Hey everybody, want some opinions on what drive train to go with in my 50 shoebox. It has the original flathead v8 in it now with a 3spd manual tranny. THis is going to be a daily driver. My original plan when i was looking for a car was to put an entire 1991 Mustang drivetrain in which i have sitting in my garage. THe flathead hasnt been run in about 1 yr, and i havent got the car home yet to screw with it and see if i can get it running. After finding this car with the flathead i thought it would be cool to throw a 5spd behind it and just run it because flatheads are badazz. Then again, i have the 302HO with a tremec world class T5 sittin in the garage. im sure there are a lot of you who have done this swap, just lookin for some input. thanks!
......Hello.....been a lot of threads on this subject in the past.....Its goes down to what you want.....once you decide,you'll get a lot of answers by reading past threads of how-to............remember there is a lot of hambers out there that will help you once you decide.....Good luck....Big Bad John.
There is nothing cooler than a flathead, you NEED to understand that. That being said, I drive my shoebox daily with the flatty. Its great, but a newer less hassle motor would be wonderful. Ive always wanted to do that exact swap, mass air 302, t5, it would be a blast. If the flathead needs a rebuild, youre going to be cheaper going the 5.0 route, just not as cool, haha. Good luck wither way you go, keep us updated. Lets see the shoebox!
yea thats kind of what i was thinking too. The flatty is just awesome! but if i cant get it running, and it needs a rebuild maybe ill just throw the 302 in it. Hmmm.....
How much dependability do you need? And by this I mean driving in zero degree weather and rain and snow and having it start easy in the morning. The hot rod idea was always to improve reliability and performance. If it was 1962 you'd be dropping an SBC in there. In 2000's the 5.0 is a great choice. That's my opinion and let the popcorn flow
Put the 302 in. Then keep the flat motor and build it up as a side project. It will greatly enhance the value of your ride should the next owner desire to retrofit the original motor..
Find out how much it would cost to rebuilt that flatty.That would probably make the decision for you.But take consideration that there will be some major work involved installing the new drivetrain. I love it when I hear guys say drivetrain swaps are easy.Ya right
I did this swap...only because the flathead blew up. While the 302 has much more power, I have to say that I really miss the flathead. It had such a cool sound to it. I'm gonna say stick with the flathead.
definately some mixed reviews haha! I mean im not really looking for tire shredding power cause its a daily driver. Dependability, and ease of maintenance are my main concerns. I have no clue what a flathead would cost to have rebuilt, but i know 302s are fairly cheap, parts are a dime a dozen, and they are easy to work on. And i definatley like the "cool" factor, why else would i want a shoebox as a daily driver?haha! Also, i think the only T-5 adapter for the flathead is for a 5spd GM right, like out of a camaro or somethin? I have all Ford parts at my house, and i probably cant fit the Tremec T-5 that was in my 5.0L mustang to the flathead? So i am assuming if i keep the flathead and want to do a 5spd i will have to pick up another tranny...?
Tradition would be to jerk out that Flatty and replace it with any OHV V8 with more power. Other than looks, sound, cool factor the Modern V8 makes more sense. There, that clears that up.
nothing to compare, nothing wrong with either but these are 2 different animals.... get the flat head fired up ( its in the car and complete, right), try it out..if its not for you move on to the 302
Flatty rebuild is in the thousands. deep in there. You can buy a totaled GT Mustang for 500 bucks that runs perfect. Your dime, your time.
well, i dont have thousands right now to throw a rebuild on a flathead. The 5.0L i already have on an engine stand, and the T-5 tranny and a new RAM clutch. I didnt realize flatheads were so pricey for freshening up. If it runs, ill keep it in for a bit, see how it goes and just get ready to swap in the other drivetrain. when i had my mustang on the road with a 3.08 ratio in the 8.8rear i was getting 22mpg on the highway cruisin 80mph and could tear the tires off in 1st and 2nd gear without a problem. I love the 5.0s
my vote for 5.0 if its going to be a daily driver.. keep the EFI and use a megasquirt controller. trouble free motoring.. just get a tfi module for the dist with a lifetime warranty.
I just put a 302/C4 set in my car for now and just have fun with it. I building a 292 Yblock to go in it later. I look at it as you can always put the flathead back in later.
yea the more im thinking about it, the more im leaning towards the 302 with a 5 spd. That is true too, i can always put the flathead in down the road. Maybe even use it in a another project too! haha How did the 302 fit into your shoebox? did you fab up new motor mounts and all?
I replaced the very tired 460 in my '68 F100 with a MAF 5.0 from a '91 mustang. Probably the easiest swap out there. I whole heartedly think this is the single best thing I ever did to my truck. Eventually I hope to own a '37 tudor sedan and itll definitely have a EFI 5.0 in it. It'll start in any weather, it'll be forever dependable, and I'll be able to take it anywhere. Even if you don't go EFI go with the 302.
yeah---what shainerman said. The flatty would get pretty expensive if you want to get it near the 302 performance level.
I'm going with a '69 302 w/4v Holley in my '30 rod (tied to a T6 and Ford 9" rear). Not ashamed one bit. What's important is that my rod is FORD powered.
I put a 289 in mine with a 3 speed manual trans. I got custom engine mounts from Jamco that worked nice but I had to make a custom trans mount which took a little time. Getting my clutch to work with the old clutch pedal was a real problem. I needed to make it a pull type setup instead of a push if you know what I mean and ended up making a cable setup which works good but it sure is unique. I had to make a plate that mounts on the frame and then extends out with a pulley on it, then I ran a cable from the throwout arm through the pulley and to the clutch pedal which i had to make a pivot point on so the cable would not bind(sorry for the long story). I get to finally take a ride and everything is great till I find out my rear end is geared too high. I go 50 and the motor is revving to fast. I bought the car with an 8 inch rear end in it and no engine so I had no idea what the gearing in it was. I lifted the car up and turned the rear wheel and counted the revolutions of the driveshaft vs. the wheel and it was 4 to 1. Rear end is a posi so I want to keep it and change the gears which I have never done so that should be a treat. Probably go with something in the low 3's ingearing, have to see what is available. Once I get that done, I plan on driving the piss out of it. It has 4 inch lowering blocks in the back and the Aerostar coils in front for a cool stance. By the way, mine is a 51 shoebox club coupe. I am sorry i made a short story long but just giving you my perspective on what I am going through with my installation. Good luck with your choice, Bill
The picture I have of the car under my name is when I bought it, it has no motor or lowering on it or anything done.
Hey not a problem with the long reply! I tend to be long winded on here myself haha! Yea im going to plan on putting the 302 in it with the Tremec. I may run it carbureted for a while until i can get computer and all the goodies together for the efi.(sold most of my efi parts when i tore the drivetrain out of my mustang). Anyway, i did have some concerns about the clutch like you were saying because of changing a push type mechanism to a pull type. but nothing a little fab work cant handle. My one buddy has a cherry 64 Falcon, and he swapped in a 5.0L EFI with a c4 and he runs 12.2s all day and drives it to the beach, and just about anywhere.
I just did the same thing as billj, 302 with Jamco mounts. i used a C4 though, went for the most maintenance free route. I played with the flatheads, but it was rebuild time and they are expensive (flatheads) and I got a great deal on a fresh late 60s rebuilt 302 so in it went. I also had to make a custom trans mount for the C4. The power increase is uncomparable, but as mentioned in an earlier post, the cool factor is no where near that of a flathead, but i am not fiddling with lifters and carbs everyday either and could drive it year round in new england if I felt up to it. Make sure that if the flatty comes it goes to another HAMB worthy project! They are getting harder to find.
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