Which motor???

[coolguy10786]

Ok I thought I had made up my mind on swapping in a 03 cobra drivetrain, but I am having some second thoughts. I'd like to know what you guys think because i could go either way at this point.

Here's my two choices:
1. Swap in 17,000 mile or new 03 cobra engine. Upgrade t45 or swap to t56. Go back to stock 3.27 gear. Sell Naz ported heads, cams, fr500. Run eaton for time being maybe eventually run whipple/KB.

2. MP built 324ci aluminum shortblock. Run current ported heads and more aggressive set of cams. Run ported or ported/shortend mach/cobra intake.

Both options sound very appealing to me and the cost difference isn't enough to sway me on way or the other. I have driven my dad's stock 04 cobra and loved the power, but i also think about what my motor would been like with 40 more cubes, more aggressive cams, and higher compression.

All comments and suggestions are welcome!

 

[Toasty]

Big bore with your c heads. I think it'll wake up bigtime.

YOur tagline says 339/288, but I assume you're making more than that with c heads, cams, intake, etc. Right?

 

[coolguy10786]

Those were the only dyno numbers i ever got with the HCI setup. I broke the alternator on the dyno and never finished getting it dyno tune. I later got a mail order from Lasota and the car woke up alot! But never got numbers and now the motor either blew the oil pump or spun a bearing.

It would be a lot simplier to just swap in a forged shortblock.

 

[SVTContique]

03/04 Cobra Motor.

 

[coolguy10786]

Damn people are really digging the 03/04 motor swap! The only thing i don't like about it is the added weight and the fact i would still be running a stock motor. But that whine is very sexy and would make for a fun car.

Right now i'm trying to get ahold of john @ MP and talk to him about doing the 324. I'm leaning more in this direction because my car with the stock bottom end pulled damn nicely and can't imagine what 40 more ci's would behave like!

 

[19mustang95]

i think your car with the 324ci and your heads/cam setup with a good intake(providing that you are selling the FR500 to fund the motor) will be faster than a pullied stock eaton 03/04 motor. You'd be adding atleast 150lbs compared to your current setup to not make much more than 75hp. But I'm a big fan of motor/nitrous cars.

 

[kingcato]

look at every 03/04 cobra out there.... absolute guarantee you cant go wrong with that setup.... or do what i will do, 5.4L DOHC single Turbo setup... just my .02

 

[JP96cobra]

Go with the 324ci and have it built for nitrous. It will make for a fun car that will be lighter than the 03-04 engine.

Or you could go with a 324ci with lower compression and save money for about a year until you have enough for the eaton conversion. Then have the best of both worlds. :rockon:

 

[coolguy10786]

i think your car with the 324ci and your heads/cam setup with a good intake(providing that you are selling the FR500 to fund the motor) will be faster than a pullied stock eaton 03/04 motor. You'd be adding atleast 150lbs compared to your current setup to not make much more than 75hp. But I'm a big fan of motor/nitrous cars.

Intake would be a mach/cobra ported shortrunner. Keeping light an n/a would be fun for sure. Especially if the motor will run 10s w/o juice like Carlos was doing. Will be pretty much the same bottom end, maybe more compression.

look at every 03/04 cobra out there.... absolute guarantee you cant go wrong with that setup.... or do what i will do, 5.4L DOHC single Turbo setup... just my .02

Yup which is why it is still very tempting. Plus gives me room to grow for whipple or KB down the road.

Go with the 324ci and have it built for nitrous. It will make for a fun car that will be lighter than the 03-04 engine.

Or you could go with a 324ci with lower compression and save money for about a year until you have enough for the eaton conversion. Then have the best of both worlds. :rockon:

lol that would be sick, but if anything i would just run a lower compression ratio with stock stroke and bore and put a 3.4 or mammoth on there.

 

[97WHITEVENOM]

Wait, why a cobra motor? You are running a c-head set up now anyway right? Can you just throw a whipple on top of that?

Is it basically, iron block (03-04cobra motor) + blower = big cube aluminum block.... pricewise?

 

[coolguy10786]

Wait, why a cobra motor? You are running a c-head set up now anyway right? Can you just throw a whipple on top of that?

Is it basically, iron block (03-04cobra motor) + blower = big cube aluminum block.... pricewise?

I could, but don't have enough money for that. I could forge my current block and do an eaton swap, but its cheaper for me just to swap in the whole motor and harness. Plus i would really want to beef up the t45 or go t56 with the eaton on there.

 

[97WHITEVENOM]

I could, but don't have enough money for that. I could forge my current block and do an eaton swap, but its cheaper for me just to swap in the whole motor and harness. Plus i would really want to beef up the t45 or go t56 with the eaton on there.

What do you estimate a motor swap would run, $7-9k?

 

[jumperjack]

More to consider

I am doing the the terminator swap and there are other things to consider such as the fuel upgrades needed for the SC setup also computer either piggyback to keep your own or swap everything out. there is also the driveshaft yolk. My swap is not done yet but getting close I happen to think it will be worth the effort but you should consider all the pieces to the puzzle as the odds and ends up to alot of money before it is said and done.

 

[tomustang]

go for the 324, you can't remove weight off the iron block but you can add more power to the 324

 

[coolguy10786]

I am doing the the terminator swap and there are other things to consider such as the fuel upgrades needed for the SC setup also computer either piggyback to keep your own or swap everything out. there is also the driveshaft yolk. My swap is not done yet but getting close I happen to think it will be worth the effort but you should consider all the pieces to the puzzle as the odds and ends up to alot of money before it is said and done.

Thats is the main thing steering me away from the swap is the additional labor I will have to do. I don't mind doing it, but would much rather just swap in a shortblock.

I would be getting the harness, computer, and gauge cluster, so i could decided which harness i would want to run. But the good thing about the termi swap is that it leaves me a lot more parts to selll back to help with the cost. I do have some mild fuel upgrades, which would last for awhile. 03 injectors and MAF as well as walboro pump.

What do you estimate a motor swap would run, $7-9k?

Yes right in that nieghborhood, but i will also be able to sell more parts as well.

 

[97WHITEVENOM]

Thats is the main thing steering me away from the swap is the additional labor I will have to do. I don't mind doing it, but would much rather just swap in a shortblock.

I would be getting the harness, computer, and gauge cluster, so i could decided which harness i would want to run. But the good thing about the termi swap is that it leaves me a lot more parts to selll back to help with the cost. I do have some mild fuel upgrades, which would last for awhile. 03 injectors and MAF as well as walboro pump.



Yes right in that nieghborhood, but i will also be able to sell more parts as well.

If your timing gear went and took your valvetrain id say go terminator motor. But in this case I say go with a forge shortblock... it will be build better than a terminator motor anyway. And down the road i am sure you will be able to get your hands on an eaton and put it on your heads.

 

[Gallows]

I'd go with more cubes which will fit under the stock hood:-D

 

[coolguy10786]

Well its looking like rebuilding my current motor is going to be my best route. I've priced out the various builds and I have narrowed it down. I was thinking about going w/ 9.0 comp and standard bore/stroke with some FGT cams and in the winter swap on a KB 2.2(because i love how loud they are!). But, it will be cheapest to keep it n/a and pay a little more now.

I've narrowed it down to 322 Boss block stroker, Forged Boss Short Block, and aluminum block stroker. Big deciding factor is that boss block cuts delivery time in half and Modular Performance is already busy.

I wish my car wouldn't have called it quits

 

[kingcato]

put an lsx motor in there......:kaboom:

 

[gt40lx]

Im in the sameee situation as u but i was running b heads on my n.a build up and it spun a main. Good luck and i vote for more cubes