The SC Ford never built.....

XR7 Dave

Registered User
Just curious how many would be interested in a 5.0 Supercoupe? There are some electrical issues to be addressed as well as some mechanical ones but it actually is a viable option for anyone who has blown headgaskets or is tired of chasing electrical issues with our DIS system.

For less than the cost of new headgaskets ($1300 from a shop) you could be driving a 5.0 5spd (or auto) Supercoupe. Not only would be able to enjoy that V8 sound, but it just so happens that the Kenne Bell supercharger kit bolts right on requiring only a slightly raised hood for clearance.

Even at retail pricing this option is cheaper than a MP upgrade and will result in substantially more HP. It is entirely reasonable to expect a high 12 sec 1/4 with no other real upgrades. And of course these kits come up all the time for about 50% of retail on the Corral. Not to mention the bolt-on parts world that is opened up to you.

Just wanting some feedback. What do you guys think? A real Supercoupe without all the hassle!
 
I think a supercharged 5.0 would be sweet! I would be interested in it if my head gaskets were to fail, or maybe as just another project of mine to do to the 35th. XR7 Dave are you concidering this yourself or just wandering what people think? I might have to concider this myself as a future project. Damn I wish I would have kept the 5.0 out of my wrecked 88GT. It would have made this intire thing much simpler.

Shane

-ps XR7 Dave, I noticed you are in Madison, Ohio. Where is that in relation to Columbus? Maybe if I decide to do this swap maybe you come on over and lend a hand?
 
buy a Lx with a 5.0 swap the seats and body kit and oure ready to got.

im saying this because those people that are removing the 3.8sc will also remove the electric shocks and/or the abs.
 
im saying this because those people that are removing the 3.8sc will also remove the electric shocks and/or the abs.
Quite on the contrary! I feel that many people love the SC as it is but are frustrated with the poor reliability of the Supercharged 3.8 once they have achieved 100K+ miles.

I have completed one 5.0 swap into an 89 5spd and am planning to do more. There are a multitude of differences between the SC and an LX. Sure you could create an SC clone with an LX, but it is a lot less work to go the other way. Let's see, some of the things that an SC already has....

Unique bumper covers
Ground effects
16" wheels
4wheel disc brakes
8.8 rear end, HD axles
Firmer springs
Ride control
ABS
Great seats!
Analog dash complete with boost gauge - can't swap THAT into an LX.
5spd transmission
Better rear end gears (in the autos)
Limited slip

Not counting that you simply CANNOT get a 5spd LX, I'm sure there are other little things as well.

This is not being suggested as a "competition" alternative, rather it is to offer what Ford should have in the first place. The SC with a power plant that gets respect.

I am not in any way "dissing" the V6, but I know that many people are just not prepared to dish out the $$ to keep the V6 running never mind perform the way they want.

I will be happy to detail the conversion for anyone adventurous enough to do it themselves or I can also offer to complete the conversion on your car if you want. I also plan to do a couple of these myself and offer the completed conversion for sale to whomever is interested. At least that is the idea behind this post.

Any and all feedback will be appreciated.

David
 
like i said , get a lx sport then all ogf them have the SC springs the 8.8 rear end with limited slip the analog dash the hd axles and the rest just swap the seats and ground effects , and dont bastardize the sc. if they dont like the v6 much less the abs and ride control.

and lets be most of those who do the swap are never gonna put a KB supercharger in there the only reason left is the 5-speed wich is gonna be a T-5 so it can be done in a lx.
 
I think a SC'ed 5.0 would be awesome. I love the sound of a V8 (friend has a 5.0 'Stang and exhaust sounds great) but love the on demand power of the Super Coupe.

The V6 does alright, but I think with a SC'ed 5.0 - the aftermarket would have come up sooner and had more choices. If I had the money, I'd be all over a Supercharged 5.0. But between insurance and other current expenses, no way it would happen for me.

-Andy "Melon"
 
Dave,

What 5 speed tranny are you running? I would be interested in what's involved in doing the conversion. Email me the info if you wish.

As for converting an SC to a V8, the harsh reality is that SC's are not worth much money now. You can buy one in decent shape with high miles or a blown motor for next to nothing. Others have owned their SCs for a very long time and would rather keep the car they have meticulously cared for over the years than start with someone else's basket case.

I think it will actually cost more to convert and LX over to an SC, not to mention all the work involved. Trying to add ABS to a non-ABS car is a huge job. My SC retains the ABS BTW. I did dump the ARC a long time ago in favor of manually adjustable Konis even when I still have a V6 under the hood.

I have seen many decent SCs get parted out and scrapped. These are cars that could be fixed and driven for a very long time. The bottom line is they are not worth much money to most people. An 89 is now a 14 years old car, and unless it's in prestine condition with low miles, it's worth very little money. I know a few people who own SCs for winter cars, and drive something else in the summer. I would rather see it become a V8 conversion rather than someone's winter beater or go to the scrapyard.

The MN12 Thunderbird community is very small. Trying to segregate LXs from SCs, V6s from V8s, superchargers from turbos, is counter productive to keeping these cars around. We have a lot to learn from each other, and offer to each other. I think most of us have been at the point where we wanted to sell our Thunderbirds and move on to something newer, better, easier and cheaper to maintain. Being part of a Thunderbird club is a big reason why we still own them.
 
If you have a Jon Kaase boss 429 aluminum blocked motor.
With a KB blower layin around.I would be interrested.

I would want a auto tranny,so I could hang on the wheel with one hand,and
my heart with the other hand. While:D

RANDY
 
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Wayne, with the right parts the 5.0 bolts right up to the M5R2 transmission.

As for insurance, the nice thing is that it won't change anything. You are insured based on VIN, not what is under the hood.

It is much easier to swap the motor than all the other things that I mentioned. I am not suggesting anyone tear up a nice SC and put in a 5.0 although it isn't a terrible idea. What I am suggesting is that if someone has a 100K+ mile SC which they want to make faster but are worried about headgaskets or if they already have lost headgaskets, a V8 swap is a great way to keep the car on the road for less and also reinvigorate your enthusiasm for your car.

I know it did it for me. It was really hard to let go of my 5.0 5spd SC. I know the new owner is really thrilled with it as well.

:)
 
and dont bastardize the sc.

Bastardization is not all bad. There's a lot of fun driving a 5.0 SC with a five speed making great sounds with the exhaust. But its not the only option: ...the current most popular option is to part these cars out for almost any reason. I'm sure the 5.0 option could save many cars from this fate. The P-51 Mustang was bastardized with the Merlin engine. The AC was bastardized with a 260 Ford and the Cobra was born. Ever wonder what our cars would bring if Ford had installed a supercharged 5.0?

Very positive feedback for XR7 Dave. He is great to work with.

GR

plus its the best way to get your exhaust to sound like a V8...
 
from that point of view i agree . what i dont want is the stang boys parting the sc's left and rigth to make v8 conversions .

one of the cool parts of owning a v6 i going fast without anyone expecting it . if you have a v8 and win no one cares , but if its a v6 it surprises people.
its also a good sleeper. and remeber if youre expecting the same performance from a 5.0 in stock form youre not going anywhere youll end up with a slower car. of course when starting to modify it the 5.0 will win but for a cheap option well. just not my type.
 
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what i dont want is the stang biys parting the sc's left and rigth to make v8 conversions
No worries here. The conversion is WAY beyond the abilities of your average 'stang boy'. ;) Besides, the only thing getting parted out here is an LX. If we converted LX's to SC clones, THEN we would need to part out some SC's.

:D
 
Probably should not poke my nose in here, but I've been reading this thread with great interest. I know it greatly disturbes a SC or TC purist to see a V8 in one of these cars, but the reality is they are getting old and and often need a lot of expensive repairs(that can out weigh the value of the car). On the average due to scrappage(wrecked, parted, etc) only about 10-12% of most models remain after 25 years. So unless someone buys them all up to restore, like it or not a V8 in one of these cars is likely to extend its life a few more years. I did my 5.0 swap back in '99 and have had a real blast with no end in sight.

BTW my TC retains the ride controll, ABS and even has working AC.
 
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caught my interest dave...........been thinking about doing this anyways....i know about a 1991 5.0 tbird lx with high mileage i can pick up cheap. and finding a 5 speed sc would be no problem.

where do you find hte cheap blowers at for them?

jmpsu@yahoo.com

Jeff
 
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I'm curious as to what is considered expensive repairs for the 3.8 motor?

The most irritating thing I'm aware of is the harmonic balancer. Second is the stock head gaskets blowing. Other than that, I'm unaware of any specific issues.

Certainly go fast parts for the 3.8 are much more costly due to the much lower demand than the 5.0 parts. I'm just not sure what failures of the 3.8 there are to be frustrated with.

Personally I feel the supercharged 3.8 is what makes the Thunderbird SC, the car that I want to own. Yet I can certainly understand those people wanting to improve their car through various means, including swapping in the plentiful 5.0 motor.

I too feel the call of a V-8 car (my 318 in the durango has it's own growl now that it's time for a new muffler) and am planning on a Lincoln Mark VIII in my future.
 
Dave,

It sounds like a great idea, and I'm looking forward to getting mine. Anything that keeps an SC on the road longer has my support.

David
 
There are two reasons why I want to do the swap;

1. I miss having a V8 between the fenders making that sweet sound.

2. They are much cheaper to operate and make faster.

Ever since I blew the headgaskets in my 93 lx I have been paraniod that I might blow the headgaskets in my SC or XR7 so I rarely get on them. I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to put a supercharged 5.0 in the 35th as long as it could be reversed back to the 3.8 if the need be.

XR7 Dave, I talked to a friend today about any 5.0 engines laying around and he said that there is one that has 150,000 on it for around $200-250. Its out of a 89GT that only has a BBK intake and full exhaust. Mileage wont matter much because I would have all new forged internals put in with lower compression pistons to handle the KB blower. Could you please email me with info on the swap at fastest35th@yahoo.com

Thanks!
Shane
 
Thanks for the replies. I like to think that this community is open to Supercoupes of all types. A V8 isn't for everyone certianly and I fully plan to keep both my SWB and my wife's XR7 V6 powered.

That being said I feel that the V8 is an important option for us to consider. No one will ever replace the V6 car but adding the V8 option opens a whole new range of performance capabilities for the SC. The platform certianly supports the added power and has it's own appeal.

I will be documenting the next swap I do with all the specifics to integrate the V8 wiring to be fully compatible with the SC's electronics. I do not have that available at this time. For anyone wishing to get started before that is available, the only thing I have to add at this point is that I suggest you only consider a 5.0 Tbird powertrain for the swap. Mustang donors will make the job much more difficult.

Look for the details to be published roughly in the next month.

David
 
Dave,

I think it's great that the SC community is being given this option without having to go to a shop and leave their wallet on the counter. I understand the process won't be "cheap", but at least their is an honest and proven alternative available, beyond having to spend $30,000 on a V6 set-up to watch it blow gaskets.

I do believe, however, the V6 motor can be a reliable motor over 300 RWHP, but taking it over 400 RWHP, which is in the process for many people at this time, certainly is more risky with the V6. I intend fully to continue with the project I set out to complete, but once that project has hit the wall, I would seriously consider this alternative.

We have awoken a sleeping giant...and his name is XR7 Dave! :p
 
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