Where to start with upgrading my Mustangs engine?

Welcome and nice car. I don't have anything to add to your new build plan really, but I just wanted to point out that you keep using words like "performance" and "fuel economy" in the same breath and the two just do not go hand in hand, sorry. Even tuned down, these V8's just are not designed for that purpose. My 302 has only been upgraded with the standard performance goodies and not rebuilt since it is a low mile car, but even with just the CAM, 4V carb, intake, headers and dual exhaust I probably average like 8 to 10 miles per gallon in the city. That's with the stock 2:79 gears still too and a manual 3spd. I plan on going to at least 3:25 on the gears this summer to make it feel more like it runs and since you have decided to do the smart thing and wait it out so you can do it once and do it right, I would suggest that you consider higher gears maybe since they won't be wasted when the engine gets upgraded, and for now, take a lesson from nature. Buy some cheap $40 glasspaks in place of the mufflers, and your car will sound so freakin loud that most will be afraid to race you. I never could understand why, but people often equate sound with power, lol. Like the tiny animals that have loud growls or stinky smells as a deterent to avoid a fight. Lol.

Good luck!

The intake and carb you have are alright. Get the above Pertronix ignition kit (60 bucks), headers (100), full exhaust (~250), shift kit for the tranny (30), K&N filter (40), bump up timing as hearne suggested and you will definitely be beating sunfire GTs.

Here was my setup for a 302 that put out 275 HP to the rear wheels with no tuning and a small carb:
600 Holley $200
Edelbrock RPM manifold $100
Cam kit: 230/235 duration .510/.515 lift $250
GT-40 heads $400
Roller rockers $150
Headers/duals $400
Petronix ignition $400

$1900

You may want to forget about the heads for the time being, or save up for a set of good heads like AFR 165's, Twisted Wedge's, Edelbrock's, canfield's, etc. Look for used heads also, just remember that you will probably have to upgrade or replace a lot of the hardware. You can't have a 'Stang and get beat by Sunfires, that's unacceptable

in my 65 stang i have a hurst 4 spd, mated with the 289, holley street deamon carb, edelbrock intake, and full exaust done. what rear end gear would be best for my set up. The car is taken out on the weekends durring the summer, and is not a daily driver. i need gears that can handle highway driving once in a while. im very familiar with sn95 stang rearend stuff, just not the classics. what gears would be a good ratio? (im thinking equivilent to 3.73's or 4.10's in modulars in performance/millage/rpm at cruising...except in the proper ratio for a 4 speed and 8 inch rear)

BullittStangV8 said:

in my 65 stang i have a hurst 4 spd, mated with the 289, holley street deamon carb, edelbrock intake, and full exaust done. what rear end gear would be best for my set up. The car is taken out on the weekends durring the summer, and is not a daily driver. i need gears that can handle highway driving once in a while. im very familiar with sn95 stang rearend stuff, just not the classics. what gears would be a good ratio? (im thinking equivilent to 3.73's or 4.10's in modulars in performance/millage/rpm at cruising...except in the proper ratio for a 4 speed and 8 inch rear)

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Just for your info, you have a Hurst shifter, not a Hurst 4 speed. Hurst never made transmissions. Your transmission is either a Ford Toploader 4 speed or a Borg Warner T10. A good rear gear ratio would be 3.25-3.55's with a 4 speed.

^^^^^thats what i meant. haha should have made it clearer.wernt the stock gears 2.79's or so? 3.55's should be a nice kick in the pants then.
Mike

I'm running 3.73's in my 89 Ranger/4 speed combo, but it's got 275/60/15 rubber. Translated to the size tires most Stangs run, it's comparable to 3.55's. At 60 mph the motor's turning 2687 rpms, at 70 it's starting to scream with around 3000. At 3500 the truck's doin 78 mph and the motor is really screaming. 3.55's are about the upper limit on what you'd want to run and still be comfortable on the highway at 70mph.