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Who will swap for the new 7.3 V8!

millhouse

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People use what they can get. I get it at the time they were being produced. What I don't understand is why they're popular now, unless you are building a drag-only race car? I don't drag race but for the fun test and tune night once a year.
There are a shit ton of aftermarket suspension manufacturers for the foxbody. They can be made to handle quite well.

It's nice taking a car that's not your daily driver to the track. You can focus a lot more on driving and a lot less on how not to slide into the wall or gravel.
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Hack

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Maybe because the stock powertrains in Fox Bodys are awful, necessitating swaps or very significant changes (FI) for good performance, relative to a new family sedan?

I've never understood the love for the platform other than it's light.
They were light and inexpensive plus a V8 fit and they were rear wheel drive. I bought a Fox for $450. There was another I bought for $750. Good value. They were also easy to work on and there was a huge aftermarket for them.

I've heard some people swap out parts on their brand new Mustangs, so saying that a change is necessitated doesn't seem like that much of an indictment to me.

I did swear off that platform about 10 years ago, but in the 90s and early 2000s I think they were a decent choice.

And yes, 35 years later new cars are faster. What do you expect?

People use what they can get. I get it at the time they were being produced. What I don't understand is why they're popular now, unless you are building a drag-only race car? I don't drag race but for the fun test and tune night once a year.
I do agree with you on this one. Fox Mustangs don't drive that well on the street compared to modern cars. But for drag or road racing they can be a decent choice. I still could understand why someone would buy one for cheap and drive it, but I've noticed the prices are starting to go up now. For a higher "collectible" price, a Fox Mustang doesn't make sense to me either.
 

tokuzumi

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I have to say, there is a stark persona difference between these forums and foxbody forums. In the foxbody forums, people are asking questions...trying to figure out how to work on their cars themselves. In here, people seem to want to pay everyone to do the work for them. Perhaps it's just a generational thing.
It's the same way with most cars that have decent aftermarket mod support. When the cars are new, responses are "take it to the dealer", or "my mechanic said". But a lot of these cars are still under factory warranty. Why would I pull the motor on a car under warranty? Why should I ask questions about "will this engine fit?" when the car's covered if something breaks? Once the warranty expires, and cars start to age, they get into the hands of people who are learning to wrench, or don't have the money to take it to a mechanic. Engine swaps start becoming more popular. It's been the same from everything from Honda Civics to Dodge Vipers.

Swaps will trickle up. With Fox bodies increasing in value (at least the 79-93 cars), I see the S197s being a little more popular of a swap, and later the S550.
 

millhouse

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It's the same way with most cars that have decent aftermarket mod support. When the cars are new, responses are "take it to the dealer", or "my mechanic said". But a lot of these cars are still under factory warranty. Why would I pull the motor on a car under warranty? Why should I ask questions about "will this engine fit?" when the car's covered if something breaks? Once the warranty expires, and cars start to age, they get into the hands of people who are learning to wrench, or don't have the money to take it to a mechanic. Engine swaps start becoming more popular. It's been the same from everything from Honda Civics to Dodge Vipers.

Swaps will trickle up. With Fox bodies increasing in value (at least the 79-93 cars), I see the S197s being a little more popular of a swap, and later the S550.
Which is exactly the reason I mentioned putting in a S550 salvage vehicle. A lot of you apparently still didn't get it though.
 

Erik427

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Roush supercharges S550s and they don't upgrade all those parts you mention. And those cars have a warranty to boot. You could certainly upgrade some parts if desired (I'd do the oil pump gears as a minimum), but it's not going to cost tons of money compared to a completely new engine, the transplant kit and associated computer & wire harnesses, the labor and tuning etc. And if you want to start modifying the 7.3L with aftermarket parts then that's a whole new level of time, labor and cost.
Not much to modify with the 7.3
Roush does upgrade those parts when the cars are used for competition by the way.
Not a issue for garage queens........
 

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millhouse

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Another video for the real gearheads.



They plan on running 1800+hp (stock block, but new pistons and rods and destroked crank due to size restrictions).
 

NotagainV2

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ANYTHING can make hp if you reengineer the entire damn engine.

Whats left stock from that? And yet you think this is going to be a popular swap 5+ years from now? LOL
 

LSchicago

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I'd love to have a 7.3 and supercharge it. I wouldn't put it in my Mustang though.
 

Erik427

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ANYTHING can make hp if you reengineer the entire damn engine.

Whats left stock from that? And yet you think this is going to be a popular swap 5+ years from now? LOL
Just look at the ls chevy and then rethink your statement.
 

2018OFPP1?2

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People use what they can get. I get it at the time they were being produced. What I don't understand is why they're popular now, unless you are building a drag-only race car? I don't drag race but for the fun test and tune night once a year.
Partly, or maybe mostly, for the same reason people still lust for 1965 Mustangs, 1985 Honda Interceptors, or (insert obsolete antiquated machinery of your choice here). Nostalgia.

A new Honda Civic may be more comfortable, faster, and better handling, than my 92 5.0 5 speed LX vert, but it could never put the same smile on my face.
 

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drive_55_not

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1985 Honda Interceptors,
I had an 85' Interceptor back in my younger crotch rocket daze Quick little bike ... Sold it and bought my 1st new car and first Mustang , a 1987 Mustang GT.


.
 

BmacIL

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Partly, or maybe mostly, for the same reason people still lust for 1965 Mustangs, 1985 Honda Interceptors, or (insert obsolete antiquated machinery of your choice here). Nostalgia.

A new Honda Civic may be more comfortable, faster, and better handling, than my 92 5.0 5 speed LX vert, but it could never put the same smile on my face.
At least the 60s/early 70s Mustangs were/are gorgeous...
 

2018OFPP1?2

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At least the 60s/early 70s Mustangs were/are gorgeous...
One of my all-time favorite designs is the 65-66 fastback, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you have to acknowledge the that first Mustang was almost entirely form over function.

The Fox had some function at least, being Ford's most aerodynamic production vehicle at the time, and ushered back in some performance.

IMO the last iteration has aged well, and I prefer it to most of the jelly beans rolling off the assembly line today, which more or less, all look the same to me (Honda, Nissan, Toyota, etc).
 

Erik427

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This is not just about displacement.
Long term cost.......
Appealing to a much larger fan base. Face it, there are far more pushrod motor gearheads than Coyote fans.
Bottom and mid range tq.
Being able to have a foundation that will allow 900 - 1,000hp while being N/A.

I could add to the list.......but you get the point.......if you're a true gearhead.
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