plev72
Registered User
Hey all, need some guidance. As you might know (from my semi-frequent babbles) my engine is shot. I provide the following:
I've got a:
1994 Thunderbird SC 5-speed w/ ~87,000 miles
at a bare minimum the headgaskets are shot, but due to my driving it afterwards, I'm quite certain that the rods/bearings/etc are gone as well.
I'd like to do a performance rebuild on it, but:
A) I don't have the experience currently to do it myself
B) Money
I do have a mechanic who (works mostly on vettes) who charges $35 an hour for a shop rate. He has strongly suggested that I put in a 5.0l
Due to the trauma of having to quit the SCCOA when I no longer have an SC (and because I really don't want to change the character of the car) I've not been too keen on this idea.
There is a strong possibility that I will be going to the Arizona Technical Institute (or some such) in the fall and spending the next bit over a year getting trained as an automechanic... at which point I'll have the skills to rebuild.
While the motorcycle is swell, I'd really like to have a car in the reasonably near future. SOOO, after this rather long monologue, I ask you (the resident experts) your opinions, I'm pretty well going to restrict my choices to the following:
1) Get a beater of some kind to drive in the meantime, hope it doesn't fall apart on me (maybe an early 90s escort or an older 'stang)
2) Swap in a different engine into the bird with the intention of swapping back at somepoint in the future after the rebuild
(this is where advice is required, I have a chip tuner and there are bunches of complete engines on ebay as well as local), can I put in a Mustang or Mark VIII 4.6 or 5.0 (or even Cobra engine as there are a few of those floating about). Can I bolt up the M5r2 to them, or am I going to have to swap out both the engine if I go with the 4.6 or 5.0 and use a T5?
I found an SC shortblock around here somewhere that might still be available... should I just put that in and hope that it (with 8x,xxx+) miles will stay in one piece until I can get around (to financing) to rebuilding my engine? Besides, don't the accessories have to come off my longblock when it gets rebuilt anyway?
If I were to switch to one of the V8s (That will at least fit the engine bay) is there much in the way of cutting and pasting that I'm going to have to do (sorry, have done) and am I going to be caught in the "it's never the same afterwards" problem? I'd hate to go through all of this only to end up with a 'rattly-nasty' that I don't really want to drive anyway.
Anywho, sorry for the babble, I realize that some of this info may be available on the search, but I'd rather not spend the week shuffling through oodles of posts trying to piecemeal together a working response.
Thanks,
Paul
I've got a:
1994 Thunderbird SC 5-speed w/ ~87,000 miles
at a bare minimum the headgaskets are shot, but due to my driving it afterwards, I'm quite certain that the rods/bearings/etc are gone as well.
I'd like to do a performance rebuild on it, but:
A) I don't have the experience currently to do it myself
B) Money
I do have a mechanic who (works mostly on vettes) who charges $35 an hour for a shop rate. He has strongly suggested that I put in a 5.0l
Due to the trauma of having to quit the SCCOA when I no longer have an SC (and because I really don't want to change the character of the car) I've not been too keen on this idea.
There is a strong possibility that I will be going to the Arizona Technical Institute (or some such) in the fall and spending the next bit over a year getting trained as an automechanic... at which point I'll have the skills to rebuild.
While the motorcycle is swell, I'd really like to have a car in the reasonably near future. SOOO, after this rather long monologue, I ask you (the resident experts) your opinions, I'm pretty well going to restrict my choices to the following:
1) Get a beater of some kind to drive in the meantime, hope it doesn't fall apart on me (maybe an early 90s escort or an older 'stang)
2) Swap in a different engine into the bird with the intention of swapping back at somepoint in the future after the rebuild
(this is where advice is required, I have a chip tuner and there are bunches of complete engines on ebay as well as local), can I put in a Mustang or Mark VIII 4.6 or 5.0 (or even Cobra engine as there are a few of those floating about). Can I bolt up the M5r2 to them, or am I going to have to swap out both the engine if I go with the 4.6 or 5.0 and use a T5?
I found an SC shortblock around here somewhere that might still be available... should I just put that in and hope that it (with 8x,xxx+) miles will stay in one piece until I can get around (to financing) to rebuilding my engine? Besides, don't the accessories have to come off my longblock when it gets rebuilt anyway?
If I were to switch to one of the V8s (That will at least fit the engine bay) is there much in the way of cutting and pasting that I'm going to have to do (sorry, have done) and am I going to be caught in the "it's never the same afterwards" problem? I'd hate to go through all of this only to end up with a 'rattly-nasty' that I don't really want to drive anyway.
Anywho, sorry for the babble, I realize that some of this info may be available on the search, but I'd rather not spend the week shuffling through oodles of posts trying to piecemeal together a working response.
Thanks,
Paul