I'm doing a Fox swap as we speak...Take everyones advice on here...Grab a calculator...Add up all of the things you can think of to do the swap...Ok, now take that total and hit + on your calculator...Now type "2000.00" and "="...Now you should have a pretty scary number...Add another $500.00 to that total and that should be remotely close to your grand total....lol...I'm not being a doucher, I'm being realistic....I'm in it dick-deep, my friend...I made the mistake of buying a complete engine that was torn down to nothing...The pro is, I'll basically have a new engine...The con, HOLY ***** it's expensive...And mine is basically a stock bottom end...Best of luck!!...DO IT!!!...There is a difference between budget and cheap-***...Budget is inexpensive but dependable/safe...Cheap-*** will leave you along the side of the road or get you killed...If you have any questions, don't esitate to ask...I'll try my best to help!

 

I just put a STOCK 5.3 in my 93 notch mustang, it is carbed (vic jr) with kooks headers,powerglide tranny and 3500 ptc converter. On the street the car is super fast, no hooking on street tires. Hoping for low 12's on slicks

 

I made alot of my items to put the engine in my car. Small brackets and such. Check out my photobucket, I made alot of stuff work.

 

Damn guys, I've got a new long block LS1 with ported 241s and I have a 85 fox with some nice parts and real saleen body kit with full suspension, 8.8 3.55s with a built 306 and a steeda t5. I don't like it I love the sound but I'd love an Ls in it. I'm thinking I'd sell the 306 and I'd have some extra coin.

Not to hijack the thread but If I may ask, I'd like to know if I could use my T-5 with the LS1 or my goal would be to use a 700r4.

This would be such a nice driving car with a nice cam.

So with headers, are they special? Are they just Fbod headers?

I can get a Rad & Fans, but I have a nice thick fox rad. Only issue for me is wiring plus all the little extra stuff.

Then you still have to deal with the lack of brakes on the foxes.

 

There is a lot of good advice here but let me help you simplify this for you.

1. Plan Plan Plan (put your build on paper first and stick to it)
2. talk to people who have done the swap! (they can tell you how to do it right the first time so you don't make the mistake they may have made)
3. Just because a part is cheap it may not be a deal (do your research)

Now to answer the headers question. Here at Kooks we make a swap specific header for this swap. We offer it in Steel (5312) or Stainless (5312S) and when used with the AJE K-Member it is a perfect fit. The headers are available from many of the sponsors here or directly fro us here at Kooks.

 

There at Kooks, you should start making 2" swap headers......
nobody makes a stainless 2" swap header, and I would have bought them if you did.

 

As long as you get one with front discs to start with, you can replace the rear end with the IRS out of a Cobra and solve two issues, braking (at least in the rears) and the SRA, at once.

 

That's actually not too far off from the truth. Lots of planning ahead of time and gather parts when you find deals can save you some money but the little things is what gets you. I overshot my budget without any changes to my plan by close to 2k, then I changed some things and I'm beyond that now. Things like radiator hoses, belt, wiring, relays, throttle cable, shifter, driveshaft, fuel line adapters, starter, alternator, wires, plugs, battery are some of the little things you don't think about up front but add up really, really fast.

 

Really?

 

I'm sure there is some way some how that you can convert the T-5 to work behind an LS but at the end of the day..you still have a T-5. You wouldn't want to have to spend that kind of money on it. I'm not saying you can't but it would be like trying to build a neon into a show car....at the end of the day....it's a NEON lol

In regards to the brakes, the easiest thing to do is to find a rear end from a 1994-1995 Mustang GT. Not quite as wide as a 96 and up (which would work fine) Also replace the master cylinder at the same time with a unit from a 1994 to 2004 Mustang.

 

Thanks guys so much. As you can see from my sig I'm not a kid or new to LSx, I really like to look of my fox but I want the smooth power of an LS.

I agree I may just sell the t-5 and get a nice 700r4 or a 4L60e. I may just up grade the axle to go 5 lug and bolt on discs. Thing is the rear is 3.55s and all built. I'd love to go IRS but do have budget goals in mind.

I agree about plans, I had a goal and a plan for my Pace Car. I'm going to work on the body, some nice paint, going grabber blue and matte black on top of the car. I'll keep the car together as it runs and drives. I need a lot or research and hope you good guys can help when needed.

My Fox has a good start, steel braided fuel lines with a return line (barry grant system) , boxed lower control mounts, springs, shocks, sway bars, sub frames, alum drive shaft (2 of them one in the car and a spare LS1) I know they'll need modding, I have an LS1 long block new with ported 241s. Need cam, intake, TB, throttle cable, headers, injectors, oil pan, f&R covers, wireharness, PCM and a trans, plus the kit to convert and drop in. Going to be a ton of work but will be a fun car. Planning now and plan to drop in by March next year.

 

Looks like I'll have about 6 grand in mine, not including the car. Thank god it already had all the suspension goodies otherwise I would have been over 10 g's.

2000 LS1/4L60 - $1800
AJE k-member, mounts, & trans crossmember - $557
243 heads - $410
GM MLS head gaskets & tty bolts - $60
LS6 intake, injectors, rail, tb - $375
LS6 cam & springs - $150
LS2 timing chain, GM balancer bolt, cam swap gasket kit - $140
1996 4L80E transmission (67K) - $250
Camaro gauge cluster - $60
4L80e transgo kit - $132
4L80 range selector switch - $32
Revmax 4L80 3400 rpm converter - $415

Need:
Wiring harness
Driveshaft
Headers
Fuel system components
Power steering adapters
belts, fluids, hoses

 

BRP make a 2 inch swap header. I have the stepped 1 7/8 to 2 inch headers on my car.

 

I know BRP makes a 2" swap header... but they do not make a stainless header, it is mild steel... it actually comes from Heddman Hedders.. I talked with them directly when I ordered mine... they dont have the machine to do the stainless headers....or so I was told.


I ended up just buying the 2" mild steel ceramic coated headers

 

when I did the math for my car... I was swappinig as much stuff from the Camaro as possible...
basically already have an engine, transmission/converter , center chunk for a 9", Holley Dominator, Nitrous system, Battery Relocation and wiring and shutoff...
I really just needed suspension and a rearend, and fuel system stuff, and a little wiring.

I figured right around $6000 for stuff I needed to make the car go down the track
then I changed my mind in what I wanted to do on the wiring...and now I'm buying a racewire solutions setup and spending about $1600 on a nice fuse/relay center complete wiring solution instead of Just using stock wiring and integrating into it... to the point that I'm basically stripping all wires from the car and starting over with it.

I originally was going to go on the cheap with a lesser 9" housing, and now I bought something better than what I originally planned on.

I'll bet by the time I'm done, I'll be about $10,000 in parts...
thankfully I got the car really cheap, and I can use a lot from the camaro, and I can sell off the rest of the camaro parts to get back some of what I spent

 

^^^^^ AGREE!!!! ^^^^^


and how about a Formula 1 car?
they use a 7 speed automatic now....
Screw that Manual transmission BS....

 

What you're failing to realize is that the automatic transmission they use in those cars are fantastic, top of the line, and modern. The transmissions in older Mustangs and F-bodies are not. They don't have paddle shifters. They have 4 gears, not 7.

I can't stand old style automatics where you can't even choose your gear. Those things take forever to shift vs what a skilled driver can do with a manual, and they're stupid (as in don't know the right gear to be in). I hate going into a turn, lifting off the throttle so I don't lose the rear end, and the transmission upshifts, then when it straightens out, I have to wait for it to downshift again before acceleration. In a manual car (or new auto) you can hold a gear through the turn. Everything happens as quick as you can manage everything.

You can engine brake so your actual brakes don't fade or wear as quickly. You don't have to change the fluid as often. It helps prevent people from eating, drinking, texting, or applying makeup when driving, all unsafe stuff people are more likely to do in an auto. It goes on. Obviously some applications are better with the auto, like drag racing from a stop. But I still think the manual is the best all-around choice for these types of cars

 

what you are failing to realize is that you can actually tune the pcm to have your Automatic transmission do what you want...
I can make it stay in any gear I want as long as I want and not downshift/upshift unless its a more ideal situation...
Shifts happen pretty quickly when you do it right...
and then with the right stall, it puts it right in the powerband every time...so no room for a driver mistake on shifting if you tune it correctly

the biggest problem is... People dont know how to tune the transmission side
dummies who can get a fuel table in the ball park are a dime a dozen(notice I didnt say people who can do it right....there are far less of those around)
but there arent that many who really know how to tune a transmission.

 

Why the hell would you put an IRS in a fox. You can buy tons of brake options that BOLT on and the 8.8 is strong.

 

I agree... the 8.8 will hold up to what most people can throw at it...
there are some better options if you really want to swap out the rear
I went with a 9" for strength, and for the reason that I was able to get adjustable UCA position, and adjustable LCA position...extremely important things... allows you to fix the problem with the stock locations...Instant Center sucks in stock locations
plus I did a 5 lug conversion at the same time as well as a swap to disc brakes(using a willwood drag brake kit)...

also, if you drag race... IRS is not the way to go....
Road racing.. IRS is something to consider...but most do not need it

its smarter to stick with the 8.8, and go to adjustable coil over's and add good suspension parts to the car...