How do you know when a car is too nice to rip it's heart out?

"Frank Grimes" (FrankGrimes)
11/12/2013 at 17:56 • Filed to: None

I have a 89 mustang. It is a 2.3 auto. Yes it sucks. The interior and exterior are in quite great condition for its age. No crashes no major dents all the panels match and they look nice and when I wash and wax it it shines.

There is a 5.0 convertible for sale locally that is in worse shape but still salvageable still has all its paint and interior. I keep feeling like it would be bad to ruin this convertible I hate to put its motor trans rear end brakes etc into my 4 cylinder car.

So how do I feel good about ripping apart this 5.0 and stuffing its organs into my 2.3 LX car?

DISCUSSION (22)

offroadkarter > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 17:58

Better idea

Buy the 5.0

clean it up and flip it for a profit

take cash, go to JY, find a 98+ explorer 5.0L

take engine from that

profit

Naijaflavor, I Love Doritos > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:00

go for it, get triple digit HP numbers

seems like a fun project:)

BeaterGT > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:06

The third sentence really nailed this post for me. Why does the 5.0 have to come from the vert? Find something else!

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > offroadkarter
11/12/2013 at 18:06

This is actually a decent idea.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:06

Would you still feel bad if you donated your car's original organs to this one? It's a lot of work to build two cars instead of one, but at least in the end you'll have two running cars, instead of one running car and a heap of junk.

Frank Grimes > offroadkarter
11/12/2013 at 18:11

Except all the wiring I would need and countless small parts. Also this would take longer.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:11

The big question...

Will it flip?

For what it needs, could someone (you, or anyone else) fix it and sell it on for a profit?

Or does it need significant work to the point where the cash outlay to fix the car up would never have a chance of being repaid by the resale value.

Cosmetic or mechanical work... probably flippable.

multiple major system mechanical work, or structural repairs... maybe a parts car. If the car isn't straight and structurally aligned, that can be a big clue.

It also depends on what you want your car to end up with... sure a direct fox for fox swap is going to be relatively straightforward... but if you want a modular motor swap, or something a little less direct, you might as well not use this 5.0 as a stepping stone.

Frank Grimes > BeaterGT
11/12/2013 at 18:12

But wrecked 5.0 are surprisingly hard to come by.

offroadkarter > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:15

I have to imagine you can find another fox body 5.0 engine harness. The explorer has the GT40P heads and GT40 upper/lower intake as well as the distributorless ignition system. Fox bodies had what, E6's and E7's? woo hoo

Worth it!

Takuro Spirit > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:17

You'll feel better when it's done. You made YOUR car into what YOU want it to be YOURSELF.

Frank Grimes > offroadkarter
11/12/2013 at 18:17

yes but brake lines rear end transmission sensors fans coil front suspension brakes etc is all crap I would either need or want to swap over.

davedave1111 > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:27

It's only OK to alter a car if it's better afterwards. If it's the one in the picture, I think using any parts counts as an improvement.

If you can get it back on the road, sell at a profit, and use the money to do something better with your Mustang, that would be great. But just doing something with either is a good thing.

Personally, though, I'd be surprised if it's cheaper to swap a different engine in than to sell yours and buy one with that engine in already. I don't know the prices, but that's usually the way these kinds of projects end up.

If you want to do an engine swap, do something you can't get as standard. How about a Eurodiesel?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-E39-En…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M57

About 290bhp and 400+ torques for the top-tune ones, but even the more basic versions are still at around the power level of the 4.9 Windsor engine (according to a quick google) and have way more torque, and ridiculously better fuel economy - you could expect 30+mpg while thrashing it.

offroadkarter > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:46

find more fox bodies!

or a SN95

Frank Grimes > offroadkarter
11/12/2013 at 18:48

SN95 would make it more complicated...I think.

offroadkarter > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:51

94-95

still has 5.0L

Get 5 lug wheels

Frank Grimes > offroadkarter
11/12/2013 at 18:52

Yes but those are harder to find and more expensive and I like my four lug wheels.

offroadkarter > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 18:59

I'm out of ideas

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 19:15

Restore the 5.0 and sell it for a profit, as offroadkarter suggests. Then buy a new (or salvage) 5.0 Coyote engine from the 2011+ Mustang and swap it in to your car.

Kinja'd!!!

Frank Grimes > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos
11/12/2013 at 19:59

uhh thats not gonna happen as much as I would like it to. Those motors alone are 6k plus 1500 for the ecu pedal and controller. I dont think a resored convertible would bring in much.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 20:12

It wont cover the cost, but it can't hurt, can it?

You can get a used engine for less than that. Shop around and you could probably have it in and running for less than $7k

AutoSavant > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 21:24

Why not just go to the salvage yard, buy a 351w from a truck and a 5 spd from a GT. Swap them into your 'Stang and call it a day. I bought everything I needed in one day from one yard smiling the whole time for 400 bucks. They even pulled the big stuff for me and put it in the truck. Mine already had EFI and was pretty much plug and play. Added 5.0 convertible motor mounts and it dropped right in.

http://www.wikihow.com/Install-351W-I…

Skif6996 > Frank Grimes
11/12/2013 at 21:51

You could sell the donor as a drag car. Someone will snag it up, throw fiberglass panels on it, and a race motor.