What It Cost Me To Not Put An Ls In My Fox.

Well I'm 90% done w/ the engine build. All that remains to be purchased is the pushrods, valve springs, and retainers. So I have a very accurate account of what it costs to "keep it all Ford" vs just dumping a 5300 LS truck engine in the thing.
I'll break it down for you:

1. JY core D8 250 C.I. rebuilder engine 200.00
1. Salvage bare D0 Australian Crossflow alloy head 275.00
1. Custom made exhaust manifold 150.00
1 Custom made F.I. intake manifold 440.00
6 3/32" replacement cylinder sleeves 180.00
1 Hardbloc "shortfill" kit 80.00
Machine work to freshen engine 550.00
1 Set (8)ARP waveloc SBF 5/16 rod bolts 70.00
1 Custom length set ARP head studs 100.00
1 Set ARP main studs 80.00
1 Custom made solid billet roller cam from Australia 750.00
6 sets Comp Extreme roller lifters w/ removable link bar 390.00
1 set Racetec Custom build 2618 alloy piston w/ pins, locks, and rings 890.00
1 Custom built Cometic tool steel core MLS head gasket 150.00
6 Scorpion BBC 1.880" SS exhaust valves ( used as intakes) 84.00
8 Compcams SBC 1.5" SS exhaust valves (cheaper to buy as set of 8) 74.00
1 set (16)Compcams BBF 1.73 roller rocker (only needed 12) 169.97
1 set (16) Crane pedestal conversion kit for BBF/Cleveland 139.97
1 70mm Summit brand throttle body 139.97
6 60 lb EV1 style fuel injectors 224.00
1 Standard volume Melling oil pump 70.00
1 Stock replacement timing chain (all I can get) 50.00
1 labor charge to balance rotating assy 250.00
1 Pioneer SFI rated zero balance SBF harmonic balancer 160.00
1 Auto Specialties 25% underdrive crank pulley 50.00
1 Set Clevite rod/main beraings -010 80.00
1 misc charge for doo dads 100.00


The shocking bottom line 5896.91

Six grand..........(To tell the truth, I just shocked myself). That doesn't include the accessories , or the 4 speed auto trans that the JY engine would've had on it (which I've also already bought, but didn't add to the above total)

Ohh well,....Say "La vee"
Now alot of you are gonna start throwing crate engines that I coulda had for the amount spent on my lowly inline six banger and just for the record,....I get it.
It was about being different (as it always is for me). When originally planning the build, I had set aside 3000.00 as the budget for the entire drivetrain, as that was what I coulda bought an 80k 5300 w/ a 4L60e attached. (Guess I blew that dude clear outta the water)

I didn't want a windsor anything in this car so even if I had the entire lump sum at that time, I seriously doubt I woulda clicked the "buy it now" button. Then again who knows? I do know that the six cylinder I've invested in should make 300/350RWHP on 10-12 lbs of boost. I consider this to be the reliable DD tune. At the same time, that boost should yield a little over 500 ft lbs of RWTQ due to the 4" stroke that the engine has.
Using what other combos are making, Full kill boost for the engine will be in the 16-18 PSI range and should be somewhere around 500RWHP/600 RWTQ, but that'll be YTBD. The difference between the six, and a stock block 5 OH I coulda bought stops here,....My 6 will live at those numbers.
Now the comparable combos out there aren't using a roller cam, or my head, aren't port injected, and he's using a smaller turbo,....so maybe I'm conservative in my figures,....no matter.
Below is a dyno example, look where the torque comes in at.
( sorry, the link strings the info like this, I didn't)
Dyno Run
Dyno #1A
Date
April 2007
Location
Arizona
Owner
Does10
Vehicle
63 Falcon
Weight
D-2835 lbs
Cubic Inch
250ci
Camshaft
274-110 H
Max RWHP
423 @ 4500
Head Type
Aluminum
Rocker Ratio
1.65 F/R adj.
Max RWTQ
502 @ 2650
Valve Size
1.80/1.55
Ignition
DSII/MSD
Best 60"
Unknown
C/Ratio
8.1:1
Header/Exh
6-1 Turbo 3"
Best ET
10.86
Manifold
4V CI Alloy
Transmission
C4 Auto
Best MPH
124.47
Carb/CFM
Holley 450
Rear Gears
3.50/9"
Mileage
Unknown
Boost
Turbo 16 lbs
Rear Tires
Drag Radials
Driveability
Good
Comments
Fuel is a mix of race octane and E85. With the new aluminum head, alloy intake manifold, and the Holley 4V carb, the Falcon now runs consistently in the low 11's, with a best time of 10.95 @ 125 mph. The Falcon has made appearances in CarCraft, Hot Rod, Mustangs and Fords, Modified Mustangs and Fords, with the latest being in the August issue of Fun Ford Weekend. More info....


Like I'll be able to drive the car on street tires that'll ever realize 500 ftlbs of RWTQ.

RangerJoe said:

Mike, I think it's an awesome build. I rather see this than another ole LS.

Joe

Click to expand...

Well that's a good thing Joe, cause I'm in this thing hip deep.

84Ttop said:

I sometimes question how big the rock that you hit your head on was..... That being said you never cease to amaze me, keep up the incredible work!!!

Click to expand...

It wasn't a rock that I hit my head on, it was a rock that hit me on the head. Lets just get that out of the way right now.
Thanks though, We'll just have to wait to see how this thing turns out.

rbohm said:

so you decided to stay with a 250 inline six, use a lot of custom parts, and then expected an economical build? well it does fit with the inline six mentality we both share.

Click to expand...

Yeah,....I think maybe it was you that questioned my plans when I stated at the start that the dollar budget for THE ENTIRE car was 6 grand.
I think the total dollars spent on the whole car has just passed the 10k mark, (and that is since October)...there is still interior, electrical, car audio, and body and paint. (I'll be doing that myself though) What's the total guess?.........15k?

elarm1 said:

I am so anxious on the final end result but seeing it come alive is interesting in its own right! Keep the build goin!

Click to expand...

The best chance for completion is end of this year,.....a 12 month build.

A5literMan said:

I am enthralled with this build because I know nothing about straight 6's. Its entirely unique,interesting,innovative and now I'm done kissing your ***. Get that thing running!!

Click to expand...

That's OK, I knew nothing about a straight 6 either,... (other than they came straight out of the engine compartment, and straight into the dumpster)

Mintsick said:

Still going to be very cool in the end...after all it is just money...

Click to expand...

It'll be the top end that will be the "money shot" for me. My goofy assed exhaust header holding the turbo high and mighty on the left; A fabricated aluminum valve cover in the center; And a custom intake w/ some of the coolest fuel injector bungs anybody here has ever seen.(cost me 40.00 ea.)on the right as you look at it.

srtthis said:

you forgot to add the price of your dignity to the price of the LS swap... i think your still ahread

Click to expand...

In the end, it was important that I stayed true to the brand, because I like attending the ford specific events like MW in Mrytle Beach, and The NMRA events in Bowling Green and ATL. The only venue that woulda accepted the car w/ an LS would've been the HR Power tour,...and that's just too much driving for me to have to turn around and go back home by the time the thing gets to it's final stop.

mikestang63 said:

I goto to find one of those mad mike money trees in my back yard... lol

Click to expand...

rbohm said:

i tried growing one here , but they only seem to grown in his yard.

Click to expand...

That's because you guys are missing one key ingredient:

Sweat.

There is no money tree. And I damn sure wouldn't be building any car if a paycheck from Carmax was my sole income.
I'm fortunate that I can do what I do, (up until the requisite, and inevitable knee surgery) and the economy seems to have free'd up a little "discretionary income" from the people who are my customers.

I sell, and install Home theaters, residential multi-room audio systems, and (lately) residential CCTV systems. Sometimes I can make more in three days than I would in an entire month at Carmax, ( and lately,there's been quite a few of those)
so as long as the demand is there, I'm doing my best to meet it.

rdharper02 said:

No worries, you're doing something different than the run of the mill. It will always cost more and will always take people who understand the search for something else. Its a Fairmont with a turbocharged straight six. I've seen.....well, none of them. Lots of shows, lots of strips.....none. Keep on it man, its going to be something worthy of recognition. Now if you decide to build a bracket racer afterward....than do the LS, but I don't see that as being your style.

I buy my cigars from....uh...Dominican Republic....you buy your parts from Australia. Does that mean we need to stick our pinky out while drinking a cold adult beverage

Click to expand...

?

Click to expand...

If there was any other way RD, I wouldn't be buyin' stuff from Australia. I contacted Crane about building a custom roller for the motor, and they said they could, as long as I didn't mind paying 1100.00 to get the job done. For the record, THAT is almost 2.5 times what the Australian cam is gonna cost me. On the same day, the Ass wipe @ Competition Cams tried to shut me down w/ a $7-10,000.00 quote. I'm sure that both of them made a cam for a 250 at some time in the past, so how hard would it really have been for somebody in that business to do what Tigue has done?

P.S. I do stick my pinky out while drinking a cold adult beverage.

P.S.+ P.S It won't be a Fairmont, and it wont be a Gila Monster for much longer.
.