5.3 Fox on the Cheap
09-12-2016, 10:55 AM
#1
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
5.3 Fox on the Cheap Howdy,
Figured I would post my build here since it will be a carb'd 5.3. We have all seen this done a 100 times on here but I am hell bent on doing it really really cheap. I am also a carb guy and haven't gotten the efi bug yet.
I bought this 93 hatch a few months ago for 2 grand and turned out to have gt40 heads and a cam. All the typical 5.0 **** that has been done for years.
Made a couple passes in it and decide why prolong what I really wanted and sold the 302 and t5 for a 1000 bucks. Found a 5.3 on CL the next day and it goes from there.
Its not done yet but I am making progress on a daily basis. Hoping to the hit the track in late October and a high 7 in the 1/8 NA would be awesome. I plan to spray it and change the cam and converter once I get comfortable with the car.
I appreciate all the endless help and knowledge that I have learned from everyone. Looking forward to feedback good or bad.
Steven
Figured I would post my build here since it will be a carb'd 5.3. We have all seen this done a 100 times on here but I am hell bent on doing it really really cheap. I am also a carb guy and haven't gotten the efi bug yet.
I bought this 93 hatch a few months ago for 2 grand and turned out to have gt40 heads and a cam. All the typical 5.0 **** that has been done for years.
Made a couple passes in it and decide why prolong what I really wanted and sold the 302 and t5 for a 1000 bucks. Found a 5.3 on CL the next day and it goes from there.
Its not done yet but I am making progress on a daily basis. Hoping to the hit the track in late October and a high 7 in the 1/8 NA would be awesome. I plan to spray it and change the cam and converter once I get comfortable with the car.
I appreciate all the endless help and knowledge that I have learned from everyone. Looking forward to feedback good or bad.
Steven
09-12-2016, 10:55 AM
#2
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Attachment 720928
Attachment 720929
5.3 with 100k miles completely dissembled.
150 bucks and i got the guys engine hoist and engine stand for another 150.
Good
- 150 bucks...
- next to no wear on bearings
- can still see cross hatching in cylinder walls
- no rust.
- all sensors came with it
- all bolts bagged and tagged from previous owner
- came with truck intake, no TB, fuel rails, harness, no pcm, stock injectors
- flywhweel in great shape too
- balancer
- coil packs
Bad
- no water pump
- no exhaust manifolds
- no alternator
- no starter
Attachment 720929
5.3 with 100k miles completely dissembled.
150 bucks and i got the guys engine hoist and engine stand for another 150.
Good
- 150 bucks...
- next to no wear on bearings
- can still see cross hatching in cylinder walls
- no rust.
- all sensors came with it
- all bolts bagged and tagged from previous owner
- came with truck intake, no TB, fuel rails, harness, no pcm, stock injectors
- flywhweel in great shape too
- balancer
- coil packs
Bad
- no water pump
- no exhaust manifolds
- no alternator
- no starter
Last edited by CaptSchwag; 09-12-2016 at 11:20 AM.
09-12-2016, 10:58 AM
#3
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Found CL two streets from house. Just rebuilt with a shift kit and came with a 2800 stall converter.
400 bucks
Last edited by CaptSchwag; 09-12-2016 at 11:11 AM.
09-12-2016, 11:02 AM
#4
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I cleaned the motor up and order parts.
Fel pro mls head gaskets, tty head bolts "i know, shitty", arp bolts for converter and bell, jegs swap oil pan kit.., ict lifter valley cover, holley intake, and found a Might Demon 750 on CL.
I will post my totals for the build once i update them. I am probably less than 3k in total including the fuel cell, fuel pump etc.
Fel pro mls head gaskets, tty head bolts "i know, shitty", arp bolts for converter and bell, jegs swap oil pan kit.., ict lifter valley cover, holley intake, and found a Might Demon 750 on CL.
I will post my totals for the build once i update them. I am probably less than 3k in total including the fuel cell, fuel pump etc.
09-12-2016, 11:18 AM
#6
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Painted the trans black last night and I plan to mate the two tonight. I bought the spacer that is needed so I hope it all goes together good.
Hopefully I can lower this down in the car to start work through the mounts for the engine and trans. Sticking with the stock k member and I flat refuse to pay 300 for BRP mounts. If I have to buy a welder and make them I will... hahaha
Hopefully I can lower this down in the car to start work through the mounts for the engine and trans. Sticking with the stock k member and I flat refuse to pay 300 for BRP mounts. If I have to buy a welder and make them I will... hahaha
Trending Topics
09-12-2016, 11:52 AM
#9
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Its a bit expensive to make this conversion but once you are there youre golden. A sbf that can handle this much abuse is north of 3k. When this pops its another 500 bucks, rinse and repeat.
The community and support for the ls platform is unbelievable.
The community and support for the ls platform is unbelievable.
09-13-2016, 08:18 AM
#10
Well, if you want to go "there" and not use manifolds, I'll be damned if speed engineering isn't selling a LS swap header for a fox for 300$. **** is driving e crazy because they don't make a swap header for the 94 GT I'm working on. Kinda kills me, lol.
09-13-2016, 12:10 PM
#12
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree, but I want to hit the track sooner. Then in winter i can pull it apart again.
If I wait for the cam and converter it will be spring time with the budget I am allocating towards it.
If I wait for the cam and converter it will be spring time with the budget I am allocating towards it.
09-13-2016, 12:21 PM
#13
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Im going to go check them out, thanks for that. Very reasonable too.
I was also considering using stock manifolds and flip them forward and dumping them out the front fender. kind of nasty but its a not a street driven car and cheap is a plus.
I was also considering using stock manifolds and flip them forward and dumping them out the front fender. kind of nasty but its a not a street driven car and cheap is a plus.
09-14-2016, 12:02 PM
#15
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
09-15-2016, 09:35 PM
#18
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Highland Village Texas
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More progress. The stock t5 cross member to the holes in the stock k member are very close to the mounts on the th350 to the center line of the 5.3 motor mounts.
