kingcars' 250rwhp/13 second Tbird project (new project brewing 2/6)

[kingcars]

Actually...

How hard would it be to get your paws on 1996-98 Cobra springs?

I would figure they would be lower than the '02 GT springs by a bit, yet stiffer. Then again they're designed for the DOHC 4.6 which is more than likely heavier than your 5.0 will be with aluminum heads. Soo you may still wind up nose high running them all around... (I say all around because the rear would be massively soft with Cobra springs up front)

I dunno.

Then as for the power mods... Should be nice and fun with what all you're doing even though it's not how I'd go about it. (I feel that the GT40 heads and intake, as well as the Cobra intake, are crap if you really want to make power. An improvement yes, just not as good as it could be while still being streetable)

Not sure about the Cobra springs, but remember that the 02 GT also carried around the heavy 4.6.

As for the Cobra H/I, they're great bang for the buck. I would love to get an Edelbrock performer intake and some Twisted Wedge heads (the next step up from the cobra stuff), but then we're looking at doubling or tripling my budget. Sorry, I don't have the money to pull that off. The Cobra H/I with the cam I'm getting should put me around the 270rwhp range, and should propel my car to mid/low 13s in the 1/4 (judging by similar/identical combos), which is exactly what I want. And also, it's worthy to note that there are guys running 12s on stock ported heads and intake, so my setup will still have potential if I don't feel like replacing anything.

 

[kingcars]

Also, as far as "not as good as it could be while still being streetable," if I wanted to max it out, I'd be trying to make 500-600hp, which is obviously not my goal right now. There is a lot that needs to be done before the car is even close to being ready for it. Unfortunately, when working on cars, there's often a snowball effect. To make more horsepower, I'll need to swap out the Speed Density system for Mass Air Flow, I'll need a stronger tranny like a TKO 600, 8.8 rear end, subframe connectors, yada yada yada. That costs lots of money, and really isn't my goal for the car right now. I really just want to swap engines because the one I have has over 150,000 miles on the bottom end, has a good number of oil leaks, blow by, etc. It's old and it needs replacing. But, I figured while it's out, why not get some go-fast goodies? I don't need a 400hp+ street terror, just something that's gonna be fun and stout, doesn't leak or burn oil, and should surprise some people on the street (I can't wait to run an STI or EVO hehe). She should be putting out ~320hp at the flywheel, ~270hp at the wheels...that's plenty for me at the moment.

 

[mustangGT90210]

Then you can really show your back tires how much you hate them

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Too much is never enough and you're going to be wishing you had the AOD when/if you do send more power through it OR you break the poor little T5.

The T5 WILL break.

 

[buickgnx88]

Well the power he's looking to reasonably get won't kill it, according to these guys. And like he said, if he ever wanted 5-600 hp then he would go with the TKO.

 

[kingcars]

Too much is never enough...

It is when it's your own money . As my dad says: You can go as fast as you want - how much money do you have?

...and you're going to be wishing you had the AOD when/if you do send more power through it OR you break the poor little T5.

The T5 WILL break.

And a stock-ish AOD wouldn't break? The T5 will be fine. My combo is far from extreme and I never power shift or speed shift. I'll most likely get a T5Z sometime down the road, unless by then it's already time for a TKO. Trust me, the last thing I'll do is wish I had an AOD.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Psst, it's still not enough. If anything was ever "enough" you wouldn't be planning anything more than what you have now, perhaps a bottom-end rebuild and that's it.

You can't kill an AOD quite as easily as you can a T5. Not saying it's unbreakable (like a C6), but can still handle quite a bit more than a T5.

 

[kingcars]

There is one nagging thing about the AOD, though.....it's an automatic. After driving the T5 around, there's no way I'm going back to an auto unless I'm building a 100% drag car.

The T5 I got is out of an 89 Mustang...I got it for $275 with the B&M Ripper Shifter included. I'm preeeeeeeetty sure it won't be the first time someone has slapped a GT40 setup on a Mustang without swapping the tranny haha. Sounds like you keep trying to make me regret my decisions . Sorry, aint happening. I do my homework before embarking on a project, and everything I've done so far has been for a reason (even down to getting the 89 tranny due to its 3.35 first gear as opposed to the 2.95 first gear in the later trannies).

 

[kingcars]

Well, after a couple of delays, I finally got to pick up all the fresh parts a few days ago. It was a bit more expensive than I originally planned, but I have a feeling it will be worth it in the long run. Without further ado, here are pics!

Before:

After:

*grins at the .030 engraved on the piston*

The machine shop even cleaned/resurfaced my aluminum heads free of charge

Oh, and check this out:

Anyways, now that I'm done with school, assembly will hopefully start this weekend. All I have left to buy is the new cam and fuel pump.

 

[Jim Prower]

Sounds good!

 

[kingcars]

Woke up early Saturday morning so dad and I could start piecing together the short block. We took our time, checked everything over. Plastiguaged all of the clearances; they were dead on spec. Prepped the pistons, rings, and bearings, and started putting them in. About halfway through, we noticed some of the number markings on the rods weren't facing the right direction, but everything was fitting right so we kept going. Once we got to #5 and #7, however, they wouldn't fit. At first, we thought the rods were installed backwards; the numbers were on the "wrong" side and if we installed them backwards, they fit perfectly. Called up the machine shop guy, and it turns out he had them numbered 1-2-3-4 5-6-7-8 instead of 1-3-5-7 2-4-6-8 (like how dad is used to building SBCs...damn Chevy guys ). Anyways, we took all of the pistons out (except for #1...that one was at least right!) and got them in properly. Other than that mistake on our part, everything went smooth. Here comes the horde of pics!

Dad explaining some things to my friend and I.

Crank is in!

My friend and I getting the hang of installing the piston rings.

2 guys you do NOT wanna see working on your car

Pistons are in...with "5" and "7" being backwards.

Now they're in properly...gotta love the piston comin way up! <3 compression

Ok, I just HAD to see how the heads and rockers were gonna look. Couldn't help myself.

Really happy with the progress so far. Got my cruise control fixed on Sunday too. Now all I have to do is clean up some of the remaining parts, get the timing chain and a few other odds and ends, then we can make a push to get the engine fully assembled. I'm excited .

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Congrats on the swap. I swapped a T-56 6 speed into my 69 Camaro back in 2004. The best investment I ever put into my car. 👍 Good luck with the rest of the engine assembly.

 

[Cano]

man, your 302 needs a dual-rotor Whipple charger!!! Consider that your next move, but as of now, your stuff is looking great. I've always tought cars like yours are sure-fire ways to get some fast thrills for cheap and with plenty of style, they look cool to boot and are still different, definitely way cooler than, say, another fox Rustang, but with the same potential.

The only thing I would have done differently would be the wheels, I'd have gone with 80's style mesh stuff but in 17s, but hey, that's just me. Either that or Cobra R's repros.

 

[mustangGT90210]

He's got a stylized version of Cobra R's because the normal ones are overplayed in his mind.

 

[kingcars]

man, your 302 needs a dual-rotor Whipple charger!!! Consider that your next move, but as of now, your stuff is looking great.

Thanks . Idk about a dual rotor Whipple, but I'm definitely throwing around the idea of a supercharger down the road. Might as well make good use of the nice internals I got .

I've always tought cars like yours are sure-fire ways to get some fast thrills for cheap and with plenty of style, they look cool to boot and are still different, definitely way cooler than, say, another fox Rustang, but with the same potential.

Couldn't agree more. I love being able to take full advantage of the Mustang aftermarket while having something a little different.

The only thing I would have done differently would be the wheels, I'd have gone with 80's style mesh stuff but in 17s, but hey, that's just me. Either that or Cobra R's repros.

The wheels I have are Cobra Rs. However, they're not just a generic Cobra R like what way too many guys run.

Generic Cobra R:

Anthracite deep dish Cobra R (what I got)

As you can see, they're the same basic style, but with a few key differences. Lots of guys still using 4 lug have the generic style, so I wanted something a bit different. And I always imagined that the car would look awesome with a set of Anthracite Bullitt Mustang wheels, so these are definitely the closest I can get without having to go 5 lug. I've always been a fan of Anthracite wheels on light colored cars. I wanted to give it a slightly more modern look, but keep a little bit of old school in it (the stance).

 

[mafia_boy]

Good stuff kingcars. 👍 It's fun when you assemble the motor by yourself and learn as you go. How much power are you aiming for out of this motor??

 

[kingcars]

Thanks. As for my goal, it should get me about 250hp to the rear wheels, which is right around 300-310hp at the crank. Aiming for mid 13s in the 1/4 (stock WRX STi/EVO/'05-'07 Mustang range).

 

[Cano]

The wheels I have are Cobra Rs. However, they're not just a generic Cobra R like what way too many guys run.

Generic Cobra R:

Anthracite deep dish Cobra R (what I got)

As you can see, they're the same basic style, but with a few key differences. Lots of guys still using 4 lug have the generic style, so I wanted something a bit different. And I always imagined that the car would look awesome with a set of Anthracite Bullitt Mustang wheels, so these are definitely the closest I can get without having to go 5 lug. I've always been a fan of Anthracite wheels on light colored cars. I wanted to give it a slightly more modern look, but keep a little bit of old school in it (the stance).

I was talking about these:

I think these wheels look awesome, but 5 lug indeed.

 

[kingcars]

Oh, THOSE Cobra Rs. Gotcha. But yeah...my options are very limited on 4 lug. Don't have the money to convert to 5 at the moment.

If I had the money to go 5 lug, I'd have a set of these:

And I would want it to sit just like this car:

So as you can see, I got the closest wheels I could get to what I really want and I love em.

 

[mustangGT90210]

Dude, that 5.0 is beautiful! The Stang I mean. You already know my thoughts on the Tbird.

 

[kingcars]

Wow, it's been WAY too long since I updated this thread. I've since gotten a 2nd job, which has made affording this stuff A LOT easier. The engine itself should be pretty much complete on Saturday. I've ordered everything else that's needed, so it's ready to bolt together and go . I did get a few extra goodies like the valve covers you see in the pics and an offroad H pipe for some extra air flow and to let out a little more of that obnoxious V8 sound. I also had the lower intake cleaned...it looks great in the pics.

It's come quite a way in a year's time...

It's almost done guys...I'd say 6-8 more weeks and I'll be rompin around with over 250hp hittin the ground. Can't wait!

 

[kingcars]

The engine is FINALLY really starting to come together. Saturday I had really hoped to have the engine mostly together, but a horrible cheap timing chain that didnt fit kept us from making much progress. To try to catch up on the lost progress, Dad and I spent 2 evenings degreeing the cam. We found out it was an earlier model cam (266/266 duration which many say is better than the later 276/266 cam) and set it to 2 degrees retard just to give it a slight bump on the top end without hurting the bottom end much. Then today I cleaned up a few little things, spent a full HOUR prepping all of my brand new ARP head bolts with moly lube and thread sealer, torqued the heads, then installed the spider and pushrods. Pics:

^Spent $105 on that dang timing chain...taking pics of it while I can!

I'll end the update with this: I feel it's safe to say that we can finally start counting down the time left in WEEKS now .

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Those are some great looking engine shots. I would love to have some aluminum heads on my car. We are currently looking for a 302 for my gfs 67 Fastback Mustang.
PS. Whats the gold/yellow colored car off to the side? Looks very familiar.

 

[kingcars]

If you want a 302 for cheap, look in the classifieds on corral.net. Thats where I got most of the main parts for my project. As for the gold car, that would be my dad's 66 Malibu. Has a 383 small block and a Muncie M20 4 speed. I've probably posted pics of it on here before.

I'm actually uploading a video of it right now. Dad put a Holley DP carb on it and she runs GREAT with it. Competely roasts the tires through 1st gear and into 2nd hehe.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Looks very clean. Thanks for the heads up about that site. Once the weather warms up within the next month I will start looking for the 302.
Keep us updated on your project. Its always motivating seeing people make progress.

 

[kingcars]

No problem - I got a complete, stock 5.0HO on there (the engine I began the project with) for $375. Also got my aluminum heads from there, the rockers, and the Explorer intake/TB setup. Great site for Ford parts. But yeah....I'm ITCHIN to get this thing together and hear it running with my slightly upgraded (cat-less hehe) exhaust.

 

[kingcars]

Wow, whatta long day it's been. Started off with me doing some final cleaning on the timing chain cover only to realize that it had a hole in it (how did I not notice that a long time ago?). We decided to go ahead and try to make some progress...got the oil pump/pickup installed and got ready to prime the engine. Dad hooked up an oil pressure gauge, we got a drill, put about 3 quarts of oil in, and starting priming. Oil pressure went right up to 60 and oil quickly pumped up the lifters and filling the rockers. So far so good; she definitely doesnt have oiling problems.

We stopped priming once all the lifters were good to go, and then focused on adjusting the rockers. Fortunately, none of them needed adjustment so we started turning the engine over to make sure everything was working properly. That's when we noticed a rocker get really loose due to an intake valve that was stuck open. Wonderful.

Dad got a flashlight and we looked in at the intake valve. It was caked in hardened carbon deposits. Decided to look at all the others, and they were the same. Wow. So we took off both heads and cleaned every intake valve. Luckily, the one that got stuck wasn't damaged. We did check the exhaust valves for good measure, but they were all ok.

Headed up to the auto parts store, and luckily they had the same exact head gaskets in stock (just to be safe). That's when we really started cracking down and gettin stuff done. I installed the first head that was ready to go, torqued it down, and torqued the rockers as dad cleaned/prepped the other head. We got all of that done, turned the engine over several times and it was working perfectly, so then we buttoned it up. Turned out to be an 8 hour day (3 of which were spent re-prepping the heads). Here's how the engine sits now:

Just gotta order a timing chain cover and get the engine painted. Then it's time to get the swap started!

So take some advice from my dad and I: WHENEVER buying used heads, check your stinkin valves!

 

[kingcars]

We didnt get to take the engine out Saturday so we just did some final prep on the 306:

However, we got the green light to use a friend's shop that has a lift. Unfortunately, I had work today so dad had the shop to himself (and is now forever spoiled by using said lift). The engine removal went smoothly, towed the Tbird back home in an enclosed trailer, and now she's home safely. Lots of cleaning and scrubbing will be done over the next 5+ days. I would love to have it ready for transplant this coming weekend, but we'll see what happens. Got a lot of work ahead of me still. But the motivation and anxiousness is taking over. I did grab a couple of quick pics, more to come during the week:

That's how the front should look when I launch off the line

Aint stayin this way for much longer!

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Just make sure you dont use the spray can engine degreaser on your engine compartment. That stuff smells soo horible like diesel fuel and takes forever to get rid of. If you do use that engine degreaser, make sure to only do it at a car wash or somewhere away from your house that has a power washer.
Looking forward to the after pics.

 

[kingcars]

I'm just gonna use some simple green and wesleys bleche white. Then I'll use some final clean to remove any residue before painting.