Ok I'm bored and I have an idea that is probably not popular I want a lightweight, inexpensive, powerful engine to put in a Maverick. Mavericks already being lightweight, of course. I thought about doing an aftermarket 347 and tricking it out to the max, but that cost $$$ + my firstborn child. So I thought... my buddy has an LS2 in his Camaro... and is always bragging about it... why can't I put an LS2 in a Mav? They're way cheaper, very lightweight, and with only a cam change and headers I've heard they can push out over 400hp. Would this be a terrible thing to do? Would I be hated for defiling a Ford product with a Chevy engine? I feel like it's in the true spirit of Hot Rodding though...
i dont see where your getting the idea that it would be anywhere close to "cheaper"... and a 347 should be right at 400hp anyway
Yes, you would be hated and people will talk about you behind your back. Everywhere you go people will be pointing their finger at you. If you want a chevy motor go buy a Chevrolet. If you want a Mopar engine buy a Mopar. Keep them in the family :Handshake
its different but i doubt by the time you turn the key and it fires off you will have spent less that you would have on a good 347. not only do you have to customer fit the ls2, wire the eletronics, plum the fuel system, and figure out exhast manifolds or headers, but also figure out what trans to use. you can use adapters to run a ford trans or you can run a gm trans. Ive never been a fan of swaping other brand motors in to different make cars. it feel if you want a chevy, get a chevy.
I think a 347 would be way cheaper You can get a good kit for around a grand and it drops right in... worst case scenario is cutting the towers for header and spark plug clearance.
An LS2 should be right at 400hp stock. In the 05-06 GTO's they were rated at 400hp from the factory, actually most make more than that. If I had an LS2 with a 6speed I would drop that in my Maverick in a heart beat. Those are awesome engines! I wouldnt care if everyone else didnt like it, its my car and I will do what makes me happy!
You guys are gonna flame me, huh.... Ok, so a crate 347 from Summit, ready to rock out of the box is around 10k (advertised around 400hp, FW I assume). An LS2, we'll go with a crate to be comparible, is about 6k, rated at the same hp. The stroked 302 is basically at it's limit, unless you stoke up the NOS. The LS2 is barely scratching the surface, and you've got about the same weight, almost half the cost, and room for lots more hp if you want it. I'd go with a T-5 tranny, and a chevy tranny would fit in fine and be about the same cost as a Ford. There's the custom driveshaft, with a ford end and chevy end, but I dont' think that'd be too much more than a regular high end driveshaft. The rest is just custom fabrication which just takes time. I'm more worried about the motor mounts... that would be difficult to figure out I think. And yeah the wiring would be a pain... But I feel like you'd have so much more available power to you at a very light weight and, and the VERY least, the cost would come out flush. It would be so HATED! bananaman
if you do a MII swap you can put whatever you want in it pretty easily. I still say stay ford power but do what you want, its your car also realize that you have to buy a proper radiator, computer and harness, fuel pump and fuel plumbing to run a fuel injected motor
after you cut out the shock towers and get custom headers made the amout of money you saved over the 347 should pay for the mustang II front end no ones telling you to buy a 10k crate motor, you can have an existing core built to a 347 for way way cheaper then that
Yeah I realize that a crate is gonna be way pricier than getting a core motor and working that up. I'm just concerned about cranking power out of a stock 302. I know they're stout and can handle upwards of 600+ hp, but I feel I would want an aftermarket block just as a precaution. I'd hate to pour money into a 302 just to crack the block cause I'm welping on it run after run... and if I go from that premise, a crate LS2 is cheaper than a crate 347. Course the point was made that it's the modifications to the electrics/exaust/wiring/etc that'll catch up to me, and it's totally true. But in the end I have a very powerful and radically different hot rod...
Just as "radical" as everyone else with a LS motor..... Course that can be said with everyone with a 347 also But if it was me... Id spend the money on a MII and a good 347 or a 415w and call it a day
