okay so the story is i have a 1966 coupe with a 289 2 barrel carb(which everytime i give it a bunch of throttle a mysterious fluid drips out) and a 3 speed automatic transmission, and a stock single exhasut thats rusted out and exhaust manifolds also which are rusted out. the engine has been slightly rebuilt....which means the pistons/crank/cylinders are 42 years old. everything is as it came from the factory.
my question is, as a 16-year old in high school with about $3000 to spend, what can i do to the engine to beat some of my friends in tuner cars at the tracks? i've been thinking about maybe buying a short block thats like a 429 or something and putting it in, but will it fit in the engine bay? or maybe just keep the 289 and put on heads/cam/intake/carb/headers? anyone have some advice?
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a 429 (if you can even find one) will not fit in your engine bay
you are going to be hard pressed to beat some of the newer cars of the day with a 289 with only 3K to spend.
new it had about 200 hp. as worn out as it is now you might have 175.
new heads, cam. intake, 4bbl carb, headers and dual exhaust will run you the 3K as it is,
ands thats if the block/pistons/rings are good and dont need machining or replacing
new heads, cam, intake, a good holley, and dual exhaust will pep the engine, but then i would also get decent tires out back and new shocks and maybe some lower springs. good tires and a lowered suspension will give you .2 of a second in the quarter alone. and you can bump your estimated 175 up to 230-250 easy. your looking at a 14.2-14.3 if you spend your money wisley and learn to launch your car.
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My 1967 Coupe
ASE Cert:Auto Collision, Refinishing, & Metalwork/Mechanical Engineering Major. Because being 18 means you know nothing about automobiles
You can still build a good 302/289 for under 3K. But you need to spend at least 1K on a tranny and a good rearend runs around 1K also. All the suspension and other little items are going to be over 1K also. Think about it.
Bottom line is you should spend your money on what you need to have solid car. Don't worry about the other guys with fast cars and large credit card debt. Don't bury yourself in a hole trying to ' measure up '.
By all means you should restore your car. But do it for the right reasons. And do it right the first time. I could pick cams and headers for you all day. I could send you a detailed breakdown of the the 302 I built for my 66 Fairlane, or the AOD behind it.
You need to have a long term plan for your intersest in Ford products. At 16 your are just getting started. You have much to learn.
You should start buying unwanted Ford cars and sell the parts for profit. Keep the good stuff for youself. Become an established name in the Mustang community.
if a 429 wouldn't fit in the engine bay, then what would?
a holley would be a good choice for a carb, but how about demon or world? something cheaper to do the same job would be really great
i think that these heads would be a good choice...they are inexpensive and not bad on the valve size and combustion chamber. now how would i pick out a cam/intake for it?
and just a little FYI, my dad and i have the suspension body and brakes figured out...its just the engine that we arent sure about what to do with
biggest that would fit would be a 351 (both c and w) although you may need to notch the shock towers. you could stroke the 351w out to 408 but im not sure about the 351c...
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"Happiness is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it but only you can feel its warmth"
I was in your situation a little while ago, so I have some advice for you. To start, what condition is the rest of the car in? how are your brakes, suspension, transmission, rear end, etc? Obviously we all want to just drop in an engine with tons more power, but the rest of your car needs to be able to handle that power safely and without breaking.
so if everything else is good, you have front disc brakes, good suspension, no frame rust, good tranny and diff, then I would recommend you try to find a crate engine. I have found that is the cheapest way to go and they usually come with a warranty and everything. My advice would be a 331 or 347 stroker (302 block) because that way it will still fit without modifications, and you will still get pretty good power (certainly enough to beat most tuners). You can make 400hp out of a 347 pretty easy. After that, get a steeper rear gear, 3:73 or something, because it will greatly improve your acceleration.
scenario 2: everything else isnt in great shape. put in the disc brakes, freshen the suspension, fix major rust issues, get a good tranny and diff (you can do the gear swap now and it will make the car faster even with the 289), and wait on the engine. I know it sucks to have to wait, but it will pay off in the end.
If you just skip the important stuff and to strait to the engine, you will definitely break expensive parts (possibly even damage your new engine), and there is a chance you will end up in an accident because your brakes/suspension arent set up for the power.
Lastly, if any of your tuner friends give you crap, just pull up to your school parking lot or something and see who gets more chicks. you will, hands down.
what's a kid to do with a 289
