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302 Swap in 69 Mustang

3K views 20 replies 6 participants last post by  red65mustang 
#1 ·
I have a ’69 Mustang with an anemic 302 in it… what’s the best (largest) engine that will bolt up to a c-4 auto tranny? I’ve always been a GM guy… sorry for the stupid question.
 
#2 · (Edited)
vf,
a 460 bolts up to a C4....but...ya gotta beef up the C4 to live with all that torque.....
pretty easy to build a 460 to 500ft/lbs+

68' thru 70' (all the same unibody) Ford stuffed just about every different big block they made at that time into Mustangs....

here's what a SCJ 428 would look like in your bay (customer's car at the shop for restoration)
 

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#4 ·
You can buy one already set up to handle a lot of power or I guess a transmission shop could do the same thing. A 460 has a lot of power but will fit tight in your bay. The Mustang won't handle as well with all of that weight on the front end. A 351 Windsor can be stroked out for a lot of cubic inches and with all of the aftermarket parts it can be made into a great performer. It is also a lot lighter than the 460. Another route would be to stroke your 302 to a 347. They can also be built to have amazing power.

Danny
 
#10 ·
vr,
your welcome but to be honest....it would take me forever to type all that out with just 2 fingers!

food for thought:

Key to any fun street car is max TQ (not hp) to the tires at all normal driving rpms...

TQ=real "force"=push you back in the seat fun

very very generally cubes=max TQ (why a 460 will give you a neck ache)

stock 302 with a decent tune up is 300ft/lbs
300ft/lbs x 3.00 gears = 900 ft/lbs of twist force on the tires
300ft/lbs x 3.73 gears = 1,119 ft/lbs of force on the tires=Hg is higher=more TQ with less load and a pretty darn good increase for "wow" acceleration with very little gas pedal

$500 gear swap is the best bang for the buck on a 302...ain't got cubes change gears for the same tq at the tires...
stock 351W motor x 3.00=1050 ft/lbs at the tires approx
TQ cam on a 302=about 320ft/lbs
320x3.73=1193
 
#11 ·
red65mustang said:
68' and later had upto 429 cube motors as options....
The 429 was not used in a MUSTANG until the 1971 model year other than the 69/70 BOSS and those were specially modified to take them.

While a 460 will go, it will require apron work. The car will then be nose heavy and only fit for straight road driving (hot street).

(IMO)

A lightly modified 302/351W will give you much more roadability unless you are just looking for flat out performance.
 
#13 ·
KULTULZ said:
The 429 was not used in a MUSTANG until the 1971 model year other than the 69/70 BOSS and those were specially modified to take them.

While a 460 will go, it will require apron work. The car will then be nose heavy and only fit for straight road driving (hot street).

(IMO)

A lightly modified 302/351W will give you much more roadability unless you are just looking for flat out performance.
boss 429 1969/1970, rare, but they exist
 
#14 · (Edited)
guys,

I went back and changed my post to: just say: Ford "big block motors" (not 429)....cause about every motor Ford built was stuffed in them....

vf,
food for thought:
I'm not a big fan for starting with a 351W....250hp/340tq stock....
because it has the (small valves, TQ biased I/E) 302 heads on it....
to get performance above about 4500rpms....
you have to buy after market heads.....

"but"
the brand new totally complete (intake/dist/etc) crate motor is a heck of a buy ($2800?) and is definitely a fun "cruiser" motor just stock....
it is taller than a 302 in a Mustang so do check the air filter and carb and intake hood clearance before you buy

I do agree with putting in a big block does ruin the handling....
 
#16 ·
OK guys, thank you very much for all the info… so what’s the verdict… beef up the 302 a little more, put in a beefed up 351W, keep the 302 and use NOS? Use: No strip racing, just a burn out or two, and a little street racing to ward off doubters, HA!!
By the way, I should have mentioned, that my 302 isn’t stock… it’s got a 270 comp cam, Edelbrock AVS 650 carb / Performer RPM manifold and 3.73 gears. I shouldn’t have called it “anemic”. The old girl will hold her own nicely with a new GT (and look damn good doing it, HA!), I just wanted a little more.
So what do you guys think? “If it were my car, I’d……”
 
#18 ·
Actually, they’re stock heads… I emailed Edelbrock a month ago or so about the possibility of putting new heads on the engine I have. This is what they replied. What do ya’ll think?

“Terry, I would recommend our Performer heads #60329. These heads have an exhaust crossover, use a stud mounted rocker arm, and have 1.90” intake valves which should be compatible with your stock pistons (though you should always roll your engine over by hand to check clearances prior to starting). Let me know if any of the above parameters are unacceptable and I’ll tell you know if we have something different acceptable. Thank you for using Edelbrock products please let me know if you have any further questions.
 
#21 ·
DD says 5,000rpms for 270H 224/224 comp cams hp peak on a 302 (TQ peak isn't till 4,000!).....

plugged in your build, depending on the details (cr/exhaust/headers etc) you are at between 275hp-295hp now 315tq@4,000....

for reference:
the Edelbrock "302 rpm power package" (heads, intake and cam) is 367hp@6500 and 340tq....and is "streetable"

so the chart can make more sense, the E7 heads on the left are typical 302 heads and here are the Edelbrock flow numbers

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/heads/pdf/flow_data.pdf

like always, for a super duper street motor you do need more parts...stall converter/better cooling/better traction/etc...

they recommended the right heads based on the 5k peak cam (I'd change it to the rpm cam)
 
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