Fox body or mod motor? Any opinions/ suggestions

[Jmgorilla]

James from Long Island. I'm an ardent chevy guy, but have always loved the cobras. Thinking of doing a roadster. Looking for advice/opinions, gonna do basic kit, should I look for a fox body 302 or a later mod motor. As I said I'm more familiar with chevy motors. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[68GT500MAN]

There are many crate engines available that would make the roadster a rocket ship! The Ford Coyote has been gaining acceptance and would provide a lot of fun.
Doug

[Jmgorilla]

There are many crate engines available that would make the roadster a rocket ship! The Ford Coyote has been gaining acceptance and would provide a lot of fun.
Doug

Probably going to do donor car. Cost is a concern. Would love to do crate but to expensive. For now.

[306rangerfordguy]

I went the donor route on mine. The 302 ford has a good aftermarket support. It is a tough motor in stock format and can be expanded upon as the budget allows. I currently have a 347 stroker kit in my roadster. If money was not as big a factor I would consider the Coyote crate engine swap.

[Bob Cowan]

I really like the engineering of the new coyote 5.0. Dollar for dollar, they're hard to beat for a lot of reasons.

But I prefer a Windsor engine. Easier to work on and build on. More parts availability. Easier to get big cubes out of. A tried and true process.

[skullandbones]

Hi James,

How much hp do you have to have?

How will you use the roadster?

If you answer those questions sometimes it narrows the field down substantially. It also gives the forum guys a better read on your thinking.

WEK.

[Jmgorilla]

I plan to drive it a few days a week during warmer months. My commute is 50 miles each way. I'm thinking basically stock to start, I can always pull the engine for a rebuild during winter months. I guess part of the question would be bang for the buck. I'm seeing donor cars close in price fox body and mod motor alike. As I stated I know more about Chevys than fords.

[skullandbones]

If you stay with a 302 you can work on it easily. I worked exclusively on big block Chevys and the ford 302 is so different from them. But with a little patience and the forums especially the Mustang forum, you can learn a lot about how to prepare a 302 for the roadster. I could have used the donor engine I got. I still have it in my garage. It had 60k on it and after inspection, it was in great shape. It will make a very good winter project for rebuild. I actually have two. I bought another built up 302 with lots of mods and used them with a crate long block minus heads. One of the advantages of getting a mild long block crate engine is that you can also get an upgraded cam so if you decide to build up the top of the engine yourself, the cam is already installed and will compliment any heads or induction you add later. I used ATK but there are other sources for crate engines that are affordable. Look at what is included in the engine and machine processes performed. All crate engines are not created equal! Long story short: you can use a donor for what you want to do with the roadster but a refreshed one or mild crate engine will save labor in the long run (pulling engine from finished car). Good luck,

WEK.

[Mesa Mike]

James….I had the same question during my build plan. I decided to go with the 302 and make some mild mods. Drove it (very happy) for about 8 years. Then I built another 302 with heavy mods and about 425hp.
Very happy with my two step process. Will probably build engine number 3 some time in the future. My wife watched me at a track event and said "we need more horsepower". A bugatti left me in his dust. One thing about these ford engines, they are easy to find and easy to pull and rebuild. Good luck.

[Jmgorilla]

Thanks for all the input. This will prob be next winters project. Going to open house this year. Hoping to order a roadster this summer. We'll see how the finances go this year.

[CraigS]

You might want to investigate buying a pallet of parts. Sorry that I don't have any links. This helps get you the parts you want, which may be from different years and avoids having to deal w/ a donor car and do a lot of disassembly. One thing I would also do is buy a new efi harness for a 302 engine if you go that way. I have several friends who got tired of dealing w/ electrical problems caused by 20 yr old wires. By far, the easiest engine to build is a near stock 302 or 351 w/ a carb. I much prefer the 351 because it is bigger to start w/ and has a ton of potential for later upgrades. Look into what cars/trucks had 351s. The later ones in the 90s were usually injected if your prefer that.

[SnowCobra]

Nothing saying you can't put a chevy motor in a FFR. Thats the point, every car is a unique build and becomes a product of who you are. If you know chevy engines and like chevy engines, then use a chevy engine. :-)

[SnowCobra]

James, where are you from exactly? I just noticed you said that you're from Long Island. I'm in the Stony Brook area, pickup date for my complete kit is in May and I will be using the coyote motor. I happen to have a 1997 Mustang GT with a 4.6L single over head cam motor that I will be parting with soon, if that is an appropriate donor for you. I know its not a chevy, hahah but wow it would be cool to see someone take my car and turn it into a cobra! In any case, good luck with the build.

Ryan

[Jmgorilla]

Eastport. Long Island let me know what you want for the car. It prob gonna be spring when I can start to do anything though.

[GokartMozart315]

to pile on, I'm selling my lightly-damaged 01 Cobra with an aluminum DOHC 4.6 and IRS out of DC. I'll be posting in the market once I get up to post count but please let me know if any interest. I'd be looking for around $7k, the car needs some pieces like k member and oil pan but otherwise is a great performer, and its balance would be a perfect fit for an FFR