Putting a SBC in a Fox...

NEEDA5.0

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Aug 10, 2004

#1

• Aug 10, 2004

• #1

Does anyone make a conversion kit to allow a Small Block Chevy to work with a Fox? Save the Ford vs. Chevy comments. I'm just curious of the feasability of the swap. Anyone do this? Would it just be a matter of swapping motor mounts? Would a big block fit? How about the 502?

 

MrKwik

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Jan 29, 2000

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Aug 10, 2004

#2

• Aug 10, 2004

• #2

One of the guys I work with had I believe an 83 with a small block chevy and a TH350 in it. He basically built solid mounts out of square tubing and welded them to the crossmember. The whole thing was pretty ghetto but it did fit. Not sure what he did for headers and whatnot. I must admit that I thought about trying to fit my BBC into my 93 convertible but I just cant bring myself to do it.

 

MrKwik

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Aug 10, 2004

#3

• Aug 10, 2004

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Ok, I went and talked to the guy that did the swap and got the skinny on it. He doesnt remember for sure what year it was but he thinks it was a 79-81 and it was a 4cyl car.

He used moroso solid upper and lower mounts like they use on circle track cars. He thinks you could probably use the early 70's style stock mounts if you had the frame towers too. The chevy mounts are several inches farther forward than the ford mounts so he used pieces of 3/8" plate steel and welded them to the crossmember and then welded the mounts to that. He made a trans mount out of 2" square and thinks that he just used another piece of plate to make it like up with the factory crossmember.

He claims that he had no clearance issues with the HEI or mechanical fuel pump but he did have to run the fuel line to the other side and replace the rag joint with a circle track type universal joint to clear the exhaust manifolds. He says that he couldnt get headers to fit but the 70's style stock manifolds fit fine. He used a generic circle track aluminum radiator and an electric fan. The driveshaft had to be welded up special and rebalanced with a ford yoke on the end of the chevy shaft of correct length. He used a regular chevy car oil pan and said it fit fine.

He says that the actual swap looked great and the stock hood even fit fine and the only thing ghetto was the wiring because he had it all butt connected to extend wires and stuff. Thinking back I think that was what I remember looking like ****. He did say that he was even able to make the factory guages work by installing the original senders in the chevy engine.

He says that him and another guy did the entire swap in a day, and knowing this dude I would say thats probably the truth. I would probably spend a bit more time on it though.

 

dvs bullet

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Feb 20, 2004

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Aug 10, 2004

#4

• Aug 10, 2004

• #4

I know that you didn't want these comments but why would you want to do something like that ?

 

S

sjrtx

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Mar 21, 2004

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Houston-NW side

Aug 10, 2004

#5

• Aug 10, 2004

• #5

i know a guy that did it back in my hometown. pulled a 406 from my buddies car, and put it in his fox, and ran 10.10's

i dont remember him going into detail, but i dont think it was a huge deal.

 

T

tjm73

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Aug 3, 2000

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Aug 10, 2004

#6

• Aug 10, 2004

• #6

One of my friends has SBC in a 79 hatchback. So it can definitly be done. It's been in storage for over year and I have ever seen it, but other friends of mine have seen it. Short answer yes it's feasible. As for the 502? Don't know for sure, but it's probably feasable too.

 

3

351 82GT

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#7

• Aug 10, 2004

• #7

dvs bullet said:

I know that you didn't want these comments but why would you want to do something like that ?

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Simple....Chevy engines are a lot cheaper to build than Fords and more parts are interchangable.

BTW, you are going to have to hack into the ignition and charging system wiring to get the GM systems to work.
The stock tranny crossmember will work if you're willing to modify it a bit.

 

T

tjm73

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#8

• Aug 10, 2004

• #8

351 82GT said:

....Chevy engines are a lot cheaper to build than Fords and more parts are interchangable.

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Not so true anymore. Small block Fords are getting down right cheap to build. And 302 Fords tend to make damn near the same power as a 350 Chevy with similar parts. Sure you might save a couple hundred building the engine, but you'll spend at least a couple hundred more getting the SBC engine and tranny into the car than a comprable SB Ford. Some thing to think about.

 

MAC'n89Blckstng

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Jun 11, 2003

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NJ

Aug 10, 2004

#9

• Aug 10, 2004

• #9

Putting a Chevy motor into a fox is a disgrace. Ford in a Ford, Chevy in a Chevy. Keep it that way. Blah!

 

88stangmangt

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Nov 25, 2003

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Stafford,VA

Aug 10, 2004

#10

• Aug 10, 2004

• #10

MAC'n89Blckstng said:

Putting a Chevy motor into a fox is a disgrace. Ford in a Ford, Chevy in a Chevy. Keep it that way. Blah!

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here here everyone knows chevy's motors suck @$$$ that is why stock for stock the 305's cant even keep up with the 302's and with a little mods the 302 can run a ls1...........................simply ford knows there $hit.

 

J

Js5ohLX

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Apr 5, 2004

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Aug 10, 2004

#11

• Aug 10, 2004

• #11

MAC'n89Blckstng said:

Putting a Chevy motor into a fox is a disgrace. Ford in a Ford, Chevy in a Chevy. Keep it that way. Blah!

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First off, he politely asked to keep the comments to yourself. Secondly, maybe he is a chevy guy and likes the fox body, it's his car, let him do what he wants.

Now, I've got a friend with a 86 that was a 4 cyl, he welded plates for the motor mounts (ghetto) and rigged up a trans mount. Used truck exhaust manifolds, and has duels out the back. With a half ass rebuilt 350 with stock truck heads and a shift kit, he bangs out 12.3 all day long. Including buying the car, he has about $1000 into it. It drives me nuts that it's that fast.

 

3

351 82GT

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#12

• Aug 10, 2004

• #12

tjm73 said:

Not so true anymore. Small block Fords are getting down right cheap to build. And 302 Fords tend to make damn near the same power as a 350 Chevy with similar parts. Sure you might save a couple hundred building the engine, but you'll spend at least a couple hundred more getting the SBC engine and tranny into the car than a comprable SB Ford. Some thing to think about.

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I'm not so sure about that either. Look in a Summit racing catalog and notice the price difference between Ford & Chevy rebuild kits.
As fas as spending "hundreds" on the conversion, that's no so true either.
That depends on how skillful you are with tools and ability to fabricate parts.
If you just run out an buy all the conversion kits to to the swap, then yeah, you are going to pay hundreds. If you or someone you know can fabricate their own parts then it's not that hard or costly as you might think.
For someone that's only a "weekend mechanic", I wouldn't recommend a swap like this unless you had a good shop & tools to work with and the ability to fabricate parts as you need them, which is key for a swap like this.
Otherwise, I would say just build a 351w and stick in it, which wouldn't be as complicated.

 

N

NOS/86

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Sep 2, 2002

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EAST RIDGE ,TN

Aug 10, 2004

#13

• Aug 10, 2004

• #13

i'm a ford man ....

but i have helped do this swap more than a few times ... all you have too do is make spacers for your mounts . (square tube works great )(i like to use a motor plate ) stock trans crossmember work too. headers ...look for any year camaro header .. ! they all work . (you have to dent the firewall at the transmion tunnel ) just a little . wiring is very easy ! use a 1 wire alternater . driveshaft , you can use the stock driveshaft . just put a chevy yoke on it . radiator you can use a after market one or i have seen people use one from a nova .

this swap is very ,very easy ...

there has been a lot of people around my area doing this swap because a mustang is cheap and works very well at the drag strip . (also with a chevy motor they are very light !

putting big blocks in is just as easy . just add 1/2 in to 3/4 in spacers between the body and k-member .

also it is a lot easier if you put a tubelar k member in the car .

i hope this helps you some ...

and as i said i'm a ford man , and i beleive in ford /ford , chevy/chevy !

 

408stroker5.0

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Mar 10, 2004

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Aug 10, 2004

#14

• Aug 10, 2004

• #14

Simply Put......

 

NEEDA5.0

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Aug 12, 2004

#15

• Aug 12, 2004

• #15

Thanks for all the great info guys!

 

C

confusion

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Jan 25, 2006

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#16

• Mar 7, 2006

• #16

bump for some great cars.

 

lxwants12's

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Sep 22, 2004

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Mar 7, 2006

#17

• Mar 7, 2006

• #17

Ok CHECYS STILL SUCK

 

C

confusion

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Mar 7, 2006

#18

• Mar 7, 2006

• #18

lxwants12's said:

Ok CHECYS STILL SUCK

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goto school much?

 

lxwants12's

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Sep 22, 2004

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Mar 7, 2006

#19

• Mar 7, 2006

• #19

thats funny.....i make more money a month then you do in 6 so lets not get started on that area....of school.....
get your lameness off the site and go to a chevy site they might help you out a little more and tell you where to really put that small block cause it doesnt belong in a great car like the mustang it belongs to a car that is still discontinued....for some strange reason

 

5LugFoxFanatic

LOVE AND PEACE!

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Arctic Tundra Hell, Twin Cites, Minnesota, USA

Mar 7, 2006

#20

• Mar 7, 2006

• #20

Impossibility is only underfunded. I have seen foxes with 460’s in them, so I would think a 454 or even a 502 would fit. If you have enough money, I’ll bet you could fit a Ferrari F40 motor in a fox.