Oh im not going to do nything, my dads pretty strict. He said that if i get a ticket from 16-17(junior/senior) he will take the car away untill im 18. Or if i dont get A's and B's in school, its gone too. Maybe a small burn out here and there.
Thank you!! I mean no dis respect to those who said nice things about my dad, but, can someone help me out in the area of getting the engine to 280hp-300hp for under 1,000 dollars??
Old school YEA your dad is not only wise HE'S COOL and OLD SCHOOL and thats what this country needs as well as MORE CRAFTSMAN. Burnouts are cool too take it to the track the only ticket you get there is a et slip and you already paid for it. BE SAFE COMET's and Maverick's have more fun.
My opinon to do it right about 1800-2200 all machine work and parts and thats cosidering you have some good parts to work with block, heads and carb. Im in it for the long haul. GOOD LUCK
So maybe a good set of new heads and a cam, with some headers and maybe a new intake manifold. Can you recommend some good parts to get it to 200hp-300?
To answer your question it all depends whether your bottom end is good or needs to be rebuilt. If it's good then you can do aftermarket heads, cam and intake to reach your goal. It the bottom end needs rebuilt then you're going to be over budget.
engine If your engine runs ok now, I would put alum intake,600 cfm carb. set of headers and dual exhaust, And ride it.
Before you do any of this .... does this car have front disc brakes? Is the steering and front suspension sound and tight. Good alignment? You need to at least be on a nearly-equal footing with modern cars you will be sharing the road with ... these are priorities. Most modern cars have 4 wheel discs now. In the two weeks following when I did a carb swap on the 302 in mine, I could have potentially rear-ended other cars THREE times. Drum brakes can be pretty miserable, and mind you, I was in my 30s, and a very experienced driver at that point. You can easily overdrive the car's braking potential when you get much over the stock HP if still dealing with drums. If your budget is $1000, Fordman's suggestion is about right. Figure about $250 for each component and the incidentals that crop up (gaskets, sealants, new air cleaner, etc.) and there is your budget. You want components to match, and if you want room to grow in the future, that makes the choices a bit less clear. In either case, I would lean toward a 2.5 inch dual exhaust and some basic headers as a starting point. If you have power steering, you will need a drop bracket. Expect the pitman arm on the steering box to dent a tube, many headers don't have a lot of room there. My system goes outboard of the frame rails as it passes over the axle ... gets away from the lop-sided gas tank position. If you think you will be sticking with the stock heads for a long time (and in my experience, you will be ... it takes time and $$$ to make changes), an Edelbrock Performer manifold is fine. A 1 inch carb spacer will help wake it up a bit too. I scored a mid-80s Mustang GT factory aluminum intake when still playing with the 302 that came in mine. That and a 600 Holley carb woke it up pretty well ... swap meet scores. Had to rebuild the carb and get a spacer plate that covered a goofy heat riser the manifold came with, but it worked well with the stock heads. If you think you may later go with a cam and better heads, perhaps step up to a Performer Plus manifold, or better yet, the Air Gap version. These probably would work "well enough" with the stock heads, but the others would match better for the time being, and could be sold off later as the project grows. A dirt cheap head swap that is plentiful right now is from 5.0 Explorers ... 1996-early 97. You do not want the 97-98s.... a revised spark plug angle makes for some really bad fitment problems. The junkyards are full of Explorers right now. The V8 only came in some four door models. By the time you get past this, you will want a better rear gear ... 3.55 with a posi of some sort, but all that will require more $$$. It never stops ...
No disrespect....but what do you need that much horsepower for? Are you ever going to legally drag race this car at a drag strip? If you are, can you live with the consequences of either blowing up your car, tearing up a rear-end, burning up a transmission, etc? If it is your ONLY car (daily driver), then you probably can't live with the consequences. Also Jeff (CaptainComet) has very wise advise. At this point, your money is best spent on making the car safe, then worry about making it go faster. Bottom line: What are your plans for this car? What do you want to accomplish besides 200-300hp?
Well jeez, I dont know anymore now. When it comes down to it. I want a safe, reliable car that has a little pep in its step. Its not going to take 15 seconds to get to 75mph when im trying to get on the highway. Im not planning on going to the strip anytime, but i dont wanna be afraid when my friends challenge me on the country back roads with their brand new chryslers and Audi's that their parents buy FOR them. Ive worked for my dad since i was ten, i bought this car in september by myself. And ive done all of the body work on the dcar so far, its time fro the engine now.
As far as "pep"...a lot can be accomplished with just a 4 barrel intake, a set of headers, and a different rear axle ratio. As far as "safe and reliable", get the disc brakes installed, and make sure your suspension is all safe and sound. With "speed" you will lose some reliablilty...especially if you start breaking stuff. As far as "challenges on the country back roads", a few things: 1. You should be afraid. Drag racing on country back roads is not only illegal, but very dangerous. What if your buddy's Chrysler or Audi goes haywire and plows into the side of your car? Good saying to live by: Don't be writing checks your body can't cash. In other words, don't go out and do things that you can't afford the consequences of. 2. You could probably double your budget to $2000 and quite frankly those Chryslers and Audi could still whip you. 3. Why does the competition have to be "speed". Why not just take pride in the fact that you bought the car yourself, and later on in life those same kids well get a lesson in economics and finances that you are already learning. 4. Ask you Dad about all this, including your reasoning behind it all, and see what he says. Not trying to be harsh, but if one comes on here asking for advice....I am going to give them the advice their grandmother would give them...except I am going to leave my teeth in.
ASK your dad and see what he says. like i said take it to the track dont be scareeeeed. get your buddies to go with you. Remember your only 16 You have the rest of your life to go fast Be Safe
