Some history on my thoughts first, but if you don't feel like reading the novel I've just typed, the important things are in bold.

I've got a 2002 GT, basically stock, and with an automatic transmission. It's my daily driver.

This is hopefully going to change around summertime next year. Going to look for something else to daily (looking for an Evo VIII or IX), so I can build my car.

I'm looking to do an extensive overhaul, a proper build to make a nice street car. In all honesty, it'll rarely, if even ever, see a track.

I want to build the motor for either a Kenne Bell or Whipple (2.1, 2.3), tubular K-member, upgrade suspension all the way around with coil overs, sub-frame connectors, etc, upgrade the fuel system for what I need, eventually get her repainted and looking good, etc. In essence, everything.

My ultimate goal is to have a fun street car that can actually take a corner. This won't be a drag racer by any means. I'd like to be sitting in the 400-450hp range, but with the ability to grow that later.

What I'm looking for from you all is advice on how to go about this. It's going to be a long-term project, something for me to do on the weekends. Money both is and isn't an issue. I'm not necessarily concerned with total cost, as I know it's going to hurt my wallet by a fairly large margin. But it's also something I'm not going to be able to do all at once. I'm going to have to piece it together, for the most part, as I have funds available.

Hopefully I'll be getting deployed early next year, so I'll come back around summer with a decent chunk of cash and be able to get a decent start.

Besides the obvious place of these forums, where's a good place to look for information on builds? I really don't know where to start. I'm mechanically inclined (You would hope, as I work on jets for a living in the Air Force), and I know cars pretty well, but I've never taken on a project of this magnitude before. I'm confident that I can handle it, with help along the way. I really want to do most of this myself, everything that I can, anyway.

Now, onto slightly more specific questions, for those of you that have taken on a project like this:

What's the best way to go about this? Do I piece it together, adding things as I get them? Or do I piece it together, store everything, the spend lots of consecutive evenings and weekends putting it together?

I am completely in the research stage here, as this is something that won't happen until at least a year from now, but here's some more details as to what I'm thinking.

I want to buy an assembled short block. Cams and heads I can work with, but building and balancing a bottom end is ultimately something I'd be just fine not doing, as I've never had any experience with it. I was thinking MMR, as I've had a few buddies that have had good experiences with them, but I'm open to other considerations as well. And on top of that, am I maybe just better of buying a completed longblock?

Suspension I've basically got worked out, but if you all have thoughts, throw them at me. Like I said, I'm looking for decent handling here, not launching for the strip.

My next question is about the fuel system. What kind of upgrades am I looking at to handle 500 hp, with the supercharger. Injectors, pumps, upgrade the lines(?). What are my options?

I'm also considering swapping out the auto tranny for a manual. I've helped buddies swap manuals for autos, but never an auto for a manual. Is it much more difficult? And what should I be looking at here to handle power?

Along the same lines, what other drivetrain components should I be looking at? I'm under the impression that the stock rear end can handle 500 well enough, but I don't know that for a fact.

I'm not looking for someone to give me all the answers here, just point me in the right direction to find these answers. I realize even asking that is quite a lot, as I realize I've written quite a large post here that many people may just skip over because of it's size. So thanks in advance for even making it this far.

My main issue is that I know I'll be piecing everything together as I have funds, and I want to do things in a logical order so I'm not working against myself, but I don't want to be completely without the Mustang for a massive period of time (the year or more it'll take me to have enough money to do all this), but I also recognize that maybe I'll have to. I don't just want to throw a motor in this thing and call it a day. And that's what I'm looking for advice on, too. I'm honestly not sure how to go about it.

I know it's not even remotely possible to accurately estimate a cost here, there's not enough specifics to go on, but surely someone has done a build like this. Ballpark, what are we thinking? $15k? $20k? Keep in mind, I'll be doing all the work myself, though it will definitely be a learning experience.

This is a labor of love. The Mustang was my first car. I got my Dad's old Contour SVT when I turned 16 (which I still miss), but the Mustang was the first car I bought for myself. Realistically, I know it may not happen, but my ultimate plan is to still have this thing when I'm 50, although it'll hardly be the same car it is now. That's why I'm not too concerned with overall cost. This thing will forever be my baby, and the way I see it, I'm young and single, I may as well start this now while I still have the chance.

So, thanks in advance for helping get started with the research for this. It'll be a long time before I even start, much less see the results, but I have to start somewhere, start planning how to go about this, and this seems like as good a place as any to start doing that.

My other option is to buy a Terminator, and start there. I know it's not hard to get a Termi up to the 450-475 range. But I'm actually rather looking forward to having a project, to having the work of building my GT.

 

In all honestly this is a pretty easy build, all you need is a forged shotblock, a set of blower cam, a supercharger, and you can get away with running a dual cobra hat with two dual walbro 255s and 42# fuel injectors to make an easy 450-500 HP.

 

What sort of compression and boost should I be looking at? I'd like to err on the side of safe and conservative.

 

What a coincidence...I'm selling all of the above

 

Wow what a long post! I pretty much did what you are trying to do (if that makes sense). I went through two shortblocks in about a 10 month span. When I spun a rod (last shortblock) I was not going that route again. I bought a teksid S/B off one the members here, as well as the cams. Check out Mod Max. They have performance stuff that's cheap, customer service is great and they have a very good warrenty on their products. What part of MO are you from??

 

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll definitely look into it. What were your previous blocks? Did you build them yourself, or purchase them from somewhere?

I'm from Ashland, about ten minutes from Columbia. I'm stationed out in California now, though. Probably be here for quite some time. It's kind of a black hole for C-5 guys in the Air Force like that.

And you've got a great looking car, man. That's where I'm hoping mine will be, but the cosmetic **** is definitely last on the list.

 

Ha, if I had the money at the moment I'd take it off your hands. (:

I have to focus on finding a new daily driver first, so I don't have to worry about my ride to work being torn apart in the garage . . .

 

Not a hard build at all unless you want the whipple, which isnt hard, you will just need a Tork Tech manifold and pulley bridge.

But yea a Kenne bell ( or vortech) some Nice blower cams, and 12-15lbs of boost will get ya there.

Motor wise, MMR 900 with the ford oil pump or a mod max kit in your current block with mid 9's for compression would be fine.

Fuel, like uber said dual cobra hat with 255's or if you plan on lots of power, dual divisionx stryker pumps.

Suspension is all on jazzer lol but check out maximum motorsports website for suspension.

I swapped a foxbody from an auto to a T5 and it was the biggest pain in the *** ever. had to drop the steering column and get the pedal assembly out.