79 5.0 Hatch in Medium Gray Metallic Build

[79 Fox]

Hey guys! I haven't been on FEP in forever, and I wanted to start a blog about my ride. I got it in Indiana when I was 14 years old. My dad and I were going to build a crazy turboed LS drag car, but he got tired of it. We were about to sell it, but then, I spoke up, saying that I'd love to own it. It is my first car, and I am grateful to have it. It has only 25,900 original miles, ZERO rust. So far, my dad and I have done full suspension, wheels, tires, rear end (8.8 3.73 Posi) track-focused alignment, bigger front brakes, different mufflers (pretty sure that they are magnaflow) and later 5.0 dual exhaust, some visual stuff (GT spoiler and hood scoop, red tape stripe on the side trim (to match the red vinyl interior), carbon fiber dashboard wrap) and a LOT of weight reduction. We ditched A/C, heat, sound deadening, spare, etc. Pretty much as soon as I finished driver's ed, I took the car out for a cruise. I immediately knew that this car was perfect for me. After some time getting used to driving like a normal person, I started to have some real fun. There's a turn in my neighborhood that is stupidly sharp. In a normal car, It's probably a good idea to take it at around 5 miles per hour (ish) I took it at 30. Absolutely no body roll, and not a single squeal from the tires. This car handles beautifully. Now, the only issue is power. That's where I'm at now. The original 5.0 had a bit of a rod knock, and the later ones were just better anyways, so we picked up a complete motor from an 89. We bought a bunch of used performance parts: GT40P heads (came with upgraded springs), B303 cam, 1.7:1 rockers, simple unequal length headers, and an Edelbrock performer intake. We also got a BBK H pipe, re-manufactured crankshaft, and Clevite bearings. We will be using an electric fan from a V6 Contour. We'll also pick up a holley 600cfm carb. All in all, this should probably be making 275-300 horsepower. In a year or so, we'll be building a 400+ horsepower 331 and putting a T5 in the car. It'll also be fully repainted. I am excited to get to work on this new motor, and I'll keep everyone posted! I'll have pictures soon, I hope. Sorry that this was a long post, I haven't posted in forever. Thanks for reading!