive it to and from work every now and then. It'd be cool if it could lift its front wheels off the ground but not necessary

 

madspeed

Colonel Mustard

Founding Member

Nov 29, 1999

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a van down by the river

Mar 25, 2013

#4

• Mar 25, 2013

• #4

you know he will want more once he gets used to the 351. Might as well go forged, that way when you add boost later, you are good to go!

 

84Ttop

They make new pistons every day, so why worry?

5 Year Member

Jul 2, 2009

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Mar 25, 2013

#5

• Mar 25, 2013

• #5

My 2 cents...

Buy the car first!

 

Reactions: madspeed

madspeed

Colonel Mustard

Founding Member

Nov 29, 1999

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a van down by the river

Mar 25, 2013

#6

• Mar 25, 2013

• #6

yeah i second that

 

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

143

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Mar 25, 2013

#7

• Mar 25, 2013

• #7

Well I have a tendency to just kind of wander away from a build. My autocross Honda (don't laugh it handles really well...thats it) has had about 5 different plans for it before I pulled the trigger. So my plan for this build is to buy the heads(something expensive so I don't bitch out) then the car then the rest of it. And I don't really like forced induction on a mustang for some reason I won't be going that direction

 

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

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Mar 26, 2013

#8

• Mar 26, 2013

• #8

An opportunity came up for me to buy a 93 convertible cobra clone from a friend at work. Any issues with a 351 in a convertible? I would like to take it to the drag strip but the closest strip is 100 miles away in Edinburgh, that's just a stones throw in Texas but they only have public runs on Wednesday nights so this car will be mostly for street fun. Can you guys think of any issues with a convertible top?

 

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp

10 Year Member

Sep 1, 2010

7,387

2,745

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Kearney, NE

Mar 27, 2013

#9

• Mar 27, 2013

• #9

One issue is no top means less unibody support. Getting subframe connectors is a real must. Ask if they fit a convert. before you buy since Ford had some bracing from the factory.

 

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

143

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Mar 28, 2013

#10

• Mar 28, 2013

• #10

Okay, update time. I spoke to the machine shop that did my last motor. The guy told me if I want to stroke it, he would do all the work, assemble the engine with any aftermarket parts I want, put a timing chain and put anything else I bring him on it for $2000 including the price of the stroker kit. This seems like a good deal to me, now my decision has to be: 383, 393, or 408. Are there any upsides and downsides with any of these kits?
Also, a friend of mine is going to sell me his B303 cam that he bought for his build that never came to fruition. So now I have the cam and swap headers. Going go look at the car Saturday, I'll be sure to take pics

 

f8tlfiveo

My wife likes my spool and blow-off valve.

Aug 8, 2007

1,585

102

64

Lancaster, PA

Mar 28, 2013

#11

• Mar 28, 2013

• #11

I will be buying maximum motorsports frame connectors for my convertible. They look to be a very nice product, and come with a nice set of instructions

 

Sharad

ALWAYS choose the V over the P!!! Wait... what?

Jan 5, 2011

1,562

480

94

Fort Myers, Florida

Mar 28, 2013

#12

• Mar 28, 2013

• #12

ThatBear said:

Hello everybody, been a long time since I posted in here. I sold my 89gt for 5 grand to put a down payment on an STI. Regret selling the fox every day, but not buying the STI(loads of fun, but that's another story). Anyways a few years ago I had a 94 gt convertible and bought a 351 Windsor from a 90s f250. Seeing as how I was working fast food at the time I quickly got in over my head and sold the car without really doing anything to it. Now that I have a good job I bought the 89 fox, loaded everything I can think of short of forced induction and sold it. I have the 351 just sitting in my yard wrapped up. I don't want it to go to waste so now I am planning on putting it in something. My plans are to buy all the parts I need for the swap including H/C/I then once I get them all ready I'll rebuild the 351 with all new forged internals and drop it in a fox I will buy later.
I will research what I can about the swap, but I do have a few questions:
1: carb or efi? I would assume its probably best to go with whatever the car I buy already has right?
2: What head/cam/intake do you guys like?
I plan on having this car on the road by the end of the year at the latest. Thanks guys

Click to expand...

Depends on your budget.

I'm running Trick Flow Heads & Intake and a Holley EFI system on my 351-swapped Fox. The car is silly fast.

 

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

143

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Mar 28, 2013

#13

• Mar 28, 2013

• #13

My budget is limitless. Not saying I am loaded with cash because I'm not. I'm just going to piece the build together as I can. I have no problem saving money up, which is weird to say about a 21 year old. I get paid every week and depending on what week it is I usually have 500-1200 left over from my check after bills and such. And Sharad describe "silly fast" lol

 

84Ttop

They make new pistons every day, so why worry?

5 Year Member

Jul 2, 2009

5,222

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Mar 28, 2013

#14

• Mar 28, 2013

• #14

ThatBear said:

My budget is limitless. Not saying I am loaded with cash because I'm not. I'm just going to piece the build together as I can. I have no problem saving money up, which is weird to say about a 21 year old. I get paid every week and depending on what week it is I usually have 500-1200 left over from my check after bills and such. And Sharad describe "silly fast" lol

Click to expand...

I can attest to Sharad being silly fast, bunch of killers on this board...

 

Reactions: Sharad

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

143

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Mar 28, 2013

#15

• Mar 28, 2013

• #15

84Ttop said:

I can attest to Sharad being silly fast, bunch of killers on this board...

Click to expand...

I'm not saying it isn't fast lol I'm more than sure it is. Everybody here has VERY nice cars, that's why I love this forum.
On a seperate note, for heads I'm think 205cc AFR. Anybody have experience with them?

 

84Ttop

They make new pistons every day, so why worry?

5 Year Member

Jul 2, 2009

5,222

3,254

204

South Jersey

Mar 28, 2013

#16

• Mar 28, 2013

• #16

A lot of guys have had great success with AFR heads, but if you really want a nice product look into the trick flow line. They have a 205 cnc head that in my opinion will run circles around the AFR.

 

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

143

30

38

Mar 28, 2013

#17

• Mar 28, 2013

• #17

I had a trickflow cam in my last one and I loved it. I'll look into trickflow heads and mate them with a trickflow cam....makes sense to me.

 

88LX5.Oh

15 Year Member

Dec 30, 2011

1,442

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Mar 28, 2013

#18

• Mar 28, 2013

• #18

Those 205 TF heads are bad ass. But also very expensive. Like 2k for the pair. Or at least the ones my dad was looking into for his drag car were 2k

 

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

143

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38

Mar 28, 2013

#19

• Mar 28, 2013

• #19

88LX5.Oh said:

Those 205 TF heads are bad ass. But also very expensive. Like 2k for the pair. Or at least the ones my dad was looking into for his drag car were 2k

Click to expand...

Ouch lol. The car I'm looking at is only $2500 lol but hey, you gotta pay to play right?

 

Reactions: 88LX5.Oh

88LX5.Oh

15 Year Member

Dec 30, 2011

1,442

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Mar 28, 2013

#20

• Mar 28, 2013

• #20

ThatBear said:

Ouch lol. The car I'm looking at is only $2500 lol but hey, you gotta pay to play right?

Click to expand...

Damn right you do.

 

Reactions: ThatBear