My Mustang Swap

First off...I know LOL
Not quite a GM...

Anyways, I picked up a 1991 Mustang LX Notch from my brother a few months back with blown head gaskets. I did the head gasket job and have been summer daily driving the car since. Its a 5.0 5spd with power everything and all the basic bolt ons...





The car is great (coming from a guy who hated mustangs), and it gets compliments every where I go...but I HATE the drive-train. With that in mind, a few weeks ago I picked up a complete L33 motor (all aluminum 5.3 with 799 heads), that was already outfitted with f-body oil pan, front accessories and intake manifold (making it the perfect candidate for my mustang). I also recently picked up a MN12 T56 transmission that will go perfect with the motor...

Anyways, this weekend, I picked up a late model 4.6 k-frame, machined myself some motor mount adapters, and mocked it all up with the block for the caprice....here is where I am at:













Using the poly 4.6 mounts on the aluminum plates I machined gives me the perfect stock offset the drive-line needs. Here are pics of the motor and trans. I hope to have the motor out of the donor this week

You're insane....


Also, I like it!

I love it. Back in the day, that is all I drove. My first was a 87 notch back like yours. It was a LX with the only options being a 5.0, and 3.55s. It had no other options, not even a radio. It was my first new car. I had a couple others that were older including a 84 and 85 GT convertibles, 88 gt, and my next new car was a 90 GT with AOD. It was my only auto version of that car. I had cartech in Portland Oregon outfit it with a single intercooled turbo kit. It ran 12.2 1320s with their mods on a stock drivetrain.
The LS engine is a nice mate to the Fox body.

I love the notchbacks, I always hated how they didn't get any love and the hatches got everyones attention.

LS swap is a great ifdea, can't wait to see it.

Doug

DIBS! I always wanted a 91-2 notch!

Seriously... I want it. With or without the 5.3. I will come get it tomorrow.

Seriously.

1984twodoor wrote:

You're insane....


Also, I like it!

I like it to

IMPALADAKID wrote:

I love it. Back in the day, that is all I drove. My first was a 87 notch back like yours. It was a LX with the only options being a 5.0, and 3.55s. It had no other options, not even a radio. It was my first new car. I had a couple others that were older including a 84 and 85 GT convertibles, 88 gt, and my next new car was a 90 GT with AOD. It was my only auto version of that car. I had cartech in Portland Oregon outfit it with a single intercooled turbo kit. It ran 12.2 1320s with their mods on a stock drivetrain.
The LS engine is a nice mate to the Fox body.

Pooge wrote:

I love the notchbacks, I always hated how they didn't get any love and the hatches got everyones attention.

LS swap is a great ifdea, can't wait to see it.

Doug

I love the look of the notch backs myself. If it were a GT I wouldn't have touched this thing.

toomanytoyz wrote:

DIBS! I always wanted a 91-2 notch!

Seriously... I want it. With or without the 5.3. I will come get it tomorrow.

Seriously.

It's funny you say that....you wouldn't believe how many people offer me cash or ask if I am willing to sell this thing haha.
_______________________________________________________

Made some progress sooner then I anticipated. My brother was nice enough to stop by today and give me a hand ripping the motor out of the donor car and getting it setup on the stand.





That should have been enough for the day right there...but I couldn't help myself. I ended up getting anxious and decided to put my headers, swap mounts and k-frame up to check for clearance. Man...I couldn't be happier! Here are a few pics of the clearance...
















Now I have to take everything back apart. k frame needs to be cleaned up and painted along with all the accessories, oil pan and etc on the motor. I want to coat the headers too.

Well then... What's going on with that 91-2 Bird then... Hmmmmmm????

toomanytoyz wrote:

Well then... What's going on with that 91-2 Bird then... Hmmmmmm????

At first I thought it was your old mullet

toomanytoyz wrote:

Well then... What's going on with that 91-2 Bird then... Hmmmmmm????

Straight to the junk yard when where done stripping it. Rotted out bad.

Excellent choice of engines, fairly straight-foward swap, until..........ya add a turbo


My buddy did this swap on a 99 Stang, LS1 w/a T76 BB

Those headers were originally built for a turbo setup (hence the v-bands). I should just turn them around haha

Took apart some stuff on the motor today and got it all cleaned up and painted Ford Gray. Swaped out some hardware for stainless socket head. Tomorrow I have to delete the knock sensors and make a smooth valley cover....getting ready for the Edelbrock Vic Jr.

Made some more progress.

I fit the new valley cover I made and borrowed a frieds super vic to check for clearance.

I also disassembled the valve covers, coil brackets and etc. Cleaned, sand blasted, cleaned again and painted everything. Replaced all the hardware with some stainless stuff.

The motor almost looks to nice now for a mustang LOL









Slowly getting there. Motor comes out tomorrow.

NICE!
You've got my attention.
I love seeing this, not so new turning new.
Oh..& how many times did people say LS to me?
Thanks for saving me tons of dough by doing this

I love it.

Alright...as always, project is changing direction slightly LOL

Transmission is SOLD. Kid came down from Maine and picked it up last week. He is building an S10 Extreme, pretty cool looking truck.

Anyways, car is getting a th350. Most likely I will build it same way as I did my Caprice...full manual reverse valve body with a transbrake. As fun as that Notch would be with the close ratio 6spd , I already know that I would break it with my driving style...or other driveline parts.....and honestly I can't afford to replace a 2k dollar transmission every few months.

Also, going a different direction on the intake manifold. Oredered up one of the new Holley dual quad mid rise manifolds. 289 shipped. Basically same price as the Victor Junior (Holley is comming out with some pretty badass stuff).

http://holley.com/types/LS%202x4%20Dual%20Plane%20Mid-Rise%20-%20Carbureted.asp

Well....today was the last time the car is comming out with the 5.0
Its getting stripped down this weekend.

Here are the before....stay tuned for the after





...oh....and these will be replacing the 5.0 on the front fender LOL