MustangFTW

460 turboed.

ozarks06

That'll get you 25+ MPG on the highway! One of the major reasons for doing a mod motor swap is great performance with good mileage and great street manners. That and nothing surprises the kid at the stop light like an old guy in a stock looking classic (with a smooth as silk idle) with 500+ HP (that you can actually afford to drive). The swap isn't cheap, but watching their face when you pull away is priceless.

Definitely start with a donor car if you can. If not, the little doodads will nickle and dime you to death (ask me how I know).

Pompel

I'm currently reading on the $5000 budget Mustang. I guess I will blow that budget. LS1 is not a bad idea, but it is this ford car ford engine (you know what I mean). Any way i currently have a lazy 289. I want to put some more power in my car. A crate engine without a rough idle is not an option (I guess its fun for a while then it starts to get annoying). After a quick search on ebay i found a 395hp 351w longblock for $3.496,-
then Ill have to add ignition,waterpump, carburator etc. are we then looking at $5000.

And eaven if i was going to choose that engine I stil woud have to change to disc brakes, bigger radiator, new exhaust, etc. Rack and pinion steering is somthing I'm going to do anyway.

Pompel

Off corse there is a lot extra I havent thougt about.

andrewmp6

Swapping a mod motor for gas mileage is like buying a 747 for free peanuts.The price of the swap vs the money saved on fuel even if its a daily driver would take 5 years plus to even break even on.5k a ls family would be cheaper and probably fit better with out cutting out the shock towers.The lq4 its the 6.0 from a truck throw a car intake on it and a meaner cam it will walk on most cars and still pass a gas station.The ls is about as big as a 351w a 4l60 is about as big as a aod both should fit fine once you make mounts for it.

Pompel

gas milage is not the main goal it's just a bonus eaven thoug the gas prices in Norway is way more than in USA. Gas prices in norway is approx $7.9 a gallon. If i was planing to build this to save gas i woud put a smal toyota engine in it.

ozarks06

Actually, the difference between 12 mpg ave (for a 550 HP N/A SBF) and 20 mpg ave (which is what I get) is about $1600 per year (I drive over 6000 miles per year) so it paid for itself in less 3 years (I figure the additional cost for the mod motor swap vs a push rod was about $4K - M2 front end mainly - I would have gone EFI on a push rod motor anyway so fuel and electrical would have been about the same). And the difference in value makes up for that many times over (my car appraised for over twice what a restored resto-mod coupe usually appraises/sells for - now getting that for it is another matter). But getting a 5.0 might cost more than a 4.6 Termi (and probably more than a SBF)

True an LS would have been cheaper (to get modern power, and they are great motors) and would be great if my car was a Camaro (but it's a Ford).

andrewmp6

Jamesw said he got 20mpg on a road trip his is a stock old 5.0 with a t5 tho but it bolted right in and probably cost him 2k if that.

MustangFTW

T5 would add quite a bit to highway driving.

frdnut

The newer motors don't just magically get better gas mileage..They need EFI and overdrive trans to do so which you can adapt to an older motor that actually fits in the car....