turning a 89 base into a sc

J

john33

Guest
i was just given my grandfathers thunderbird due to him passing away. as a result i do not want to part with it but i would like to make it into a sc . im not real familiar with these cars so i would like to know what i would need for the conversion ? any help is appricated .
 
First, look into buying a complete SC motor,wiring harnesses, intercooler,etc etc....

After buying used SC motor change the head gaskets while the motor is out,water pump,balancer,crank sensor,cam sensor,DIS sensor
well there is more but you get the idea...

Good luck
 
sorry for your loss.

Tom is on the right track answering your question, but I will pitch a question back to you.


Any particular reason you want to switch it to an SC? If i was going to do that kind of work, i probably would switch it over to a V8 instead. LOL i hope the group doesnt disown me for saying that!!! I love my SC, but if i didnt already have the SC parts, i would seriously consider another platform.
 
If you have sentimental attachment to this car, then go for it. But understand that it's probably going to be more expensive than just buying an SC.
 
Everything from the radiator to the rear brakes will need to be upgraded.even the wheels are different than the base model.
 
If you can find a decent SC parts car for cheap, that would be the best way, but like others have said, you would almost have to transfer 75%ish of the parts car to your Bird.
 
Must use SC rotating assembly (can use a 01+ block), rebuilt AOD (built for v8 or SC spec), 8.8 rear. These are the minimum of things needed.

I would suggest 94/95 for the ignition setup, the High Data Rate EDIS has fewer issues.
 
Sorry for your loss.

It seems that you are going to be in this for the long run. Turning the car into a SC will be not only be costly, but you are still going to end up with a V6 supercharged and all the limitations and issues coming with it.

For the same money you might consider going with a build up 5.0 instead. A lot more options to chose from with less limitations.

Either way all the sugestions above are true.
 
best bet is a 94+ 4.6L

you can usually snatch them up for cheap and just slap the drive train over complete

I recently bought a 94 cougar v8 for $600 only 64k miles runs impeccable
made an excellent donor vehicle

I wouldnt recommend a supercoupe engine swap its more problematic then its worth
 
Check out some of the v6 mustang boards. Quiet a few people supercharging and turbo charging stock 3.8 and 4.2 engines. Just need to be realistic with power goals money you have to spend, skill set, tools and shop. See to many people start a project with a small tool box and a car port and never finish. But also see people build twin turbo kits in a u store it and HF flux core welder.
 
Melon is the only person I know that has done this and been successful. Might want to contact him and get some information from a person that has done it. I know he said in the end that he wished he would of just bought a SC and taken it from there.
 
Unless you have a serious emotional attachment to the car and the engine/trans are junk, and you've got some spare time - I wouldn't do the swap. It can be done, but in the end, it's easier to just buy a Super Coupe.

Like it was mentioned above - if you are determined to do the swap - I highly recommend having a complete donor car to get parts from. So you can grab every bolt, screw, wiring harness, etc from it.

With the right tools, garage space, and knowledge - it may be able to be done in a weekend, or it may take longer.
 
I bought a 97 LX sport that had an engine fire because I had a low mile SC hit at both ends. I was successful in joining the two cars, but I wouldn't do it again. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the car ... But I should've put the low mile stuff in my 94SC and called it good.
So.. +1 on the V8 plan. 4.6 or 5.0 are well supported for go fast goodies. There's a ton of info here for brake and suspension upgrades that will apply to the car. Go that way. The only reason I finished my car is I couldn't just let go and I was already "chip committed" - i.e. I had more in it then it was worth to 98% of the population.

P.S. If you do opt to SC convert, SERIOUSLY consider buying a complete car as a donor. This is an involved process, mine was compounded by the OBDI/OBDII, but you want to have all of the "what the hell is that?" parts available. My $.02
 
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