$50 for 25 RWHP Seems Fair

"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5) 09/14/2015 at 18:01 • Filed to: None

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10

In my quest for cheap speed, I bought a Mustang. I didn’t pay much for the car, mainly because it’s largely in pieces. It’s got a 5 liter and a 5 speed with a few things done to it, but it’s one of the things that isn’t done to it that baffles me.

You see, it’s well known in the Fox-body community that the heads on an ‘86 Mustang are a truck head, and a bit crap. Stock for stock, the ‘86 loses 25hp and 20 ft lbs to an ‘87, but the heads do provide a broad torque curve...so you really don’t lose much stock speed.

But when it comes to modifying the engine, the ‘86 heads tend to dull anything else you do to it. So with headers, an intake, a wide open exhaust, gears, drag radials...why does this car still have its stock heads and intake manifold?

Now unfortunately I ran into a bit of a problem at the junkyard: the ‘96 Explorer appeared to have had its heads replaced, and it’s GT40s were nowhere to be found. The GT40 heads and intake together on a mildly modified Fox can bring about 40-50 RWHP...which is nothing to sneeze at.

So I found myself a ‘97 Mercury Mountaineer and snagged this:

GT40 upper and lower intake manifold, $50 out the door. The heads on that truck are GT40-Ps, which I’m trying to decide if I want. If I get GT40s, I can just put them on my car as I pull them; if I get P heads, I’m looking at another $130 for valve springs, since the P’s stock spring can’t stand up to the HO camshaft in the Mustang engines. I think I’ll hold out for GT40s, it would make my life easier.

Anyway, none of that junk will find its way onto the Mustang until winter. But for $50 and a little time, I’m glad I’ve got it in stock for when I do finally get inside my car’s engine.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 09/14/2015 at 18:05

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“The box said 25 horsepower.”

Officer Jim Lahey is not a real cop > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 09/14/2015 at 18:10

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At that price I’ll take 10.

That’s how this works, right?

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/14/2015 at 18:32

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“Wait, this eBay short ram intake doesn’t give my Civic an extra 25hp? Whaaaaaaaat?!”

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Officer Jim Lahey is not a real cop 09/14/2015 at 18:33

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Bolt it right to the trunk lid, it'll add downforce too!

lone_liberal > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 09/14/2015 at 19:00

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That reminds me that I should look in to getting some vortec heads off from a Tahoe/Suburban/Escalade.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > lone_liberal 09/14/2015 at 19:07

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Pick N Pull, best deal going if you don’t mind doing the work. It took me about 2 hours to get this manifold off, would have been less if I didn’t have to rule out the other truck first...there’s a little “GT” or “GTP” marking to let you know which heads you've got, and the 96 apparently had neither.

jovimon7 > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 09/14/2015 at 19:08

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Also GT40P heads need different headers, the header you have may bolt up fine to “P” heads but you can’t get spark plugs out without unbolting the headers because of the plug angle.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > jovimon7 09/14/2015 at 19:12

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Exactly right. Just seems like more effort, and since I'm not planning to get into the motor till November at the earliest, I can wait for GT40s.

lone_liberal > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 09/14/2015 at 19:12

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Absolutely. I’ve been keeping and eye out on the local version of Pick N Pull’s inventory and it looks like they have some prime candidates. The last time I went it was for some damn headlight retaining rings. I couldn’t find any locally and there is no way was going to pay for them to be shipped to me. A couple of minutes and the $5 dollar minimum later I had what I needed.

Seat Safety Switch > lone_liberal 09/14/2015 at 20:04

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It’s nice to pull the coils from many Vortec-engined GMCs as well, since they are rather nice for stuff like RX8 LS-coil conversions.