Skip to main content
Topic: 9 Years Later and Counting... (Read 18941 times) previous topic - next topic

9 Years Later and Counting...

The 302 broke in 2005 when I was just starting to put a severe case of the whoop ass on a 2002 WS6 Trans Am and the valve decided it no longer needed the head on the #7 cylinder.  Needless to say there was antifreeze dripping out of the 3" exhaust.  That was all the excuse I needed to park the car and I did just that for over three years.  I moved from OK to TX and the job change allowed me to rethink what I wanted to do with the car and I decided a more street friendly suspension was in order, bigger brakes, more motor, and to revamp the nitrous system.

Well the exhaust is done (http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?31210-Custom-Exhaust-for-the-351W), the Cobra brake conversion is complete (I have some pictures scattered on this site), the suspension has been updated (you can see the Griggs setup in the exhaust thread) and all that is left is to get the motor breathing.  The last one has been kicking me in the ass with the small stuff.  The motor has been built for over a year but I live over 8 hours away so I get up there every other month.

I finally located the Carb Shop again out in California and had them freshen up the carb they built for the car back in '98.  I had it updated and switched over to a road race/street build and rejetted for the 351W.

I had the guys at NX rework the fuel and N02 solenoids and check the Gemini Twin plate to make sure all the spray bars were in working order and they hooked me up.

I ordered the diaphragm rebuild kits for the Mallory return style regulator for the carb and the two Holley regulators for the nitrous system.  Got the Holley's rebuild at the house in about 30 minutes but the Mallory replacement diaphragm was totally different than what came out of the regulator.  I few days and a couple of phone calls and I found out they changed designs a few years ago and no longer offer the kit for the one I had.  Tossed the body in the recycle bin at work and ordered a new one after searching high and low on the internet for a good price.

I went home last weekend and got he carb installed with the plate under it only to find that the carb was sitting way to high to clear the hood.  Remove the plate and the hood clears.  Install the 14" diameter by 4" tall K&N air filter with a drop base and the hood hits again.  This was solved by ordering a 3" tall K&N.  I used the formulas on K&N's website and found out I was way over sized on the filter to begin with and the 3" tall unit was just about right so that made life a little better. Here are some picture with the carb on the motor and all the fuel lines installed:

   

Here are a couple with the hood on the car:

 

Forgive all the dust but I have not washed the car in over five years.  It will go to the body shop after I get it running to install the new TC nose and replace the Certshiznit passenger fender with a factory one.

So the dilemma was what to do with the NX system as I have four freshly rebuilt solenoids and two completely full 15lb bottles in the trunk...can you say fogger?  One of my buddies has run nitrous for years and does his own installation work and I usually wire them so I gave him a call to see what would be needed.  He called NX and they have a conversion kit that will work with my solenoids.  Looks like the Vic Jr intake is coming off and the bungs on the intake runners are getting drilled and tapped the week of the 4th of July.

Anyhow, I am hoping to have the car fired back up that week if all goes well.  Did I mention the tags are over 7 years out?  Ask Vinnie how wonderful the state of OK is on that now.  Most likely will get tagged in TX to avoid all the penalties.

Anyhow, I will update this as I make progress but it will be slow with the distance.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #1
Wow, you've got a lot of work done considering the distance between you and your car.  Well done with everything sir, this thing would own all comers in "the twisties".
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #2
Thanks and we will see.  I am still debating the TKO being in the car but it will stay for the time being.  I would really like a T-56 Magnum six speed but those things are not cheap and what I have works.  I need to focus on getting the  thing started before I contemplate any more changes.  I still need to align the front end which should be fun when it gets up on the rack and they are just scratching their heads like they did with my Coupe.  Needless to say the Firestone store did not offer any kind of warranty when they aligned my Coupe and would not test drive the car after they aligned it due to the "customer installed aftermarket suspension".  I thought the quotes on the work ticket were pretty funny.  The tech wanted to but the store manager was not having it.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #3
lol, same thing happened when I took my car in for an alignment.  I don't have anything aftermarket like yours but they were still uneasy when I told them it had Mustang spindles & brakes on it.  I am sure they thought I was some nuckelhead who didn't know what he was doing.

If you ever decide to "throw away" that TKO let me know, it would be a fine upgrade for me! lol.  I am sure I would really need it with my stock HO motor (not).  Well now maybe if I added a fogger system like you then I may need its enhanced power handling capabilites for a few brief seconds, just before my motor splits in two!
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #4
Great work I love your car I want to get some ac in mine. If I had it to do over I'd go with the t56 in a heart beat. Have fun.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]:ford:87 Turbo Coupe through the floor sub frame connectors, 5.8 swap Ford racing heads Harland sharp 1.6 rockers BBK shorty swap headers 2 1/2 BBk X pipe magnaflow ler's. Megasquirt 2 with 36lbs injectors on hurricane intake with 4150 throttle body.Tremec TKO 600 Quicktime blowsheild spec stage 3 clutch. 3.73 gears and still not done

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #5
Well lets still hope the AC works!  All you need is the 351W bracket for the AC compressor and power steering pump.  I got mine from Summit a couple years ago but they still have them:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FMS-M-8511-B351/

They have gone up about $20 so I would snag one if you need it.  All the rest of the serpentine setup from the 5.0 HO 87-93 Mustangs just bolt on.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #6
Your motor looks great, as does your exhaust.  Was checking out your subframe connectors also, think I might try to bend some up for mine. Any idea what alignment specs you are going to have it set up with?

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #7
I had the Coupe set up to the "street" specs that were in the instructions for the Maximum Motorsports caster camber plates and I really like how it handles so I will most likely do the same to the Bird as it has the MM CC plates as well and both cars have the SN95 spindles and bumpsteer kits.

We have a thread on the subframe connectors here if you are interested:

http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?32834-Seat-Bracess-For-Global-West-Sub-Frame-Connectors

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #8
Thanks for the info. I think I will have the same set up also when done. Have 03 spindles installed now, but am going to try the 94/94 spindles to get a little more clearance to the fender.

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #9
The '03 spindles are 8.1mm wider than the Fox spindles per side and the 94-95 spindles are 3.1mm wider than the Fox spindles per side.  If you have a stock K-member then run the 94-95 spindles due to bump steer reasons.  If you are running a tubular K-member run the 96-99 spindles again to bump steer reasons.

I am running a set of '99 spindles due to the Griggs K-member and have no tire issues.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #10
Well I made some progress on my week off from work but it was slowed with having to remember how all of it went together.  The taller and wider 351 had also factored in slowing things down but it looks like it will run now.  I still have to install the distributor and plug wires but I am waiting on that to finish up the fuel system.  The fogger only needs one fuel regulator where the two stage plate it had on it previously required two fuel regulators.  The fogger plumbing also killed my feed setup to the carb so it will be getting dual AN-06 lines straight from the regulator.  Had to order fittings yesterday so it will stay like this until I can make another trip up here.  All and all I got quite a bit done but now the nickle and dime stuff eats up time.

Couple shots of the intake after some plumbing work:
 

Couple of shots of the motor with the intake installed:
 

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #11
Sweet!
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #12
Looks Good




SCT Tuned by Me(Greg@SpeedyDyno.com)

E.T. 10.28 @ 136.5 MPH 1/4 mile: List of Mods; 351 EFI, AFR heads,AOD,Rousch 13in frt brakes,11in rear brakes, AirRide Tech air ride system, Sub frame connetors,2400 RPM stall, 3.50,BBK shorties,T62PT Turbos  air to air intercooled, Home built kit.
Car weights 3705lbs without driver:burnout:

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #13
Sweet looking intake!!
Love Foxes, Birds or Stangs.

9 Years Later and Counting...

Reply #14
Thanks guys!  I was really disappointed that I did not get the car started but with all the changes the whole fuel system from the regulators over to the carb and NX system has to be completely reworked.  I have all the parts on order so now its just finding the time to get back up there and finish it.  The only thing I can say is I am glad Texas has visual only when a car is 25+ years old.  I don't think this one would pass a sniffer test here in the Houston area.

Darren

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp