Thread: Need some knowledgable help

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Guys I need some help. I am young (19) inexperienced and have wanted to get into hot rodding since I was about 12. My step-dad comes from denver and has a big racing back ground, but he says I have to build one on my own to get his help with a bigger project. Here is what I am wanting to do I want to take the 3.8L V6 out of my 98 Mustang and swap it with a built 302. I have two 302 blocks right now one form 72' the other from 78' and I have a set of 351 pre-smog heads. I have been looking at making a 347 Stroker with somewhere around 9.5-10.2 Compression Ratio, and designed for street/strip use. Not sure where to begin on this build or if I should just scrap the 347 for now, and just build a little more hopped up 302 closer to stock. Any advice or opinions would be nice.

Thanks all

I can't help you much on the engine questions, but I might reommend doing the engine swap in a second vehicle. If the Mustang is a decent daily driver, go find something you can thrash on. A truck or an older ford that you get into for very little money, but learn a heckuva lot.

Have to agree with 37 Caddy. I learned a long time ago that you don't hot rod your daily driver. Even if you did the 347 swap, I wouldn't start with a flat tappet block. There ought to be a plethora of late 5.0 roller blocks to start with, even in AK. I might build a 5.0 roller 331 and plop it into a Ranger or something like that.

Just because you own two flat tappet blocks isn't a good reason to start with them. Too many problems with available off-the-shelf oils these days to start with a flat tappet block in my opinion.

The mustang is not my daily driver, yes it could be but my main mode of transportation is my 97 Dodge Ram 5.9L. and my beater vehicle is my 84 Ford Bronco with a 302. So that is why I decided to use my 98 Mustang. I would have liked to use an earlier body style such as a 67-73 Mustang Fastback, or Coupe. But bodies up here are not easy to come by, or at least those that are salvageable. My other reason for doing this is I already have the set of 351 heads, and a flat tappet cam with bearings, pushrods, and lifters. But I am beginning to see that it might just be better to wait and find a newer block.