GT500 engine swap in a Mustang GT...

[Almo]

Anyone know of anyone who has done this already? Or currently doing it?

I am about 95% decided on doing such a thing. Wondering if it would be a straight forward install or if a lot of fabbing with the cradle would have to be done. Other things like the tank shouldn't be a problem.

Silver or Windevil Blue Mustang GT with an H&R coilover kit, add some FR500C wheels, ditch the spoiler, and tint the windows. I would then pick up the GT500 engine, do a pulley change, add intake, headers, mid, and catback. Tune and be done with it until the Whipple 3.3s hit the streets. I think with a little work, the weight can be brought down to around 3300 lbs.

I am going to be going for a Boy Racer type look.

Cheers,
Allen

 

[04svtdriver]

Very cool idea. Keep us updated on what you find. I know that a few people have doe the 5.4 Triton Shuffle so I don't see why it would be to impossible.

 

[ON D BIT]

one thing to keep in mind. the weight from the gt500 is not from the car. its from the drivetrain. to simply swap drivetrains into another car will not eleviate the problem. the gt500 wieghts 400lbs more than the mustang gt. the drivetrain alone in the gt500 wieghts 350lbs more than the mustang gt drivetrain.

the engine and tranny(i assume you want the t56 or t6060) will raise the weight of the mustang gt significantly. the mustang gt starts out at about 3450lbs and then add between 200-300lbs for the engine tranny your 3700lbs before you start gutting it. at this wieght i would simply start with the gt500 and gut it.

it might be better to build a n/a al block 5.4 500rwhp for this project, or put the cammer motor in it if you are only going to track the car.:idea:


also keep in mind the new(future) corvette has already dyno'd 663 horsepower to the wheels. the blue devil/ss/zr1 is the car i would put money into. 800rwhp into a 3200lb car will be the norm.

 

[TRXboy]

also keep in mind the new(future) corvette has already dyno'd 663 horsepower to the wheels. the blue devil/ss/zr1 is the car i would put money into. 800rwhp into a 3200lb car will be the norm.

Were did you hear it DYNOED this, Ive only heard rumer's.


I agree though, I weight of the GT500 is from the drivetrain, nothing more, so weight saving's is not going to be much, but if your tracking the car, and are going to be upgrading the brake's and suspension, then there's no reason not to start out with a base GT (if it work's out to be cheaper, anyway)

 

[Almo]

Michael,

Yeppers, been around for a while so understand what you’re saying… although, if I do go with a T-56 and FYI to ya T-56 isn't any heavier than the T3650, in fact... the T56 (thanks for the separated alum bell) is a tad lighter. That said, going to go about it different anyways. 3400+ should be an all optioned premium GT. I'll be going with a deluxe model, rear seat delete, strip everything out of the back and put a delete kit in, race seats, scrap all the sound deadening bs out of the car... and a few other things to lighten it up. Of course, k-member and a-arms will also be installed so no... the weight shouldn’t be that much more and the engine isn’t going to offset the weight I will be taken out. :thumbsup:

Oh and another thing, we're going to see just how much the T3650 can take without being dogged to death. :-D

Other wise...

$5k for myself will cover all the supporting stuff I will need to make the 331 work. So, picking up a used GT and the outstanding charges will come no where near the price of a GT500.

Cheers,
Allen

 

[JETSOLVER]

Don't forget about all the cooling system changes and piping changes. Most of the additional weight of the GT500 in front of the axle centerline(actual weight distribution) is due these additions. And the FRPP price on the engine alone is 16k vs the Cammer at 18k. If you could find a doner car cheap enough, fine. I'll wager that might be tough. The market(right or wrong) means that most insurance companies will fix these for a while anyways.

 

[ON D BIT]

Other wise...

$5k for myself will cover all the supporting stuff I will need to make the 331 work. So, picking up a used GT and the outstanding charges will come no where near the price of a GT500.

Cheers,
Allen

i know you were going to strip it. thats what a race car is, chasis a shell and drivetrain. the big question is do you want to keep is street legel? strip or road course or both?

i am just stating that once you swap drivetrains you will add weight. i would guess between 200-300lbs.
after that you got to deal with tons of changes. if you can do all the work yourself, you can save some money. but i would wager the money you save will not be worth the time you put in.

with a 43k gt500 you just need to strip it then work the suspension and your done. in my eyes this is easier than the 20k mustang gt 14k motor(also if your spending this on a motor, why not build a forged al 5.4?) and all the extra parts and hassle you will need to get thing to work right. not even mentioning getting the mustangs computer system dialed with the new motor.

will it work yes. but i think it will be more expensive and have more wieght than many believe. now if you could get your hands on a body in white? :idea: that would be the way to go.:beer:

 

[Fourcam330]

Were did you hear it DYNOED this, Ive only heard rumer's.


I agree though, I weight of the GT500 is from the drivetrain, nothing more, so weight saving's is not going to be much, but if your tracking the car, and are going to be upgrading the brake's and suspension, then there's no reason not to start out with a base GT (if it work's out to be cheaper, anyway)

The source is reputable. :thumbsup:

 

[chuckstang]

I agree with on d bit but hey, its his money and I know it will be sweet as hell so keep us updated!

 

[Almo]

Cooling system mods, couple tweaks, hanging the cooler… it will not be that big of a deal. Tune will not be an issue, can use the same ECU.

I don’t think it would be bright to try and build 5.4 block, paying for a set of heads/cams everything needed for assembly… having to purchase a SC'er… (Roush is the only one that I know of fitting the GT500 331 at this time and you can check the prices on it) Don’t forget assembly prices, adding front clip with chains/guides and such ... Doesn’t make sense when 590 to the wheels has been made with a few mods to a GT500 331. Add everything up needed to do a complete build up and you would easy be pushing $14K if not a bit more. Easier just to pick up a complete engine. I have built two engines and I feel $14K is a great deal on a complete GT500. 4V.

By the way, when I say strip, I don’t mean bear, anything I ever own will be streetable, me personally, I wouldn’t have any fun if this wasn’t the case. So everything would fit nicely together or I wouldn’t do it in the first place. :thumbsup:

Oh and I am stuck on Silver maybe a WE Blue... :-D


Cheers,
Allen

 

[Almo]

You go ahead and put your money in a Z07 starting a bit over $100K plus markup... reminding you it will be limited numbers. :shrug:

Yes, the new 6.2 in the 7 is going to produce great numbers... not to mention, I am a C6 Z fan but I also think a Whipple or KB'ed 331 pushing a lousy 700 to 800 to the wheels in a GT is going to be lots of fun... even if it did weigh in at 3400.

I also haven’t seen or heard anything about 800 to the wheels in the new Z07 or whatever the official name is going to be… and when did they change the weight to 3200, last word was putting the car in the 2900 range??

 

[ON D BIT]

You go ahead and put your money in a Z07 starting a bit over $100K plus markup... reminding you it will be limited numbers. :shrug:

Yes, the new 6.2 in the 7 is going to produce great numbers... not to mention, I am a C6 Z fan but I also think a Whipple or KB'ed 331 pushing a lousy 700 to 800 to the wheels in a GT is going to be lots of fun... even if it did weigh in at 3400.

I also haven’t seen or heard anything about 800 to the wheels in the new Z07 or whatever the official name is going to be… and when did they change the weight to 3200, last word was putting the car in the 2900 range??

50k into a good investment could equal 100k in the 3-4 years. just a thought?

663 for a stock engine with a good tune. what will intake, exhaust, and pulley put down. the gt500 has been seeing an added 150 with these mods so i took a guess on the new vette. not to mention the vettethat with kennebells roaming the streets. i have heard a few things on the weight. just under 3k to just a little more than the current z.

what ever you decide, have fun and good luck!:beer:

 

[Almo]

50k into a good investment could equal 100k in the 3-4 years. just a thought?

663 for a stock engine with a good tune. what will intake, exhaust, and pulley put down. the gt500 has been seeing an added 150 with these mods so i took a guess on the new vette. not to mention the vettethat with kennebells roaming the streets. i have heard a few things on the weight. just under 3k to just a little more than the current z.

what ever you decide, have fun and good luck!:beer:

Yeah... My GT I purchased new back in the day was low $20Ks and I ended up spending $40 to $50K on it in the end... this was after 3 different combos going on the car, one being a total rebuild. Either way, it can add up in a hurry... I am going to try and avoid the shit I don't really need, get it done without cutting corners though and thought it might be a good idea to pick up something already together that is putting down great numbers with some mods.

About the new Z... I am sure with mods and pulley change... not to mention if a TS goes on it, they will be capable of seeing some nasty numbers. 800 to the wheels shouldn't be a problem like you said. :beer:

Cheers,
Allen

 

[03gobluecobra]

If it were me, I'd try and put an aluminum aftermarket 5.4 block in for the weight savings. you could also buy a used eaton from a shelby owner who goes whipple, or go straight whipple. Building your own motor could be cheaper, more powerful, weigh less, and much stronger.

 

[Almo]

Yes but I don't know if I care to hassle with piecing everything together.

 

[ON D BIT]

i would talk to fourcam, he could point in the right direction of an engine builder and cost. the gt500 engine is selling 16 through frpp, can one buy a professionaly built al block 5.4 with blower for less than 20k? thats would be like throwing a ford gt motor into a mustang gt. wicked for sure!:lol:

 

[dgussin1]

sounds like a pain in the ass to me. i'd start with a used gt500 in 6 months and gut it, tire it, suspension it, with all the bolt on's and have fun.

 

[Wild Stallion]

Sounds cool but really exspensive. I will possiblly be doing a built 3v for my GT with Livernois next winter for around $8k already have the whipple then I can push 800-900rwhp and still stay lighter with out striping the car down. You could also wait and put money down and get the Boss 302 that Ford will be releasing it has already had most things pulled on it and the car will have the New 5.0 hurricane rated at around 425 n/a. I don't know just some ideas.

 

[Almo]

Alum built 5.4 block - ARP stuff, billet oil pump assembly, oil pan, and shipping - easy $6k to $7K
331 heads and cams... lifter, springs, and such for assemble - $4K to $5K
SC'er cost - on the light side - $5K

Not to forget you still haven't purchased rails and few other things you will need. My point is and I am sure Fourcam will agree in the end... especially when piecing everything together needed to set it in and fire her up... least when speaking of a modular 331 at this point and time. When looking at everything as a whole, the $14K plus shipping isn't looking to shabby when it comes complete right down to the clutch.

If I was wanting to be the lightest and one of the quickest then yes, alum buildup would be for me. But tell you the truth, technology moves so quick, lots of others will be pushing the envelope this day and age and there is always someone faster. So, I feel I would be happy in the end just paying the $14K to $15K plus shipping and not worrying about everything being pieced together to drop a 80 to 90 lbs. and having to fool around with picking up the outstanding crap I would need to complete the build.

I am also trying to keep things simple as possible.

Coilover kit
T-56
Shifter
Clutch
GT500 331 Engine (complete)
Intake
Headers/Mid
Tune (most likely have to do a few upgrades with fuel system)

That's it, the engine can stay stock besides the headers and intake for a while until a decision comes along to upgrade to a TS.

Might add some upper and lowers and weld the back up for safe keeps but that's it.

 

[Almo]

Sounds cool but really exspensive. I will possiblly be doing a built 3v for my GT with Livernois next winter for around $8k already have the whipple then I can push 800-900rwhp and still stay lighter with out striping the car down. You could also wait and put money down and get the Boss 302 that Ford will be releasing it has already had most things pulled on it and the car will have the New 5.0 hurricane rated at around 425 n/a. I don't know just some ideas.

That's an option too... I take it you seen the thread under the KB section? GT with a built block but a KB pushing 704 to the wheels?

You know, looks like someone could yank the 3V, spend good money to do billet rods and some CP or reputable pistons, stick cams in it and put it back together... not for sure about the stock crank's limit but I would imagine it would hold 700 to the wheels with a fuel system and a Whipple or KB.

:beer: