Hey guys, Im new here. After a few tedious hours of searching everywhere, i unfortunately was unable to find any maverick/comet ls swap build threads. If anyone could point me in the right direction to a detailed thread/ build or let me know what would need to be done to ls swap a maverick/comet, it would be greatly appreciated
http://mmb.maverick.to/threads/my-72-comet-build.91278/ Right on the front page of the projects. Probably didn't pop up in a search because it isn't specifically labeled as an LS swap.
LS swaps are a real hot ticket in Fox bodies right now,however,a well built 408 can run with them,no problem.I would just rather stay with FORD,BLUE OVAL all the way.Welcome to the forum.
But a well built 408 costs a lot more than junkyard 6.0. That said, I'll stick with a Ford too, I have no issue with the deviants, it's just my preference. I would do it to a 55-57 tbird just to tick off the purists!
Don't be jealous because you have no imagination. Just because I would like to do it in no way insinuates I have the money or would. Besides, you could start with a clapped out junker which would keep it reasonable.
If you want to be different, drop in a junkyard 5.4 Navigator engine, and 4R70W transmission. Great driver. Torquey, and have seen them dyno 450hp bone stock with nothing more than an intake swap; and still get decent fuel mileage. It looks 1000x better than an LS engine (reminds me of an old 427 SOHC) and the LS sounds like absolute poo. They sound more like a japanese V8 than an American V8. Notice I didn't say they were cheap and easy to swap, because they aren't either one. A well built 408 will absolutely annhiliate a mostly stock LSx, and for the same money. Money? Figure in the cost of all the wiring. Custom headers (ever see a set of headers for LS into Maverick/Comet?). Fuel system mods. What do you do for mounts? What transmission you want to use? What about the engine? If it's in a junkyard, sometimes that means something's wrong with it, and that should also be planned for in the budget. Just like a turbo or twin-turbo deal, so many people have high aspirations of making it work, but once the plan is written and the cost-and work-involved to do it sometimes twice (first time fail, learn from mistake for the second time), many times it ends up as a part-out or "lost interest for sale" ad. The only GOOD thing about doing a swap like that is that IF you can get it cheap enough (free?), the heads will flow some air and the engine can make some power....that is....once it's installed and running. They run good, I will not discount that fact, but I think many don't plan for the costs and time consumption involved in doing a swap into a non-traditional car or truck. The fox body guys have it made; they have the availability of headers and K-member, to just drop the thing in and go. If you go carburetor, you have to buy the intake and then you have to figure out how to control the ignition....adding even more cost. Transmission? depends on which one you use....any of the electronically controlled overdrives will require some sort of controller. Or go back to the old TH700R4 (which was a pile of trash, IMO in stock form), or TH350/400, PG, whatever but those don't have overdrive obviously. But a SBF bolts in, easily, and cheaply, and well built stroker SBF can easlily make 600hp+ with today's cylinder head choices. In a light Maverick/comet, that'll put you in the 9's down the 1/4 mile-easily. Or even cheaper, a stroker BBF that'll make 700+ even easier-and in some cases cheaper-than a SBF. The 385 series engines STILL haven't found a big following, and they are severely under-appreciated from a performance standpoint. Or if you want a driver, pick up the running gear from a '03-'04 cobra and drop that in....450hp bone stock with not even a pulley change (crank horsepower was under-rated at 380, IIRC). Ford had a LOT of options with different engines and they are all under-appreciated. I have always wanted to do an ecoboost 3.5 v6 but I'll never have the means to do it at my income level. Heck I can't even work on the one I do have, which is an outdated SBF. What about an F250/F150 6.2L V8? Seen some guys run deep into the 10's with those....and one of the Mustangs went into the 9's with one, though I don't know what they'd done to it. And then of course there's the coyote 5.0, which is in a league all it's own.
... my 670 Holley carbed, 10k miles, $600 5.3, stock LS manifolds and 700R4 transmission more reading... http://mmb.maverick.to/forums/non-ford-engines.80/
Buy a camshaft,performance,for an LS,$700.If you stay fuel injected,trust me,junk yards don`t give away those wiring harnesses which can be very exp.If you go carbed,theres another $1000.A friend of mine is a big Chevy guy & knows a lot about the new stuff,& none of it is cheap,Ford,Chry, or Chevy.I just saw an ad from Scott Shaffiroff racing where he is selling a 427w,N/A,for less than $13000,made 742HP & 610 ft lbs of torque,more than enough to push a 2500lb Mav into the 8s.The old saying stands,SPEED COSTS MONEY,HOW FAST DO YOU WANT TO GO.
