79coupe

I've got a 79 coupe with no motor or transmission but it came stock with a 4cyl auto. So what do I need to do to put in a 302 with a carb and a manual t. Or does someone have a better idea of what setup I should run because I haven't bought anything yet just the car. please give me some suggestions.

horatio102

What's your budget? Any reason you'd like a 302? Personally if I didn't have a motor to begin with I'd consider dropping a 460 in it. Apparently they fit in pretty well.

nostang

I'm with horatio,I've got a poked and stroked 460 in mine and they go in with out and cutting or welding.My first big block stang had just a mild 460 in it with an automatic and 2.50 gears and is still went 12.20's.It all depends on how wild you want to go and what you're going to do with the car.

WhiteHawk

I would go with a 351W--- but that's because I think a 460 is too wild for my daily driving.....but I don't know what YOU are going to use your car for....if it's a daily driver something milder as oppose to wilder....if it's weekend battles...then the 460 is the way to go. </P>


...as for the tranny...that depends on which way you go...</P>


...oh...and I totally agree with "rather push my mustang than ride your ricer" quote!!! </P>


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79coupe

well everyone thank you for responding but part of the reason I said 302 is that I figured it would probably be the cheepest to get a pretty good ammount of power and they are probably easier to find. This is my first mustang and I'm on a pretty cheep budget cause I'm 21 w/ a wife and a 5 month old little girl. It will probably even have to sit for a while unless I find some real great deals on stuff. The car itself I got for free from a friend that hasen't touched it since he got it and I couldn't pass it up. Also the front end has been changed to the new style w/ the flush headlights and the interior isn't in it but it came with I think an 88 gt interior I can put in. I'll post some pics when I get a chance to take some and get them on here.

WhiteHawk

351W and 302s aren't that far apart $$wise. -- You can go to a boneyard and pull one out, rebuild it slowly (and wisely) and cheaply and still have a nice strong engine. </P>


....wife and baby come first.....stang 2nd...I was a young dad too...at 21....</P>

79coupe

what do I need to do suspension and rear end wise to go from a 4 cyl to a v8? Is there anything else I might have to change? Is there a site or a section on thissite devoted to swapping a 4cyl to a v8?

WhiteHawk

There are quite a few things (but dont let it scare you....if you do it slowly it's not a biggie). </P>


suspension (cause its heavier, geometry changes) but it's not alot.</P>


I don't remember what the rear on my 4popper was, but my 5.0L '90 LX is a 8.8 rear.</P>


There are a few postings on this site that have alot of info regarding the conversion..... I believe "converted" posted info on it. Look for his name.</P>

horatio102

4-cyl should have a 7.5" rear end in it.

Again it depends on what you're going to do with the car and what your budget is.

Since you've gotta find an axle you could go to a wrecking yard and get a stock 8.8", or perhaps you might want to look into getting a 9" if you're thinking about building a drag car. And 460s you can find pretty cheap - often times you can get an old 70's 3/4 ton truck with a 460, then you've got an engine, tranny, and a huge rear axle that you could sell (or perhaps have it cut down to fit?). Personally I'd stay away from a truck manual tranny because I don't know how useful a granny low 1st would be to you in a car. (or is that only the old 4x4s with g-low?)


You've got a lot of options right now. It's best to figure out how much you want to spend, how fast you want to go, and what exactly you want to do with it.

FYI - it's almost always cheaper to make big power from a big engine. Heads are ~$100 each more for the 460 than the smallblock, not a lot considering the potential for power. cams are a couple bucks more, etc. So yeah, it'll be a little more expensive building a 460, but I think the payoff will be awesome. If you already had a 302 (or could get one dirt cheap) I'd say stick with that.