I purchased a 1955 Ford Customline without the original engine and transmission. I have been lead to believe that converting to a 1987-1993 Mustang 5.0 engine and a T5 5-speed manual transmission will work nicely. I am looking for realiability and driveability. I noticed that you can purchase a complete drivetrain kit on eBay for around $2,500 (not including shipping and crating). This includes a used engine - containing all the brackets, pulleys, and accessories, bellhousing, clutch flywheel,transmission, wiring harnesses, and ecu. Is this a good deal? The transmission worries me a bit. I am concerned about gear ratios, shifter location, etc. Also, I plan to run a 9-inch rearend. Does anybody have any solid advice or can point me to some information regarding the best plan to add a 5.0 and a 5-speed manual to my 1955 Ford Customline. Thanks!
Welcome to the group from So Cal, get ready for a lot of fun with your 55. When I did my 56, I bought an 85 Mustang on Craigslist for $1000. I used the 302/5 speed and drive shaft ends, then sold the rest of the car. I was able to test drive the car before I bought it. I didn't post a lot of info on the swap, but here is what I did post. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?do=discuss&discussionid=22415&pp=20
The ebay listing shows the following: This is a USED 87 - 93 STYLE 5.0 V8 DRIVETRAIN CONVERSION KIT. This is a 5.0 engine with all front brackets, pulleys and accessories, with bellhousing, clutch flywheel, fresh rebuilt t5 transmission, all wiring and ecu. This includes most everything that you need to run this engine in a street rod, factory five or similar drivetrain conversion project. Itemized list: 87 - 93 Complete Ford Mustang HO 5.0 engine. Complete from throttlebody to oil pan. Includes all front brackets, pulleys and accessories Airbox, M*** air meter and intake tube throttle cable block plate freshly resurfaced oem flywheel HD 10.5 inch clutch kit Freshly remanufactured T5, 5 speed manual transmission oem, traqnsmission crossmember with adjustable outer brackets oem driveshaft Headlight wiring harness Engine wiring harness ECU wiring harness Dash wiring harness T ransmission wiring harness Oxygen sensor wiring harness Body wiring harness It sounds like the necessary components are in place for the conversion. If I don't want to mess with the h***le of buying a complete car and taking it apart, is the $2,500 worth the risk?
I guess it depends on the engine. If it's a low mileage or rebuilt engine, and comes with a warranty, it might be worth it. But you can find good running carbed 289s, 302s and EFI 5.0s on craigslist for under a grand all the time. Good transmissions can be had for a few hundred. There's a lot included with that kit that you won't really be able to use (at least not without modifications), like the dash and light harnesses, body harnesses, driveshaft, and brackets. So with all of those things modified or replaced with parts that will work, you'll add another $1000 to that price, at least. If it was true bolt-in for a 55 Ford, I would say it's probably a good deal. But if it were me, I would find a good 302/C4, 302/AOD, 302/T5 etc combo on craigslist, get a driveshaft made, pick up motor mounts, accessories, universal Rebel or EZwire harness, headers, the whole nine and you'd probably be under $3000. For example, I picked up a carbed 302 recently. It was rebuilt <1000mi ago, came with an Edelbrock 600 cfm carb, Edelbrock intake manifold, all the accessories, and a rebuilt C4 for $800. I'm replacing most of the accessories with chrome bits, new valve covers, etc. Got some hedman headers from a fellow Hamber. Then paint, shifter, radiator, and misc bits and peices and I'm in to the whole thing for around $1900. Only thing left to budget for is a driveshaft (once I decide if I want to use my short tailshaft fixed yoke C4, or find a regular slip yoke C4 or AOD). These motors are a bolt in affair for the most part, check out the FAQ link here, we've tried to compile a lot of the swap stuff in one place to make it easy.
For $2500 I would have to p*** . Any Ford early 8" Mustang rear will work and can buy for $200 or less . I can buy a 4 speed toploader , good T5 , C4 , AOD for $500 or less . Can get low mileage roller engines from $300 to $700 . Wiring harness for less than $200 . That is just about all you need for a car . Upgrade the front end with disc brakes $700 . You also are getting something someone else told you was good on Ebay sight unseen and I wouldn't trust them . Way too many people have been screwed like that and I don't trust anything they say . Also when it arrives at your door you are stuck with it no matter what it's like . Just because you use PayPal doesn't mean anything . Trust me on this one . They don't stand behind you when you get ripped off ! I think you can do much better buying parts from a local paper or C/L any time than on Ebay ! Just my opinion . Jim
ahh im not that brave to dump 2500 off ebay. im with the others find a local one, buy a running crown vic or totald mustang . use it as a doner car.
welcome from illinois. lots of knowledgable people here with good advice. they have already done the hard part and figured out what does/doesnt work with their time and money and not yours
I'd be real wary of buying a used engine for that much and not hearing it run. I think the-stig has the right idea about buying a car that runs. I've done that in the past also. At least you know what you're getting, and can recoup some of the money back from the shell.
I have the same engine with an AOD in my garage waiting for the next project. I have about three hundred in it. 2500 is way high in my book, unless its rebuilt by a reputable known builder with all the reciepts.
I just did a 5 minute search on CL, found 2 each, '87 'stang 5.0s, one auto, one a T5, both said they run good, $3K for one, $2.8K for the other - both complete cars. Perhaps spend a bit of time looking around locally; being in ND you may have to travel a bit but it might be less $$$ in the long run.
Like I said before they are soooo easy to find for a whole lot less than $2500 ! I was selling a friends 84 Mustang last summer for him . He was in the military so I told him I would take care of his car for him until he got out of basics . He had built a street/track car but needed to have a roll cage and wire finished . he had a 347 stroker with all forged bottom end with rear GT40 cobra heads that were heavily reworked . Had MSD 6al ignition with Vic Jr intake and 750 double pumper . Car had many up grades to the solid frame now and so on . New rear 4.10 posi rear , C4 was rebuild with a 3500 stall . Hurst 1/4 master shifter . I was lucky and drove the car . This car was very , very fast as it sat . Now he couldn't race the car on a legal track because the last time he raced it they told him when he got the time slip not to come back because there was no roll cage . he had good slicks on at that time also . the time slip read 10:12 seconds in a 1/4 mile !!! Now you ask why am I telling you all this . Well I had it posted for him on C/L for $3800 for everything ! You can get many great deals off C/L where you can see , hear and sometimes drive a donor car . There is a post close to me where there is a nice Mustang with a 306 nice mild cam with all the goodies and a new rebuilt T5 and 3.55 posi rear for $2500 . So all I am trying to say is look around and you will find a much better deal for what you need to build your car ! Sometimes I and a couple others might come across a little hard sometimes but we are all here to help each other and help you find some really good deals for your project . We are all friends here ! Jim
gas going up, look for all kinds of screaming deals as folks unload what they consider to be burdens. they just might be for them, so they will be looking for cash to get something more affordable.
You should look into this http://fargo.craigslist.org/pts/2803759908.html it is in North Dakota good deal for all those parts and what you don't use you can sell to pay for your swap parts,I will agree with Retro Jim that Mustang 8 inch is a bolt in for your '55 and can handle the power, look for a 1986 Ford Crown Vic driveshaft which will have the correct front yoke for your swap and may fit with only a U-joint change on the rear.Just a side note if you make the deal and the motor mounts are good you can use those in your '55.Or maybe this http://sd.craigslist.org/ptd/2855791223.html (did I mention a driveshaft?)
Thanks for your excellent input - the precise reason I joined this group. I will keep looking for a better deal. By the way, I will be trying to figure out how to post a few things I am looking to trade/sell, etc. The car is currently equiped with front disc brakes - looks like some kind of Granda conversion. I also have a B & M supercharger (90675) that I bought 20 years ago and still is in the box (satin finish) - never used. Maybe I can find somebody to trade engine & transmission or just an engine for the supercharger kit. We are installing a FATMAN Fab frame stub kit, so the disc brakes, front suspension, etc. are all up for grabs. Let me know if you would like to see some pictures. Again, thanks for your advice.
if i was closer id try to trade an engine trans combo for the super charger just to put on a shelf. the disk brake stuff will be easy to get rid of . post it here first give these guys first chance on it. is the front cross member in good shape?
Lots of good advise so far. Why the Fatman frame stub? These cars ride real nice with the stock suspension.
mine was stubbed when i bought it, but if i had to do it all over again, i would have looked for one either uncut, or already modified as these guys do. i found this site AFTER i bought my car.
my 55 with factory suspension and aerostar springs rides good. got power disk brakes. cant see forking out the money for that fatman stub kit myself.
agreed with old lady's mad. spend that money somewhere else. if at some point further down the line you still want to do a frame stub, have at it. i do however like my carbed 302/aod and very hiway friendly geared rear end. it isnt a quick car, but knocks down great hiway mileage, and not bad around town.
I inserted two pictures of my project in process. The body is on a cart I built to ease the process of moving it around my garage. The body is headed for media blasting in the next few weeks. The second picture is the front of my 55 Ford frame. The decision to stub the frame didn't come easy. In the end, I just wanted to take on the challenge of the project - rightly or wrongly. Everything forward of the point of the frame where the steering box was mounted is up for grabs. Anybody want to make a trip to Bismarck, North Dakota?
looks like you are well equipped to handle the task at hand. let us know how you like the finished product.
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