First Mustang. I have power goals and need advice.

[80coupe]

H/C/I should get you right at a safe 300 rwhp

x2!

[Doug Hatton]

Interesting..couple things:

1. Can you explain a little further on what you mean about the money? I bought a more expensive kit, but for argument's sake, let's base it on $1500 or whatever On3's charging. Plus injectors $200, MAF meter $200, fuel pump $100, ignition box $150, exhaust rework to tie downpipe into mufflers $150, head studs $100, gaskets $50, SCT chip and tune $500, the likelihood you break your T-5, etc. It just adds up quickly....

2. based on these numbers, I might skip the AFR heads and stick with my gt40p heads and instake...I am wondering if that will work though since I have been told exhaust hooks up differently to gt40p heads, do you know anything about that? Some kits don't get along very well with the P heads. Not sure on this.

3. How bad was the install and setup? Lot of computer problems? It was pretty extensive...not undoable, but not for the faint of heart. I had HPP tune mine.

4. How friendly is it to drive? are you happy with it? Not incredibly. Cooling will become an issue (radiator, fan, alternator, etc.) But definitely worth it all when you push down the skinny pedal!

Answers above....

[80coupe]

i dont know to much about turbo's but with stock heads dont u have to worry about the heads lifting or is that only if your running alot of boost!

[built2layframe]

H/C/I should get you right at a safe 300 rwhp

My wife's car made 357 hp and it's n/a, it has run in the high 7's and I'm sure a 11 is easy.

[Doug Hatton]

The stock heads have a thinner deck and try to lift once you get over 10-12#'s. I swapped the heads and went from 420 to 500rwhp at the same boost level.

i dont know to much about turbo's but with stock heads dont u have to worry about the heads lifting or is that only if your running alot of boost!

[musclestang89]

my old combo

Holley Systemax2 intake, B-31 cam, 70mm tb, S-trim (12 psi), TFS track heads,. it layed down 474hp through an AOD

and I was using a 98 explorer short block

[nv40]

H/C/I should get you right at a safe 300 rwhp

So I would be roughly 80 RWHP short of my goal. Without stroking, there isn't too much more I could do to make up that difference for a reasonable amount of money? That is why I am seriously considering turbo/blower now. NOS is not an option, dont want to deal with that.

[nv40]

Answers above....

Hmmm.

Wel..most of the things you mention I will need even without a turbo. I am starting with a 2000 explorer motor, so I already will need new injectors..meter..gaskets and head bolts and all since I will be rebuilding it..etc. So that stuff doesnt bother me TOO much.

Little nervous about the tuning, that sounds high. Will it even start up and run with the stock computer?

I am just stuck in a grey area..cause it seems like most N/A H/C/I setups are gonna put me 50+ hp BELOW my goal, and a turbo/supercharger setup is gonna put me 50+ hp ABOVE my goal...lol.

Thanks for the info.

[jw33]

Let me ask this. Why is your goal a peak HP number for a street car? Plenty of 3-400rwhp cars out there that are tons of fun to hop in and drive. Don't let the videos with the 1000+rwhp cars out there make you think that's the only way to have a car that's fun to drive. Give me a solid 350hp car I can beat the shit out of anytime as much as I want instead of an 7-800hp egg shell motor that cost a small fortune to maintain.

[nv40]

Let me ask this. Why is your goal a peak HP number for a street car? Plenty of 3-400rwhp cars out there that are tons of fun to hop in and drive. Don't let the videos with the 1000+rwhp cars out there make you think that's the only way to have a car that's fun to drive. Give me a solid 350hp car I can beat the shit out of anytime as much as I want instead of an 7-800hp egg shell motor that cost a small fortune to maintain.

I definitely feel where you are coming from. Here is my reasoning:

1. I have owned a truck that I had running mid to high 12's (4k pound extra cab, 360 with NOS)..so I am not a complete newb to speed, and I know what 11.99 should feel like, and I personally want a bump up from where my truck was.

2. I have a friend with a 68 mustang with a 408 making roghly 440hp at the flywheel. Another with a 66 making 400 at the flywheel, and another with a nova making 400+ at the flywheel. We will be doing a lot of road trips to hot rod shows and such, and I dont want to be the "tiny" 302 left behind on the interstate.

[Josh.0]

Or you could be the little 302 out front..

What rear end gears do you have right now?

H/c/I will get you in the 12s no problem

[nv40]

Or you could be the little 302 out front..

What rear end gears do you have right now?

H/c/I will get you in the 12s no problem

3.55 right now.

Interesting....the common thought seems to be that my 2000 explorer bottom end, with AFR 165 heads..stock explorer intake..good cam..headers..cold air...will get me low 13's at best. Maybe a 12.90, so who is right? lol.

[Josh.0]

you could get a better intake

and some 3.73s

[jw33]

3.55 right now.

Interesting....the common thought seems to be that my 2000 explorer bottom end, with AFR 165 heads..stock explorer intake..good cam..headers..cold air...will get me low 13's at best. Maybe a 12.90, so who is right? lol.

In a full weight car with that above combo slapped together with nothing checked, no suspension, old bald tires, no tuning, with a shitty driver, then yeah that's about right.

If you spend some good money on the heads (great valve job, valve springs, mill them to get the CR up), have a the proper cam picked and installed correctly, do some common sense clean-up on the intake, large TB, (don't buy into a "too big of a TB will make it lazy" idea) tune it right, and go with some 4:10 gears, it will run hard and surprise the shit out of folks with what you have.

[nv40]

In a full weight car with that above combo slapped together with nothing checked, no suspension, old bald tires, no tuning, with a shitty driver, then yeah that's about right.

If you spend some good money on the heads (great valve job, valve springs, mill them to get the CR up), have a the proper cam picked and installed correctly, do some common sense clean-up on the intake, large TB, (don't buy into a "too big of a TB will make it lazy" idea) tune it right, and go with some 4:10 gears, it will run hard and surprise the shit out of folks with what you have.

Thank you..and thanks to everyone else for the help. I think I finally settled on what I want to do based on first hand video and pictures from a friend of a friend. I wasn't aware of how many cars he has built until I went to see some video and info on some recent builds.

This was his suggestion, and probably the direction I will take until I get tired of the build and go all out turbo with a rock solid bottom end. His suggestion:

1. Grab the AFR heads and throw them on stock,
2. Find a cheap 331 stroker kit..something in the $800 range, doesnt matter if it is forged since I wont add a power adder.
3. Balance the bottom end and throw it together with 10.5:1 pistons
4. Mild port work on lower intake
5. Trick flow cam
6. decent TB, cold air, pulleys, BBK long tubes and exhaust.

He swears he has done 3 builds just like this and with some cleanup on the suspension, a good driver, and tires, the car should pull low 12's all day long...slap a 100 shot on it if I want to see mid 11's, which is good enough for me I think.


After looking..the turbo is nice, but a lot of extra cost and I cant afford to do a proper bottom end to hold it right now.

Gonna take a while to get it all going, but I will be sure to post my final results so maybe someone new like myself can learn from my mistakes.

Thanks again guys.