[01mineralgrey6]

Okay, i have been contemplating getting a GT, or Lightning, and i have decided to be a little different.
I want to build me a bad ass 6er!
I am thinking of getting a motor from a junkyard, not sure if i should get a 3.8 of what years(if it even matters) or get a 4.2 F-150 motor. after i find out which i should go with I want to get ported/polished heads, intakes, a cam, probably bore the motor out .30., also thinking about an alum. driveshaft and definately t-lok,chip w/ dyno tune,anything else needed? Im don't think i will really want gears if i get the power im looking for. I'm thinking about 230RWHP is attainable from this ???im not sure but any input is apreciative

 

[lowflyn]

Why build a V6? Are you just wanting to beat ppl and then say it's a V6? If I was you and wanted to sink money into a new engine for your car I'd buy a V8, spend the money on it, and drop it in..get more power for your money..you can't make up for displacement...

 

[01mineralgrey6]

Why build a V6? Are you just wanting to beat ppl and then say it's a V6?

Sorta, I just want to be a little different, theres not too many that i know of that are like that. The other thing is for a V8 insurace is a lot more, I know most people that swap motors don't say anything too there insurace, i have a friend that didn't and did motorswap on a Honda and he got hit by a truck, car was totaled,an the insurance comp. found out that he had swaped the motor out on it and they wouldn't cover anything on the car. Im still thinking about pros and cons to each side, I still think that building up a V6 is cool.

 

[lowflyn]

Yeh..true on the insurance part. That's the only reason I didn't buy a GT...

 

[01mineralgrey6]

same here

 

[RGR]

230??? EASY!!!

230 RWHP is easy even on a 3.8!!!

I would do the 4.2, bore it like 60 over,
(proven safe many times) and then get
pretty heavily ported heads. Stock valves
would be OK at this level (NA) but power adder
calls for at least a bigger exhaust valve, or both.

I can help U plan a motor. I have planned/built more of these than anyone.

I would shoot for more like 300 RWHP on a 4.3 stroker
Might as well, you are already talking stout shortblock, so
go for the gold! Minimal cost differences...

 

[01mineralgrey6]

COOL!! I plan on peiceing it together little by little. Don't really plan on a power adder, i think id be happy enough with 300RWHP.300 RWHPfor real??!?!?!!!? Damn! lol! I had you in minda with all the p/p and cam and stuff. How are those manifolds/headers workin for ya?? Were they actually cracked..I had a hole in the gasket but that was all i saw.... BTW another question, would it be worth while to get longtubes??? and maybe an o/r H or X??? I still want it to sound good

 

[01mineralgrey6]

and with that kinda power i would probably want to get a 8.8 rear end too huh?

 

[Brent]

yea if you plan on taking it to the track a 8.8 would be a good thing to have

 

[tire]

mineralgray, if you are sticking n.a., definitely go for a n2o cam and run spray. this way you'll have your n.a. power but also be able to handle a 150+ shot with no fear since you're wanting to have a built 3.8/4.2 anyways. a friend of mine is going this way and will be built sometime this year. i'll keep you posted as he progresses.

right now he has a 4.2 crank and will be using his 00 block to work with. he'll be running 10:1 comp. and getting another cam for the new setup. he's going 40 or 50 over i believe. btw, he sees 220rwhp/240rwtq approx right now n.a., and with a 75 shot and n2o cam, he sees 300rwhp/340-350rwtq. not bad, +80/+100!

rgr knows more than the rest of us and will be more useful than my chime in about this and that, so i won't say much.

 

[Black95GT]

Yeh..true on the insurance part. That's the only reason I didn't buy a GT...

My insurance was 2500 for the v6, now with my brother owning the v6, my GT was quoted at 2,200, they said maybe a little more.

 

[lowflyn]

You have old body...Me like 99+ personally...sorry. That's why it's cheaper though, ur car is a 95, not an 02 lol.

 

[RGR]

COOL!! I plan on peiceing it together little by little. Don't really plan on a power adder, i think id be happy enough with 300RWHP.300 RWHPfor real??!?!?!!!? Damn! lol! I had you in minda with all the p/p and cam and stuff. How are those manifolds/headers workin for ya?? Were they actually cracked..I had a hole in the gasket but that was all i saw.... BTW another question, would it be worth while to get longtubes??? and maybe an o/r H or X??? I still want it to sound good

LT's rock, I'd get those for sure, bore the block .060" over and
BV heads would be nice at that level. Truly, 300 RWHP is doable,
but I would really suggest a custom intake for that level, cuz it
will probably need a cam that does not work well with a stock
upper (possibly) Dyno data suggests that the strokers work
better with bigger plenums and shorter runners than a 3.8 does.
Using an SSX is a great start! Then build the rest of the combo
to match that, and I believe 300 RWHP is a done deal.

You might be able to hit the # with a stock Mustang upper,
with wildly ported upper intake specs, but it would probably
lose out in top end somewhat.

 

[01mineralgrey6]

I don't really wanna go too wild with it...say i do the 4.2 (got a friend with connections looking for one), bore it .060 over, use your stage 2 intake, Full n/a porting on the heads, and a cam (not quite sure which, but the 207/215 seems popular) , would that work out ok?? The SSX one showed for a 94-98, how would that work with my 99+??? What year 4.2 do i need, anything else from that motor? just the short block?? I plan on building it little by little over the next year. Once it is done,Will it be hard for someone to dyno tune it? And would I be able to drive it to the dyno shop??? I really appreciate your help

 

[RGR]

I don't really wanna go too wild with it...say i do the 4.2 (got a friend with connections looking for one), bore it .060 over, use your stage 2 intake, Full n/a porting on the heads, and a cam (not quite sure which, but the 207/215 seems popular) , would that work out ok?? The SSX one showed for a 94-98, how would that work with my 99+??? What year 4.2 do i need, anything else from that motor? just the short block?? I plan on building it little by little over the next year. Once it is done,Will it be hard for someone to dyno tune it? And would I be able to drive it to the dyno shop??? I really appreciate your help

That is a power adder cam for the 3.8, and it was low on lift (due to the
springs we had back then) now I have much better cams for any combo.

For a 4.3 I would get porting like U listed, custom cam, Stage 2 intakes
will be good or SSX, (St. 2 is cheaper) and the LT's. I would just get a crank
and forged rod-piston combo. Or the shortblock, but use forged rods-pistons.
Then U have a block to build while you drive.

My tuner can cut you a tune that will probably be quite nice w/o a dyno,
but you could easily drive it there and get it tweaked further. I use AMS
and he is getting awesome results in 1 attempt.

 

[01mineralgrey6]

Ill talk to my friend tomorrow when i go back to work and see if he found me a shortblock. That was my inital plan was to first get a shortblock. cuz i can't really go with out my car for more than a weekend. and i can't afford to do everything right now, so im gonna do it little by little. Hope to be able to finish it up in the next year. any recommendations on forged pistions, and rods?? The 4.2 has a forged crank right? And the tune sounds good to me.Thanks for the help!!! Ill be getting back with you on this

 

[RGR]

...any recommendations on forged pistions, and rods?? The 4.2 has a forged crank right? And the tune sounds good to me.Thanks for the help!!! Ill be getting back with you on this

4.2 crank is not forged, but very strong. No one has broken one yet!