Can anybody out there give me any information on installing 390 & C6 into my 75 GT? I got a great deal on this combo and don't want to pass it up. Will i need to use 73 Mustang big block shock towers or can mine be modifided?? Please email me. Also still looking for drivers seat tracked for my 75 bucket seat.
I know that your best bet is to do a mustang 2 front end setup and cut the towers. You will also need to modify the tranny tunnel for the c6. Good luck with it! -Todd
Tks Todd but I would like the under hood to look a stock as poss I want it to look like it belongs there. A mustang II front end and mods to shock tower would take awa yfrom the look I am going for. But great advise.
Robert Raney is doing something similar to that. He will probably be on tomorrow and can help you out.
A bare 390 block will bolt right up to the frame mounts if you use fairlane motor mounts . I think you end up with about 1 an inch of space on either side of the BARE block (at most) . After that you will have to get the width of the heads and the headers in there . A C6 tranny will fit behind a small block with no modifications to the floor boards but the rear transmission mount has to have all the spot welds cut off and remounted back about 6 inches . 390s have a bigger rounder mounting surface for the transmission so you may have to massage that area Unless you are a very good body man and have no problem spending hours banging tin to make the shock towers look stock you should either consider gacking off the front of the car ( less work in the long run) and welding on a mustang 2 front end or use a smaller motor .
390--C6 Info Just thought I would pass on some stats I have on the engine and trans combo you are going to use. 302 weighs in at 460lbs. Is 24in wide and 29in long, the 351w is 525lbs, 25in wide and 29in long. The 352/390/ 427/428 which are considered big block FE motors, weigh in at "625lbs' 27in wide and 32in long. The C6 also weighs about 45lbs more than a C4. After installing a 351w in a 75 Mav, I can see no real easy way to use a 390 in my opinion. Did mock up a C6 to the windsor and it would not clear the floor tunnel without a lot of mods. Ended up using a glide and only mod was to unbolt the rear crossmember and fabricate a mount bracket about 3in longer. Those FE engines were great stuff back in my day and were awesome load haulers in trucks. Just gave a good 352 and C6 to the scrap yard, no one around here wanted it. Have spent tons of green backs on projects like that and ended up going back to small block 302's etc. They are more fun to wind up to 8000 and jump out from under you when you mash the gas. Still the FE in a Mav would be something that would draw a lot of interest and comments. Good luck either way.
If I got a great deal on a 390/C-6, I would start looking for a great deal on a car it will actually fit in. JMO....
you could always put in the stang 2 front end and put in little shock towers for show purposes only?? It may not be worth the hassle but if it is what you really have your heart set on, anything is possible. Again, good luck with everything. -Todd
Mybad i didn't mention this earlier, When I was at carlisle, this guy had a big block in a mav with it shock towers there. he cut them out and cut the outer edge of it, the part that actually is attatched to the car, and put them back in then modified where the springs attatched to the upper control arm and cut the control arm a bit to make everything functionally good. I dont know if I explained it good but it looks like a lot of work. I am sure somebody who was at carlisle saw it and might be able to explain it a bit better than i did. -Todd
I saw it. It was on display behind the guys selling reproduction 427 blocks. I am not sure how much work was done to the upper control arms. I did notice that the shock towers were cut where they meet the fenders and reinstalled. It makes them look much more factory. My concern for something like this kind of mod/swap would be the need for reinforcement in the mounting area and lower part of the shock tower. If your 390 was going to be anything more than stock, it will be producing lots of torque and twist. Add to that the fact that a heavier motor as old guy stated is doing the twisting adds to the stress in the mounting areas. Mustangs/Cougars had the lower part of the shock tower areas reinforced with extra material compared to their small block siblings. As far as the transmission tunnel is concerned, I agree with the other comments. We have even seen this to be a problem with the small block C-6 transmission. It just will not slide in there easily. I agree with the previous comment, the 390 belongs in a different car if you are looking for a stock look. Seth
My idea of having no fun at all would be trying to install an FE motor in a Mav/Comet. If the FE and trans is a good deal, buy it, sell it to make some money on? Then would be a good start on a stroker motor. Just my opinion. Good luck! Dan
The guy Todd is referring to is Genesis Custom Manufacturing. They are recasting the 427 FE blocks with much improvement. Their test mule is a Maverick. They said they would come to our Roundup Drag night since they are in IN but they never showed. I did email them the information. http://www.genesis427.com/
Maybe if you fabricated a stronger frame support and a monte carlo bar with a stang 2 font end? I saw tunnels in jegs that you can put in. If you really want to do it, its possible, but why in the world would you want to? I definately agree to put it in a car where it fits. Unless of course it is a drag car!haha -Todd
Here is a pic of a 460. Not the same, but you get the picture. They trimmed the towers and braced it up some. This was on the board before, but here it is again. Maybe someone else knows the thread it was on? Doesn't look exactly stock, but the trimmed towers make it look almost believable like everyone said before. -Corbin
Looks like installing a 390/C6 combo is not a good choice for my Comet. Guess I just might stick with my org 302/C4 combo. Noticed on pic sent in I would loose power brakes for sure. I'll still buy the 390/C6 and build and older Comet/Cyclone combo. I dont think I could pass up $500.00 cnd for engine trans both rebuilt. TKS all.
