i am planning on building an 85 mustang, and would like to hear your ideas re: an engine swap. drive train will be either a 4spd top loader, or a built aod, rear end will likely be a 9" rear.
i have two engines in mind for a possible swap;
1: 460
2: 351w
i would like to hear your views. i am leaning towards the 460 right now. this will be a street car, and handling will be an issue but not the primary one.
oh, and before anyone questions my sanity re: the 460 swap, i have been working the graveyard shift for many years if that tells you anything.
I would most probably go for the 351W, the 460 will require many mofications to the engine bay to make it fit right, plus it is a heavy SOB, not to mention there are more parts available for the 351W.
For the cost of swaping the 460 i bet you can stroke that 351.
You could stroke the Windsor to well over 400 cubes and make the same power as the 460 but with much less weight. Plus, the swap is cheaper and easier and parts for the Windsor are cheaper.
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2008 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner SR5 Reg Cab
2.7 4 banger
No mods (yet...)
Black,79 Mustang mostly carbon fiber/kevlar body, M-2300-k brake kit, full roll cage, maximum motorsport suspension, custom geared 6 speed, 2 inch rear fender flares, 1 inch front, motor being built (no eta). Looks like the Mad Max interseptor and weighs about 1800lbs w/o motor (450hp 351w installed to move the car around)
Black, 82 Capri RS 5.0L, B303, 1.7 rockers, World 180 heads, +150hp N.O.S, Turbo coupe rear end, T-56(tremec tko would be beter), 80 cobra nose
I'll be the oddball and say 460. I've got one under the hood of my Thunderbird, wouldn't want anything else there.
The 460 is TOUGH, in fact, it goes BEYOND being tough.
Mine has been through:
a 20-mile run 2 qts. low on oil (I wasn't driving)
an over-rev to 7900rpm (stock redline is 5500-6000, I WAS driving that time)
and it was once overheated to 275 degrees (I really shouldn't let family drive the car)
Still runs GREAT, 120,000+ miles at this point. I bought an extra 460 to have "on-hand" after the low-oil fiasco, but that was 10,000 miles ago, I've actually sold the extra 460 since.
The 460 is only about 200 lbs. heavier than the 351W, and the WORST 460 (low-compression, smogged-down, late-70s Lincoln) made over 300 ft/lbs of torque from the factory, the BEST factory 351Ws can't touch 'em. There are PLENTY of parts out there for the 460 as well. A 600hp 460 buildup would be less than $2500 (using Edelbrock Performer heads, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, Holley 1100 cfm carb, and a few other things I can't recall off the top of my head, I can email you the complete list if ya want).
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
i pretty much know how i am going to build the engine, i just have not decided what engine to build. i am leaning towards the 460, cant beat that monster torque, but if some one can come up with a compelling reason not to swap the 460 in, then i would go with a 351w.
Originally posted by WHITE STALLION 351w geese look at mad max's sig and you can do what he did and get well over the power of the 460.
-earl-
About 550hp before the nitrous. I don't drive it much. Scare the crap out of me.
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Black,79 Mustang mostly carbon fiber/kevlar body, M-2300-k brake kit, full roll cage, maximum motorsport suspension, custom geared 6 speed, 2 inch rear fender flares, 1 inch front, motor being built (no eta). Looks like the Mad Max interseptor and weighs about 1800lbs w/o motor (450hp 351w installed to move the car around)
Black, 82 Capri RS 5.0L, B303, 1.7 rockers, World 180 heads, +150hp N.O.S, Turbo coupe rear end, T-56(tremec tko would be beter), 80 cobra nose
Originally posted by WHITE STALLION 351w geese look at mad max's sig and you can do what he did and get well over the power of the 460.
-earl-
he says 550 before nitrous, but a mild 460 puts out that kind of number without a blower. that and the blower adds about 150lbs of weight when all is said and done.
A root blower is for looks. They add about 75lbs to the motor. Ya they do work and sound nice but it's a PITA.
I say get the 351W stroke it to a 408 or larger (up to 454 depending on the block)and run it on nitrous. Here's another thing. Windsor parts are CHEAP AND PENTIFUL!!!!!!!!! It all comes down to how much power to you want. Stock 351W block are good for +650hp. Are you realy going to use +650hp? If your running less than 650hp, a 460 is like adding dead weight.
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Black,79 Mustang mostly carbon fiber/kevlar body, M-2300-k brake kit, full roll cage, maximum motorsport suspension, custom geared 6 speed, 2 inch rear fender flares, 1 inch front, motor being built (no eta). Looks like the Mad Max interseptor and weighs about 1800lbs w/o motor (450hp 351w installed to move the car around)
Black, 82 Capri RS 5.0L, B303, 1.7 rockers, World 180 heads, +150hp N.O.S, Turbo coupe rear end, T-56(tremec tko would be beter), 80 cobra nose
Originally posted by mfpmax How fun is it to change the spark plugs on a 460 in a Fox engine bay?
Probably about as much fun as it is on a '75 T-bird, the fox-bod's engine bay is damn near cavernous (especially for a car that small) If my sister doesn't drive her '88 LX Vert after it gets back from the tranny shop.... my extra 460 (sale didn't go through) will find it's way in there.
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
engine swap 
