ok guys i have 1k to spend on my motor... what all can i have done for that? prices and labor if i have to have it done.? so any tips would be nice
what can i have done to my 302 for 1000.00 bucks?
- Thread starter Damein17
- Start date
Depends on how mechanically savvy you are. If you are comfortable under the hood and your block/rotating assembly/pistons/etc are in good shape, then I'd look at some mild port work to your heads, a cam and a good aftermarket intake. If you have some cash left over, headers would be a good upgrade as well. It's all about airflow, hehe.
It all depends on what your goal for the car is. Is it going to be a mild street car? A race car you drive on the street? The biggest improvement you can make is a new set of heads. Tell us what condition the motor is in and what you have already done to it and what your goals are and im sure you will get some great answers. I ahve always gotten great answers here.
It's damn hard to say, and like mentioned above it depends on what your plans are.
If you plan on putting more money into the car later, I'd go with a set of aftermarket heads and then upgrade intake/exhaust as money permits.
If your going to dump a grand into it and then forget it, then I'd be more tempted to follow 69Pale's advice. But again, you've got to be pretty mechanically savvy.
If you plan on putting more money into the car later, I'd go with a set of aftermarket heads and then upgrade intake/exhaust as money permits.
If your going to dump a grand into it and then forget it, then I'd be more tempted to follow 69Pale's advice. But again, you've got to be pretty mechanically savvy.
GT40 heads used, intake, carb, cam, and headers. shop around and you could get all that for under $1000.
Shane
Shane
I'm a little confused... Are you looking at prices for getting rebuild stuff done, or do you currently have a good running 302 that doesn't need a rebuild? In either case, $1000 ain't gonna go too far if you're paying for professional labor too.
If you need a rebuild and you're going to pay the shop to do the work, $1000 will get you the bare basics... hot tank, cam bearings, cast pistons, bearings, gaskets, cam, basic valve job. No frills and not everything you would do it "right". Also, this is assuming you pull the motor and deliver it to the rebuild shop and do the re-install yourself. If you're planning on paying a shop to pull and re-install the motor, then $1000 might get you a cheap hone/re-ring/gasket job.
If you've got a $1000 to spend on adding some performance then you've got some options. Some folks will recommend starting with the basics if you haven't got them already... stuff like 4 barrel intake, carb, K&N air cleaner, ignition, headers and dual exhaust. Others would say invest in heads. I'm sorta torn. If you go with the basics first, you get the noticable benefits immediately. If you go with heads first, you get some improvement, but they'll only really benefit you when you add the intake, carb, headers, etc. The nice thing about doing heads first is that you can save up for the other stuff in steps.
Anyway, I think you could find a shop to do a used GT40 head swap for $1000. Or the same shop could probably do intake/carb/air cleaner, or headers and dual exhaust. Again, I'm assuming you're paying professional shop rates.
Now, if you're doing the labor yourself, then you'll save tons of money. If you don't want to, or can't, but want to save some cash, see if you can find a fellow enthusiast to work with or pay to do the work. Just a thought...
Hope this helps.
If you need a rebuild and you're going to pay the shop to do the work, $1000 will get you the bare basics... hot tank, cam bearings, cast pistons, bearings, gaskets, cam, basic valve job. No frills and not everything you would do it "right". Also, this is assuming you pull the motor and deliver it to the rebuild shop and do the re-install yourself. If you're planning on paying a shop to pull and re-install the motor, then $1000 might get you a cheap hone/re-ring/gasket job.
If you've got a $1000 to spend on adding some performance then you've got some options. Some folks will recommend starting with the basics if you haven't got them already... stuff like 4 barrel intake, carb, K&N air cleaner, ignition, headers and dual exhaust. Others would say invest in heads. I'm sorta torn. If you go with the basics first, you get the noticable benefits immediately. If you go with heads first, you get some improvement, but they'll only really benefit you when you add the intake, carb, headers, etc. The nice thing about doing heads first is that you can save up for the other stuff in steps.
Anyway, I think you could find a shop to do a used GT40 head swap for $1000. Or the same shop could probably do intake/carb/air cleaner, or headers and dual exhaust. Again, I'm assuming you're paying professional shop rates.
Now, if you're doing the labor yourself, then you'll save tons of money. If you don't want to, or can't, but want to save some cash, see if you can find a fellow enthusiast to work with or pay to do the work. Just a thought...
Hope this helps.
yeah sorry should have given a little more info. ok its an 88 gt HO 302. that is in pretty good shape. about 20k miles on it. and ill be pulling and installing the motor myself... so far i have done it 4 times why not once more. if you were follwing my bad virbation flywheel post you know why ive pulled it 4 times. the onlything the motor needs is a new oilpump becasue i used my old one from my old 302 that had 168k miles on it. other than that the motor is pretty sound. it already has a weiland intake 4bble. with a eddlebrock 600 cfm carb. other than that as far as i can remember thats about all it has done to it. and as far as what i want to do with the car. kind of a weekend street car would like to hit the mid 12s with it eventually. maybe lower. but right now i have around 1000 to 1200 to drop into it right now. ill be dropping some more money into it as money and time permits. but right now i would like to knwo what 1k would get me .i guess im decent under the hood and whati cant do im sure some one i work with could help with. so some or most of the work could be done myslef or by some one i work with for fairly cheap. i work at a mechanic shop for a ford dealer.well i hope this helps a little if not just let me know and ill try to go into more detail about the car.
i have alot of work to do to this car. i have some body work to do nothing major just need to buy a new hood fenders and i already have my lower rear 1/4 panels on order. hood should be ordered by the weekend.
oh some ome said stroke it. i saw a 331 / 347 stroker kot for 940 bucks looking around i cant remember the site but im slooking for it. if the strokeer route is what i went with not saying i am but if it were. what all would come with the stroker kit? and woudl i have to do anything extra to my block to make it wour?
i have alot of work to do to this car. i have some body work to do nothing major just need to buy a new hood fenders and i already have my lower rear 1/4 panels on order. hood should be ordered by the weekend.
oh some ome said stroke it. i saw a 331 / 347 stroker kot for 940 bucks looking around i cant remember the site but im slooking for it. if the strokeer route is what i went with not saying i am but if it were. what all would come with the stroker kit? and woudl i have to do anything extra to my block to make it wour?
I don't have much experience with stroker kits so correct me If I am wrong but they usually come with flat top pistons, a new crank, a ring set, bearings, and forged rods......there is no replacement for displacement. Once I get the money I will have a '68 302 block and stroke it out to a 347 and add a turbo...and if that doesn't get it to the 11's then maybe a small shot of nitrous. If I were you...I would either go with the heads or a stroker kit..both will show vast improvement in performance.
You already have a carb, intake and engine so I would just optimize that. Personally I would go for a good set of heads and a cam, that what makes all the power. Maybe a set of Twisted Wedge heads and a Comp Cams 274 hydraulic roller. Or a set of the AFR 165’s ($1300) and wait to get a cam. You will definitely need a set of headers and 2.5” exhaust for the engine to breath.
Come'on D. Hearne...can't you see that the guy already has a set of used heads? 88 GT Heads to be exact. 
69PaleHorse said:Come'on D. Hearne...can't you see that the guy already has a set of used heads? 88 GT Heads to be exact.
well the heads now have been completely torn apart hot tanked and are being put back together. so righ tnow have 0 miles on them since the hot tank
D.Hearne said:
I fear my lame attempt at humor has failed.
My apologies, I stand corrected - you did specify a 'nice' set of heads...though nice can sometimes be subjective.
Back on topic, considering that he does, in fact, have a set of used heads (and appears to have already dropped some time and money into them) maybe some decent port and valve work would help them flow better and you could save some coin for exhaust, headers, and a cam.
Just a thought.
Appology accepted, I took your previous statement the wrong way.69PaleHorse said:I fear my lame attempt at humor has failed.
My apologies, I stand corrected - you did specify a 'nice' set of heads...though nice can sometimes be subjective.
Back on topic, considering that he does, in fact, have a set of used heads (and appears to have already dropped some time and money into them) maybe some decent port and valve work would help them flow better and you could save some coin for exhaust, headers, and a cam.
Just a thought.
And I also agree with your port and valve work suggestion. But the valve work ( larger valves?) isn't always necessary. I did the set of E7's on my V8 Ranger's 5.0 a couple years ago and left the valves as is. Just opened up the exhaust ports on the sides and roof by at least 1/8 inch all around ( 1/4" in total width, side to side and 1/4 in the roof ) Removed the EGR bumps, and blended the passages into the bowls. The intake sides were left as is, pretty much just port matched and also cleaned up the bowls. These heads work great, with the F4TE high torque roller and 1.7 Cobra roller rockers, the motor pulls strong all the way to valve float at 5500 rpms. It would likely pull farther, with better lifters, but that would stress the stock rod bolts more than I'd like. 
