desser76

i am looking at buying a 1969 mustang coup but it still has the original 302 and the 3 speed in it. what engine could i swap out and what kind of new better tranny could i put in and what would the price of a swap end up being. any info is appreciated.
thanks

ajzride

The short answer is you can swap almost any motor in you want, just depends on how deep your pockets are. anything from a used 289 to a 429 big block crate to a brand new coyote DOCH 5.0 will fit (with the right mods). Cost really depends on goals.

desser76

mmmk if i upgrade to a 5 speed do you think the stock 302 will have plenty of power to burn rubber

barnett468

on dry pavement without a posi and skinny tires it might burn rubber for around 20 ft.

add wide tires and a posi and traction bars and maybe it will burn rubber for 3 feet, lol.
.

desser76

haha gottcha so an upgrade is a must

Al Newman

As already stated, just about anything will retrofit into your car. The 289-302-5.0-351W family would be easiest and have more affordable options for a build-up. The T-5 is really easy to install and provides good driveability; however, if you are planning to do a lot of "burn-outs", especially from a dead stop, the 5 speed can be easily damaged. Clutch slipping burn outs should be done only with a toploader 4 speed and a well-built 9" rear axle. My personal power plant choice would be a 351W. Big blocks are an acquired taste that I never got.
Best,
Al

racer_dave

You're going about this in the wrong direction. You're looking for power first and then budget. You need to determine budget first and then spend to get the most bang for the buck. Its a simple equation, more $$=more power/speed. If you have 10G to play with, do it all, if you have 4G to play with rebuild the stock engine but get better heads/intake/carb/cam. If you have 1G to play with get a cam and headers, port match your heads on your own.

2+2GT

It will be almost exactly as it is now. If you can spin tires with the 3-speed, you will with the 5-speed. If you aren't spinning tires with the engine you have now, it needs serious tuning.

Trivia note, the 3.03 3-speed you have is stronger than the T5 5-speed. The reason is the trans you have was almost identical, and even had parts in common with, the "toploader" Ford Design transmission.