"What car" to drop a 302 into?

MG_Bryan wrote:

Toyman01 wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Why not throw an FC front subframe under the FB?

Come again? Info on this please.

http://kahren.net/Manuals-Diagrams-Articles-etc/misc/swap.pdf

Oh my, oh my, oh my. That pegs my awesome meter at 11.

Tom, your done, finished, that post was the end of the thread. Now do you regret selling your GS FB with GSL-SE drivetrain in?

Does anyone konw if a 351 will fit an FB engine bay? I know it fits easily in an FC.

Triumph TR7

Jaguar XJ6

Adrian, a 351W (not to be confused with the M or Cleveland motor) is not that much bigger than a 5.0. It is taller, though. With careful intake selection, it should go under the hood.

DoctorBlade wrote: It seems the 5.0/Ranger swaps are pretty easy.

Jegs sells an affordable mount kit.

Affordable < RBxxDET S13 mounts.

N Sperlo wrote:

DoctorBlade wrote: It seems the 5.0/Ranger swaps are pretty easy.

Jegs sells an affordable mount kit. Affordable < RBxxDET S13 mounts.

Don't even need a "kit" for a Ranger V8 swap. Of course this was WAY after I had bought the old Kauffman swap mounts for way too much money.....

Curmudgeon wrote: Adrian, a 351W (not to be confused with the M or Cleveland motor) is not that much bigger than a 5.0. It is taller, though. With careful intake selection, it should go under the hood.

Curmedgeon, is that with carb or EFI? I put a new roller block 351 in my SN95 and absolutly loved it. It was a torque monster. Only 295 rwhp, but something like 350rw lb/ft. I had Edelbrock heads, Steeda #19 cheater cam, Ford motorsport shorty headers, X pipe etc. I now have (access too) an 85 flat tappet 351 from my old Econoline. I still have the shorty headers, EFI lower etc. But I was thinking a carb might be easier with that engine, especialy in an FB.

Damn you Tom, I've gone from day dreaming about another Miata to daydreaming about a 351 FB thanks to you starting this thread!

Are there any documented FB or FC SBF build threads out there? Google is failing me and the links in this thread http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/rx7-sbf-what-gen/4482/page1/ are all dead. I particularly want to see aussiesmg’s

Rangers don't handle all that well last I heard...

ok...there are exceptions:

PHeller wrote: Rangers don't handle all that well last I heard...

Myth.

Just have to know what you can do to them.... And the biggest thing is thick swaybars, front and rear... SHHHHHHH.

Adrian, the 351W block has a ~ 1.4" taller deck height. A flat tappet cam from a 5.0 can be used (you just have to get the firing order right) and the heads will also interchange but that's about it. I found this site which gets deep into a FC/SBF swap, it's a drag car but still has some good information.

http://www.motorgen.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=130

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Are there any documented FB or FC SBF build threads out there? Google is failing me and the links in this thread http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/rx7-sbf-what-gen/4482/page1/ are all dead. I particularly want to see aussiesmg’s

Here you go Adrian, the build thread is not up to date though, I will have to get onto that for you

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2845451/1984-mazda-rx-7

It is going to the dyno this week to get sorted and have the computer tuned.

Steve

http://www.lainefamily.com/240Z_V8_Conversion.htm240Z Ford Conversion

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Early Datsun Z: Light, but tough to find a rust-free example, and the only mounts I can find are for the 240 and 260.

I thought I had just the car for you, except for the rust free part! I still recommend a 240 though if you can find one you like. Here's a quick link for a guy that did do a Ford swap into his.

http://www.lainefamily.com/240Z_V8_Conversion.htm

Lots of good info. I've thought of doing the same thing, but I find I have less and less time to work on mine.

I keep seeing cheap e36s on cl that have overheated. Looks like a fairly inexpensive swap.

Cheap is good!!

• Decently cheap E36 = $1000
• 302 + wcT-5 = $800
• Swap kit = $300
• Misc stuffs = $1500

For a decent suspension setup, H&R + Bilstein can be found cheap on the usual Bimmer forums. I got mine for $500 for the race suspension package.

You can get into a E36 302 for about $2700-3500 before selling off crap you don't need. Of course you can do it cheaper if you challenge shop . . .

• I picked the higher end numbers for purpose of this example

racerdave600 wrote: http://www.lainefamily.com/240Z_V8_Conversion.htm240Z Ford Conversion

Tom_Spangler wrote: Early Datsun Z: Light, but tough to find a rust-free example, and the only mounts I can find are for the 240 and 260.

I thought I had just the car for you, except for the rust free part! I still recommend a 240 though if you can find one you like. Here's a quick link for a guy that did do a Ford swap into his. http://www.lainefamily.com/240Z_V8_Conversion.htm Lots of good info. I've thought of doing the same thing, but I find I have less and less time to work on mine.

Yes, I've seen his site. He does beautiful work! Those are the 240-260 mounts I was talking about. My understanding is that clean 240s are getting pretty expensive these days, and that chassis would need quite a bit of work to be HPDE ready, IMO. Aren't the front brakes solid rotor?

Strike_Zero wrote: Cheap is good!! - Decently cheap E36 = $1000 - 302 + wcT-5 = $800 - Swap kit = $300 - Misc stuffs = $1500 For a decent suspension setup, H&R + Bilstein can be found cheap on the usual Bimmer forums. I got mine for $500 for the race suspension package. You can get into a E36 302 for about $2700-3500 before selling off crap you don't need. Of course you can do it cheaper if you challenge shop . . . * I picked the higher end numbers for purpose of this example

I've done quite a bit of research on this swap, and while I think your numbers are a bit low, they aren't too far off. You must remember that this kind of project always nickels and dimes you to be more expensive than you think.

But the bottom line is that, as much as I love my M3, the E36 body just does nothing for me. It's a bland 90s mobile, as far as I'm concerned.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

Yes, the 240s ,260s and early 280s (Can't say for sure about the later cars, since I haven't worked on one) have solid front rotors.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

I can agree with it looking bland, but everything else is ok in my book

As far as the $$$ amount, I'm using numbers from a quick CL (SE: SC, NC and GA) search.

For my build, all the incidentals and nickle/dime stuff fit right in the $1500 range. My rebuilt 302 + wcT-5 comes in at $1500 . . . and I already own the E36

Being close to Atl and Charlotte did help in finding GREAT deals on stuff.