5.0 vs 4.6

95 DrOpToP · **5.0 vs 4.6**

Ok my friend wants to get a gt mustang, and he is say that parts for a 5.0 are cheaper than a 4.6

wtf shouldnt be that much different should it? i have a 95 v6 and i want to put a 99+ v8 in it this summer about how much would this cost and how hard would it be? thanks for the help.

**SpectorV** · 04-29-2005, 04:17 PM

5.0 can be made WAY faster for WAY cheaper. If you have a 95v6...a 5.0 will drop right in and a 4.6 wont... you will need a new K member also. 5.0 OHV > 4.6 SOHC

fast64 · 04-29-2005, 05:29 PM

parts for 5.0s are wwwwaaayyyy cheaper, not to mention you have a lot more options on parts. If you swap a 5.0 (and a 5 speed) into your 95, you will probably want to take all this from a donor car: a complete engine, a trans, wiring harness, k-member, motor mounts, tranny crossmember & mount, radiator & the hoses, and fan (if its electric and not on the motor). You will also need springs and shocks from a v8 car and possibly some other things from the front suspension. v8 cars had a rear anti-sway bar and a larger front anti-sway bar than v6s. v8 cars also had bigger brakes so you may want to look into getting them as well. You will also need the clutch pedal assembly and clutch cable from the donor car unless you have a 5-speed already.

lowflyn · 04-29-2005, 05:41 PM

And a rear end....

fast64 · 04-29-2005, 06:22 PM

yeah, forgot about that, and more than likely a driveshaft too

Rick0636 · 04-29-2005, 09:34 PM

It is most definitely a do it yourself job, if you have to pay someone to do it for you, you will be better off to just trade your car for a V8, in fact that is the simplest way to do it anyhow.

95 DrOpToP · 04-29-2005, 10:54 PM

i will definatly want to do it myself cuz thats all the fun. How hard do u think it will be to find a wreaked cobra engine cuz thats what i really want

why are parts cheaper for the 5.0? and if they are so much more powerful why didnt ford keep them?

WhiteStang99 · 04-29-2005, 11:31 PM

^ I think it was emissions problems and crap. They are cheaper just cuz they've been out longer, they're older, and they're more plentiful.

fast64 · 04-30-2005, 05:10 AM


Quote: Originally Posted by 95 DrOpToP i will definatly want to do it myself cuz thats all the fun. How hard do u think it will be to find a wreaked cobra engine cuz thats what i really want why are parts cheaper for the 5.0? and if they are so much more powerful why didnt ford keep them?

if you're gonna modify it, it doesn't really matter if it came from a cobra or not. Parts are cheaper for 302s/5.0s because people have been working on 302s since 1968 and 4.6s since only 1996.

**SpectorV** · 04-30-2005, 07:46 AM

i would just sell the car and buy another for tons of reasons.... its cheaper and better overall....

95 DrOpToP · 04-30-2005, 10:30 AM

no
1. i love my convertable
2. i dont have that kind of cash to buy a new car
3. my insurance is gay and cant know i have a v8, my insurance wouldnt let me have a eclipse spyder with a turbo on it, because they said it was a high powered sports car

Bane- · 04-30-2005, 10:50 AM

so u want to swap the motor to avoid insurance costs? just never get pulled over or anything where they have to run ur vin number, will come back as a 95 v6 3.8, so then ur insurance company will most likely bend u over and have its way with u.

swappnig the motor to avoid insurance is most likely the dumbest reason ive heard of swapping a motor in...except for imports they do it all the time for random reasons and still run 15's to 17's... it will most likely come back and bite u in the ass one day down the road...

fast64 · 04-30-2005, 11:17 AM

It will cost you $1500-$2000 for all the parts i listed to do this swap, which should be enough to upgrade to a 94-95 5.0 car after you sell your v6. You say your insurance company wont "let" you get a v8? find another insurance company. I know I put a 5.0 and a t-5 into my car, and it was worth it, but thats a whole different ball game, you couldnt get efi or a 5-speed 40 years ago. If you do this swap, I will help you out as much as I can, but its really not worth it.

SrATEX · 04-30-2005, 12:37 PM

the reason the 5.0 parts are so cheaper is because there are so many of them. 5.0 is more common then 4.6. Just about evey ford had a 5.0 in it...ive just been gratefull to have a 5.8

95 DrOpToP · 04-30-2005, 02:37 PM

someone said there was no reason to get a cobra engine but isnt the regular a SOHC, and the cobra a DOHC? just what i heard

fast64 · 05-01-2005, 06:37 AM

if you get a 4.6, there is a reason to get a cobra engine. But I was talking about 5.0s, which are all OHV

**MonteCitan** · 05-01-2005, 09:38 AM

To save time/money/et al.. I'd say go 5.0 swap if you really can't get a different car..

4.6's are pretty powerful for what they are (small displacement v8s..) with intake, exhaust, 4.10 gears and traction they're good for low 13s.. (13.2s@~103 mph..) it'd take a good bit more mods to a 5.0 to hit those #s.. however 4.6 parts are expensive... with 5.0s you have a range of $400-$600 upper/lower intakes alone that offer up ~15 HP, to get one for a 4.6 it costs $1200 + and I only know of one company offering it at the moment That's just an example of course

Rick0636 · 05-01-2005, 11:20 AM

The cobra 4.6 is a nice engine, but I will say this, the biggest gripe I hear about them is there are very few mods available. The 03-04 supercharged version has some easy mods available for quick horsepower. One thing you do see a lot of is sohc engines using forged cobra cranks for extra durablity. Again, I would shop around for insurance and just trade the car in or sell it and get what I want, then modify that. You are asking for a lot of headaches the way you plan to go.

Rick0636 · 05-01-2005, 11:28 AM

Oh, and if you insist on doing this, don't go with anything less than a 99 or up 4.6L whether its a cobra or sohc , and buy a whole wrecked car with the parts you want, you are going to need a lot of stuff from it, and whatever is left, sell it to a junkyard for 50 bucks or so for scrap weight.

95 DrOpToP · 05-01-2005, 12:27 PM

so is there anything special about a 94 or 95 cobra engine over a regualar 5.0.

fast64 · 05-01-2005, 01:38 PM

it has different heads and intake, maybe some other things, but if you are gonna mod the engine you'll probably replace them anyway....

saleen0027 · 06-20-2005, 05:11 PM

Sorry you are in an insurance bind. At least you dont live in NJ, It is soooo hard to get an insurance company let alone finding an inexpensive one. They make you fill out extensive paper work, and everything short of finger prints and background check. Anyway enough of my gripes. I'd go w/ a 5.0 cuz of cost reasons, parts are more plentiful, and 5.0's are wayyy easier to work on.