which engine for Factory Five

[studebaker53]

I am looking to purchase a factory five cobra kit car but right now I am searching for a decent mustang donor car between 1987-2004


When Factory five says kit "includes all mounts ready to accept small block Ford and 1987-2004 Mustang running gear" Which engines are they referring to? 289, 4.6L, 3.6L, 5.0L, 5.4L, etc...??

What are pros/cons of each of these?
Thanks,

[Dimis]

Any will work... if you want cheap then a carbed 302/351 stroker or similar would be the go.
If you like playing with electronics and thinking supercharging is something you'd like to play with then any of the modular fords will work.

If it were me working on it, I'd keep it simple an go stroked 302 or 351 with a carb.
If I was willing to pay someone to solve my headaches, I'd go a coyote 5.0lt, or other modular ford with EFI.

There's no real right answer here except for: Whichever one YOU want to see under the hood.

[lippy]

I personally like the Coyote. Great bang for the buck and includes EFI, ignition, etc.

[Three Peaks]

Factory Five cars can be configured to handle just about any engine from the 289 up to and including the 427 FE variants.

Bang for your buck and ease of install, maintenance, and up front cost is the small block engines- 302, 351W, 289, and all the stroked variations of them. The modular engines are just plain large in section and are a very tight fit. In fact, I believe the 5.4 isn't recommended unless you are prepared for some serious modifications to make it fit.

Check out the ffcars.com forum for all the information and help you can find in two lifetimes on Factory Five kits and builds. Check your budget at the door....

Bob

[Slo-poke]

Take a Mustang with the Coyote engine for a demo ride . crate engines are available with the electronics very reasonable and the smoothness and power will make for an impressive ride in your cobra.

[Frank Messina]

You need to sit down with a pad and pen and line out what kind of a car you want to end up with. That will help you zero in on which engine series you should be looking for AND whether it makes any sense at all to be looking for a donor or if you should just go straight to the crate motor department. There are even some FFR vendors like Mike Forte that can set you up with the complete driveline so no donor part refurbishing or carcass removal to deal with. With FFR there are a lot of ways to get 'er done, but first you need a solid plan. And don't forget the build school.
Frank

[Thor maine]

Now what would I say????????

[JoeT]

the beauty (and curse) of these cars is that you can do whatever you want. I've seen the obvious 289, 302 (it's variants), 351 (it's variants), 390bb (it's variants) 427's and more.

I've seen Taurus SVO engines, 6 cylinder jaguar, hemi powered mopar, chevy powered and there's even a twin turbo V12 BMW kicking around Texas

You're limited only by your comfort level, imagination and budget.



any SBF will bolt right to the mounts (well bolt right on like any of the other parts bolt right on)

[427sharpe]

High dollar option? BOSS302 crate motor; Low(er!) dollar: 351W Stroker.

[EnginePro_91]

If you are looking for a engine for a great deal I would check out BluePrint Engines line. They have the best warranty and build incredible engines.

[Maricopa]

This ad brought to you by BluePrint Engines Inc.

[justcobra]

Has any one installed a Boss 260 engine into a RMC cobra? I have already chopped the firewall? Any pictures would be appreciated. Can any member suggest what would be the lifting points on the engine using a standard engine crane for the 5.4 Ford modular engine.Stanley.

[eschaider]

These are the brackets you will need;




and this is where they attach;





Ed

[MKS427]

I have a 351W based 427 570hp and it is fun. The Coyote is a great engine, in fact I heard the the person that won slalom course last year was in a Cobra with a Coyote. The FEs will set you back at least 50% more and will not make as much power per cu in, but they are the right stuff.

The other things you might consider are:

The complete kit, it has a significantly better suspension. Coil overs, 3-link rear or new Mustang IRS, tubular control arms, and a rack engineered for the car.
Hydraulic clutch.
EFI, in which case you will need a double collector in the header with a bung for the O2 sensor. FFR has these for the Coyote.
Factory Five headers are not good with raised port heads for the Windsor. GP Headers makes them.
If you get the Wilwood pedal kit, you should verify clearance for travel on the clutch pedal. You may have to do some grinding on the frame work to get full travel. You will have an easier time if you do this before anything else.
A proper shroud and better fan(higher amperage/>0.7" @ high flow) for the radiator.
Not locating the battery where FFR put the reinforcement. It is in the center of the largest space in the trunk. Move it all the way to the right of the trunk, or Breeze sells a kit to put it in front of the engine.