FocusCanada Forums

Well, as most of you know, I had had a small accident on my way from Brantford to Petawawa a couple weeks ago. That sucked, of course, but not as bad as what happened a few days after I mentioned that thread/post.

After attempting to start my truck in the mornings from other people's vehicles when it was colder than -40C, the connecting rods in 2 of the cylinders in my 350 V8 gave up the ghost. The heartbeat of america has ceased for me. Sooo, I took it to a shop under it's own power (can't beleive the rods didn't come through the block while limping it to the garage), and it was diagnosed within seconds that the rods were shot, and dragging on the crank. The engine needs to be rebuilt, and I got some quotes on that so far.

My dilemma, is that it's going to cost roughly $5000 to rebuild BOTH the engine and transmission (tranny is almost whipped too, so may as well rebuild that while both it and the engine are out). That's just to rebuild it as STOCK with new parts and some machine shop work. It'll cost me at least another $1500 usd for say, the Edelbrock "top-end" performer engine package (complete assembled performer heads, performer intake manifold, performer camshaft). I'd have to buy a new carb on top of that too. The stock engine specs for my truck are somewhere around 210hp, and 255 ft lbs at roughly a 9.0:1 compression ratio. With the performer RPM top end, I should be closer to 250 or more hp and 300 ft lbs with around a 9.5:1 ratio. However, that is going to cost me the better part of $7K by the time it's done, and then I haven't addressed anything else (like the body, oldschool brakes, suspension, etc).

I am wondering if I should just park the thing, and go and buy a daily driver for a few grand, and wait until the next time I go on tour, and then fix the engine then. I've found a few cars worth looking at so far (99 V6 5spd loaded Merc Mystique, 00 Focus SE sedan with Zetec and 5spd, 99 Escort ZX2 with Zetec and 5spd), all of which would cost HALF of what the engine rebuild in the truck will cost.

Not sure what to do. I know I COULD just buy some steelies and winter tires for the Stang, and just drive that every day for now, but I don't want to rack up the mileage or wear and tear on it.

The truck is 30 yrs old now, it's got a lot of personal or sentimental value for both myself, and a lot of our family. We know EVERYTHING else that is wrong with it from top to bottom, front to rear. If the engine is fixed, there aren't any unkowns, if you know what I mean. If I buy a cheapie car, it could prove to be a basket case, and well, I don't wanna own 3-4 vehicles, and have 3 of them off the road, and use up the Mustang.

Debating too if I should just try to sell the Mustang privately in the spring, and try to recoup my money from that, and just use a beater, and spend my time and money customizing the truck. I love that car, and I've always wanted to be one of those people that had a "really nice car" that other people respect or lust for, which I am now. It's also such a total package, that I don't really need to mod it at all...it's fast stock, is nimble for it's size, has a semi-gucci interior, and a decent stereo, stock. It's also faster than a majority of the average vehicles on the road as it is, also negating the need to mod it (for now...lol).

So yeah, I've got lots to think about, and realistically, only a few weeks to make a decision of some kind.

Need your opinions folks...

In a situation like that with my family, we'd send the truck off te the cruchers because it's not worth spending that much money on a n engine and tranny when the truck itself is not worth that, not even to rebuild it because in the condition it's now in it will be a black hole or a money pit for you.

Drive the mustang, it's just a car.

I spent 5Gs on my RangerBeast, getting it roadworthy, doing all the repairs and getting it to a proper safety (albeit with an emissions "classic" bypass for straightpipes :ph34r: ). I then spent another 1000 when I blew the first motor to buy another 302 and have it dropped in. When THAT motor started giving me grief, I parked it and eventually just sold it to be rid of it.

They're all moneypits in the end. The trick is to spot it.

Don't rebuild it to stock at this point, rebuild it to be where YOU want it to be. You can do hi-comp pistons, custom/wicked cams, intake and carb... whatever you want. A full, street-prepped transmission rebuild is also a smart idea at this point if you're redoing it. Same goes for a new limited-slip rear if you're going silly.

Do it all right now, because 6 months down the road you'll want to enter a show or something and you'll be like, "uh, it's all stock man".

If it was me, which you're not :lol: (good thing, eh?)... I'd be giving that block the business. New high-flow heads (or PnP), cams, intake manifold, headers, lifters, etc. The works. You've got an opportunity for one hell of a truck from what you've said. Make it happen. :)

350s are nice because they have enough capacity to be "bigger power motors" while still remaining smooth. You'll be able to get 400BHP out of it and still not have a stupid-choppy idle or an undriveable bottom end. 305s are just sling-shot candidates (load 'er up and let fly!) and anything bigger becomes an obsession that quickly turns "unstreetable".

Well, my dad agrees that I should source some speed parts, or beefier internal parts, and get the engine built up properly so it's closer to 300hp and that much or more in torque at least.

A lot of the body parts for the truck that need to be swapped are actually pretty cheap...like the hood, the fenders, the fleetsides for the box, etc. The only pricey parts are fixing or swapping the cab, and having everything prepped and painted over again.

If I had the body worked on, and a fresh engine and transmission, then I'd have a solid, reliable truck. Even if I spent say, 10-15K on it on that stuff, it'd still be a fraction of the price of a new truck. It'd also have the cool oldschool custom thing happening to it, and a proper 8 FOOT BOX! lol!

I've already sourced some things like a complete Belltech Suspension kit for less than $1000usd which would drop it 2" front, and 3-4" rear (have to re-arc the leaf springs to have the truck ride flat again).

I dunno...all of that stuff might sound like a pipe dream...and a used beater would be cheaper. I just don't want to scrap or junk the truck alltogether, as I mentioned what value it holds for me and the family. That, and you need a truck up here in the north.

Thanks for the ideas/thoughts so far...preciate em...keep em comin'

Drives

If you want to get a rebuild done to a high performance spec, my dad's been rebuilding engines for 30 years, both stock and performance. He would sure be able to hook you up should you want to go a rebuilt or even a new engine.

Send me a PM if you're interested.

^^ His Dad does great work. Had I kept the truck, the only guy who would have done the engine work would have been him.

I used to rebuild engines as a hobby, back in the days when I actually had free time. $5g would get you a lot more than what you're getting if you built it yourself. Chev speed parts are generally pretty cheap.

what about just buying a used 350 and dropping it in it, and save yourself the cost of completly rebuilding your engine. But if there is a very strong attachment to the old engine...

It really depends what you want the truck to be I think. If you're looking at it as a daily driver, scrap it, by the time you've spent enough to get the car back up to stock spec you've gone a long way towards a newer, safer ride (As nice as an old school truck is, its a safety nightmare, back when that truck was built, the truck safety standards were tissue paper thin)

If you simply want a show truck, then go nuts sez I, just make sure that your wallet can take the pounding ;)

NefCanuck

Good point. ^^

Ok...I need to sell the Rims, and the rest of the stereo and parts from the Focus, and I need to flog my 78 Zephyr, which would make a great sleeper hotrod project car, and a solid one at that.

I'm gonna need the money to put back on my LOC after I empty what's left of it for the engine work...if I do it.

I gave in and decided to just rebuild the original engine and transmission, and build them to stock specs. No need to make a tire smokin monster out of it when the "other" vehicle does that for me already...lol

Hopefully, I can get the thing back by March break, as it's going to take 2-3 weeks at least to git er done (engine shop is in Renfrew).

Thanks for the input folks, I appreciated it!