The age old question...

[westflat3.8]

I might be coming into some decent money with this new job... Im not gonna be rich but things will be a little easier. Im gonna clean everything up first, new springs, shocks, control arms brakes tires etc.....


Now the question...
Should I...
A. build the 302
B. attempt to budget build a 351
C. power adder with low boost
D. save my money


Im sure im gonna get mixed opinions, I am just curious because i havent researched v8's till lately. Some say building an NA motor isnt worth it while others say a power adder would turn the pushrods into dust. BTW i am not interested in nitrous... This addition will not happen in the for a while, I am just trying to fighure the route im going with this car.

[NBFRONK]

C

[westflat3.8]

C
Any particular reason? Im open to opinions and input.

[TIDyno]

C also

[73charger]

-I'd go with B. If you try to do a complete rebuild with a 302, you'll probably end up spending just as much money as if you were to build a 351. and think about how much more power you could get with a 351. The machine work won't be that different and you'll probably have 500-1000 dollars diff. in parts.
-Supposedly, ford's push rod motors could only handle up to 400hp stock.. i'd be carefulm with the poweradders and boost so you don't blow ur engine.

[69BOSS9]

C. Get yourself a nice turbokit. You can use it to make an easy 450 to 500 HP, as long as you add the needed fuel system parts i.e. pump,injectors and TB, but if you ever build a "GOOD" motor, one made to handle more HP then it wont take much to update the kit to support more HP.:thumb_beer_cheers:

[westflat3.8]

C. Get yourself a nice turbokit. You can use it to make an easy 450 to 500 HP, as long as you add the needed fuel system parts i.e. pump,injectors and TB, but if you ever build a "GOOD" motor, one made to handle more HP then it wont take much to update the kit to support more HP.:thumb_beer_cheers:
Yea, I LOVE turbos and superchargers, the only thing is option c is the most expensive route because i would need a block with less miles. If i went this route, it would take me about a year to afford it. Luckily im not impatient because i love driving the car the way it is right now anyways.
:mustang:

[Kirko]

I would say 351 just because I want one really bad. :) However the power adder would be a good option also.

[smoked88lx]

3 words.......... Sub Frame Connectors, then go from there.....Gears, exhaust, H/C/I/........

[westflat3.8]

3 words.......... Sub Frame Connectors, then go from there.....Gears, exhaust, H/C/I/........
Trust me the Subframe connectors, gears etc... are included with suspension and general restoration. All of that work will hopefully be done in the next few months after I pay some bills. I am simply wondering what route i should go with go-fast parts. I cant even get my wheels to stop hopping cause of the crappy quad shocks. If I put more power to it now I would find myself in a ditch somewhere...

[Blck945.0]

How about a combination? Junkyard a 351 roller block and do an OEM budget rebuild, and then add the power adder. 351W's are stronger than the 302's anyhow you could always up to boost on the 351 w/o worrying about splitting at 450-500 rwhp......

[wayfastwhitey45]

How about a combination? Junkyard a 351 roller block and do an OEM budget rebuild, and then add the power adder. 351W's are stronger than the 302's anyhow you could always up to boost on the 351 w/o worrying about splitting at 450-500 rwhp......

could do that too. i think pull-a-part is $200 for a complete engine. so find a econoline van with a roller motor and put some gt40 heads on it and a nice intake/fuel setup. so for about 1k you have the whole motor done. then you have the rest to do the blower/turbo route.

[6t9MachI]

I think that it really comes down to what your budget is and how much hp you want. Without knowing these two things it is hard for any of us to give you a really good answer.

[Aussie XAXB]

Yup, budget is the first consideration.


If you go 500 HP you will have to do some advanced suspension upgrading, more than typical, to actually be able to hook-up your fox body with the pavement, depending on how heavy your car is, and to keep it from twisting.

What about your axle and trans too if you go that hot? Camshaft selection will determine if you need a new torque converter or not too. Also rear gears.



I am very old school and though SC and turbos are popular I have a place in my heart for normally aspirated engines, especially if you can get it to perform so that people accuse you of having forced induction. Matching engine components very well will net you some surprising power results. Lots of torque will fry tires and accelerate the car around town and on the highway in a way that people believe your engine is high horsepower, for those for whom HP figures are most important.

I lean towards a 351 Cleveland. My build is going to use AFD aluminum heads and a retro-fit roller cam. Based on a build already done it will be close to 500 HP and ft. lbs. of torque, and with no forced induction, and streetable. Rare, aftermarket, expensive Cleveland heads? Much less than some Dart heads for a 302.


You've got some learning to do yet before you can even get a good grasp of what direction you want to go in. You need to know and understand what those directions are. Luckily you've got time for that, then you can make a decision. :deal:


Steve

[PEDD01GT]

A or B stroked: build it right, and spank half of the power adder guys on motor :D.

BTW....Don't fear the bottle!!!

[69BOSS9]

Yea, I LOVE turbos and superchargers, the only thing is option c is the most expensive route because i would need a block with less miles. If i went this route, it would take me about a year to afford it. Luckily im not impatient because i love driving the car the way it is right now anyways.
:mustang:No you dont need a block right away. A stock 5.0 block will take 500 hp with a good tune on a turbo motor.thats cause there is less stress on the crank over a supercharged motor. But not if you abuse the crap out of it. You have to keep some restraint when it comes to your right foot. thats all. I say tune and all needed parts for a 450 to 500 hp combo can be had for 2500 to 2700 bucks.

[Tim89LXvert]

First option should be D.... but that is not much fun.

If your current short block is questionable for boost, I vote for A, but stroking it!

You can build a 347 with nearly the same cubes as a 351, but without the need for the special 351 swap parts, or potentially a cowl hood. 350 streetable RWHP is certainly attainable with a nice 347. That is about where you would be with stock engine + 150HP of boost. Plus you will know it will be reliable. If built with a reasonable compresion, you could get to the point that you can add some boost later.

Since you have time to plan, you can take some time researching combinations, cams, heads, etc. That can keep it interesting while you are trying to get the cash together to get started.

:skid:

[westflat3.8]

Ok so far there has been good input. It seems option A is out, which helps narrow it down a little. I think I have a general idea of what Im going to do. Once I get the odds and ends fixed Im going to start saving. I kinda like the idea of a combination with a cheap 351w. The slight increase in power and torque might tide me over untill I can afford a decent supercharger/turbo. I have been doing my homework, I just have to research a little more. I dont want 500-600 hp untill I can retire to it a full time racecar, I do know that much.

[6t9MachI]

It is fairly easy to get 400hp out of a 351w and it can be done affordably. If I were to do mine over again I would have started by stroking it to 408 cid. It would not have cost that much more money to do so and I would have had the bottom end with the cid to do anything crazy that I would want to do to it in the future. Instead I have a 400+ hp 351w that I would have to make fairly unstreetable to make it over 500 hp while I could have made a 450hp 408 that I could have made over 600 hp in the future and still remained streetable.

Just some food for thought. Since you will want to replace the rods and pistons anyways, its only a couple hundred more dollars for the stroker crank and maybe a little clearancing work done by a machine shop or yourself, if comfortable doing so. Then you would have the bottom end to make whatever crazy motor you would like to in the future with a wide array of top end components, but your transmission and rear end have to be taken into consideration as well. You dont want to over-build your motor to the point where your transmission and rear end wont take the abuse. That is what ultimately limited me in what I could do.

[SC351fox]

Another vote for B and C. You cant go wrong with Getting a stronger block and extra cubes at the same time. 351 rollers can still be found pretty cheap. Then you can piece together a used blower from a 5.0 or buy a new one. Lidio In michigan can modify the supercharger bracket to fit the 351. You can even stroke it down the road if you want (which is what I will be doing soon).