Please opine on new engine build

[richpet]

Current motor runs great, but want a newer block, etc. So...

New block is from an '89 Mustang so roller cam
I am stroking it to 347, but with a 'mild' kit as my fun is not super hard core, but want it reliable when I do play.

Heads/intake:

Thinking Edel RPM intake and AFR 185 heads.

Planning for around 10.5:1 static CR, maybe a touch less

Should I go Air Gap style intake or another brand altogether?
Would the 205 heads be better/worth it?

Perhaps some folks with similar combos can comment? I have the most fun from idle to 4k, especially 2-4k, but like that I can go to 6k. 65mph is right at 2000 RPM with my 3.55 gears and 25" tires.

Cam will be something a bit more noticable than current (currently running a Crane 268 (pn# 31-218-2) and want it a bit more lopey, but drivable daily. Planning more duration/overlap and less overall lift for longevity as it should be more gentle on the valves and such.)

I will be going tubular front end and shimming it for a touch of extra hood clearance. Car has been converted to a T5-Z (from an SROD).

Thoughts?

Use will be like now. Driven a few days a week for fun, occasional drives to the coast (twisty and about 80 miles each way). Could drive it daily if in the mood.

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[BaconB8]

Solid plan for what you intend to use the car for.

There’s really no use for an ‘every single number’ build on the street. The newer cars have us pushrod guys waxed in every single way, except nostalgia and weight. I’ve got a 67 with similar spec’s, and FiTech efi for those benefits. It’s fun and reliable. Good burnouts and attitude from the exhaust.

[richpet]

Thanks! I was thinking it should work well. I don't mind leaving a few ponies on the shelf in exchange for reliability.

I will plan on the 185's then I think. Should be plenty.

Plus, I plan to DRIVE it. Probably 4-5k a year. Once we move to town again that will go down probably.
I am learning to love my FiTech also. It was 25° today and all I did was turn the key and boom. Idle.

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[emerygt350]

Luckily we are starting with a pretty good chassis. Not crazy heavy, and with just a couple cheap mods they handle really well. My fox body is very competitive with modern equivalents in a highly competitive autocross region. You can see in my sig I have only put Ford performance springs (1/2 inch drop) into the suspension. That and the strut brace and camber plates.

My very mild build CFI motor is great fun, incredibly reliable, and sounds awesome. Like he said, you have to put a ton of money in before you can dream of keeping up with a modern grocery getter.

[richpet]

A lot of it is the nostalgia and 'old school' performance. Very few people know what a Granada is, and very few seem to remember ever having seen one. When a 4-door grandma car pulls up with a rumble that shakes things, it gets appreciative smiles. And questioning looks.
And when it takes off, manually shifted, at a respectable pace, or goes around corners in ways grandma's car could never dream of, even better.

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[wdanison43103]

A lot of it is the nostalgia and 'old school' performance. Very few people know what a Granada is, and very few seem to remember ever having seen one. When a 4-door grandma car pulls up with a rumble that shakes things, it gets appreciative smiles. And questioning looks.
And when it takes off, manually shifted, at a respectable pace, or goes around corners in ways grandma's car could never dream of, even better.

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Funny you bring that up, people aren’t quite sure how to take my LTD LX with the bingo car looks and race car sounds. Got a bunch of big grins and thumbs up from a bunch of older gentlemen driving 100k+ restored Studebakers when I left a car show I entered a few months back. Makes all the hours in the garage worth it.


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[richpet]

Makes all the hours in the garage worth it.


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My next house (next year maybe) will have a garage...
Our carport is so short even our Hyundai Venue sticks out. Not to mention weather considerations.

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[emerygt350]

That thing looks great. I would go with sleeper wheels myself but to each their own. Funny how cars I found so disappointing in the early eighties resonate with me now... Just love the angles.

[gt4494]

Solid plan for what you intend to use the car for.

There’s really no use for an ‘every single number’ build on the street. The newer cars have us pushrod guys waxed in every single way, except nostalgia and weight. I’ve got a 67 with similar spec’s, and FiTech efi for those benefits. It’s fun and reliable. Good burnouts and attitude from the exhaust.

I hate to agree but. I have my '84 pushrod tuned well and not stock. I thought it was pretty hot fun car then I bought a 2012 with the coyote. no way I can come close in my '84. Only thing the '84 has in its favor is weight. 3k lbs vs 3.8-4k lbs. sigh....

[wraithracing]

The Coyote 5.0 is an impressive feat of engineering. The 4.6 DOHC and the 5.4/5.8 DOHC engines are pretty bad ass too, especially with Forced Induction. I am about to swap a 5.4 3V into a new to me 2004 F150 with the Roush Intercooled Supercharger and a tune that will put it right around 500 Flywheel HP. That's with stock internals, cast iron manifolds, and @ 10lbs of boost. Can't wait to get my 5.4 DOHC in my 82 GT turbocharged! That one will be fun! Still may not fit under a hood, but fun either way!

But don't worry I have a 347 SBF with TFS 11R heads and all the other goodies that goes in my 79 PC, so I still have some old Detroit Iron to play with too.

[emerygt350]

The one thing to remember is that I can slap a carb on my old 84 and drive into the sunset. Those fancy new motors mean you are pretty much beholden to the technology. My little flat tappet 302 is always within my power to fix and keep happy. It ain't much but it fundamentally describes the difference between owning a Ferrari and a Ford. The Ferrari is amazing, but I can fix my Ford.

[richpet]

With the right parts a pushrod motor can beat much of the new tech cars, but you exchange that for drivability and economy. Aren't most drag cars still pushrod motored? (Not sure as I don't follow racing)
I love the old school noise and rumble and many others do because you just can't copy that with a new car. Also, the wind has changed the shape of everything so our four-eyes are just plain different.
Lots of power with very respectable performance, combined with old school nostalgia looks and tech and maintainability. Not as fast as a modern car, but the coolness, the nostalgia, the 'I built it myself', the fact that it is different than what one can buy now... That's fun.
And some are indeed quicker...

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[richpet]

That thing looks great. I would go with sleeper wheels myself but to each their own. Funny how cars I found so disappointing in the early eighties resonate with me now... Just love the angles.

Thanks! It does not AT ALL sound like a sleeper as it is obnoxious loud, and I wanted good cornering. Those Tri-bars are patterned off the 94-95 Mustang, which were in turn patterned off the TRX. I like the history trail. I considered them subtle, yet effective.
And, well, they were on sale IIRC for under $70 each... Pretty good for a 17x8 alloy wheel.
Also, I was looking for a balance between nostalgia and custom.
I appreciate your thoughts though! I had one friend ask me what I thought of super quiet exhaust, and leaving them in the dust quietly. I thought about it, but the sound is part of it.
BTW - loved the autocross video .

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[richpet]

Block at shop. Had to buy a core from them as my block had a crack. Bummer.
Crank is backordered so it will be a while. Going with a cast crank/forged Pistons set up since I don't plan to beat on it. CR (static) should work out to 10.2-1 with the kit I chose and the AFR185's.
I may have a cam custom ground.

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[emerygt350]

Have fun with the cam. Such good fun for the money.

[richpet]

Hoping and planning to have a blast!
I love the building as well as the driving.
Just thinking a custom cam might be best. That way I can get more of the characteristics I am planning on with hopefully less compromise.

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[gt4494]

Make sure the rest of the valve train is matched to the cam.. rockers, pushrod length and lifters..

[richpet]

Most definitely. The biggest thing will be pushrod length. I've used a checker before with good results.
I just want the cam to have a noticeable idle with good drivability. Lower lift to help longevity (valve closing more slowly so less 'slap'), but longer durations in the specs.
We will see. TBH a standard cam would probably be just fine, but I will cross this bridge when I get there.

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[gt4494]

if you use a custom grind, let the cam maker know what ratio rockers you will be using. It makes a difference.

[richpet]

if you use a custom grind, let the cam maker know what ratio rockers you will be using. It makes a difference.

Will do! And that does make sense as the ratio will have an effect on both lift and duration.

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