Does it really matter?

[vortech xi]

I have always thought Ford should have put a 351 in the 93 cobra not just a cylinder head and intake change. I am thinking of dropping in a 351w lightning motor I have in my 93 and was looking for people's thoughts on the swap. What made me think about it even more was a ride in my buddy's 95R and it pulled really well and seemed like a fun ride that's not to much of a motor to be a driver. The car already has a small cowl hood so that's no problem for hood clearence and I would probably use the stock cobra upper to "keep the look" of a stock 93.

[Z282SLO]

Assuming your set-up of the 351 motor achieves the same power from the factory, that swap should give your Cobra a significant bump in low-end performance but not much of a difference at higher speeds. The 351W Lightning motor had a lot more torque than the Cobra 302 (340 lb-ft @ 3200 vs. 280 lb-ft @ 4000) but only a little more hp (240 @ 4200 vs. 235 @ 4600). Your Cobra would definitely have more "pull" with that set-up.

Also, assuming your buddy's 95R was stock, that motor is putting out 300hp @ 4800 and 365 lb-ft @ 3750.

Of course, you could avoid the hassles involved in an engine swap and supercharge that 'ol 302 and gain way more torque and hp than the 351W!

[Romo93]

Assuming your set-up of the 351 motor achieves the same power from the factory, that swap should give your Cobra a significant bump in low-end performance but not much of a difference at higher speeds. The 351W Lightning motor had a lot more torque than the Cobra 302 (340 lb-ft @ 3200 vs. 280 lb-ft @ 4000) but only a little more hp (240 @ 4200 vs. 235 @ 4600). Your Cobra would definitely have more "pull" with that set-up.

Also, assuming your buddy's 95R was stock, that motor is putting out 300hp @ 4800 and 365 lb-ft @ 3750.

Of course, you could avoid the hassles involved in an engine swap and supercharge that 'ol 302 and gain way more torque and hp than the 351W!

Very sound advice

[Mike S.]

A cowl hood would have been necessary, and Ford didn't find that to be a reasonable addition for a production car. Also crash testing, certification, and CAFE standards had to be taken into consideration. I've driven several 351W Foxes, and was never very impressed with the performance over that of a decent 5.0. A stoker kit and having it a fit in the same location is a better alternative, and the W's 460-sized 3" main bearing journals lead to excessive bearing speed at higher RPMs. The 302/5.0 has 2-1/4" mains. I look at the Windsor as a truck engine, a low RPM torquer.

-MJS

[vortech xi]

I would not use the Lightning stock cam for sure.
My buddy's R is stone stock and very low mile so I'm sure it makes that kind of power you listed.
Maybe I should just put a blower on the 351 then since they can take way more power then a 302.
I already have the 351 relocation bracket for the a/c and I have the efi dizzy. Picking up long tube headers this week brand new for $250. So I will have the stuff if I decide to go this route.

[specracer]

It would be expensive, but I love the idea of the new 5.2 ford introduced at PRI. It's the GT 350 voodoo engine, with out the fpc, it has a normal cross plane.

[1986Browns]

Don't try and reinvent the wheel. You want more power, more low end grunt like a 351? Throw a positive displacement Kenne-Bell blower on your 302 and call it a day!

[Z282SLO]

If you go the supercharger route and since you mentioned keeping the look of the '93 under the hood, you might want to go with a Vortech instead of the Kenne-Bell. Plenty of low end grunt (and high end power) available with a Vortech!

[1986Browns]

Plenty of low end grunt (and high end power) available with a Vortech!

Maybe, but a centrifugal Vortech is basically a belt driven turbo that needs some RPM to shine. A positive displacement blower like the KB I mentioned gives you that off idle, tire shredding grunt similar to that of a larger cubic inch engine. A KB is the closest thing to "bolting on" 100 c.i. for our cars.

1,000's of Terminator/GT500/Lightning guys can't be wrong going with big twin screw blowers from KB and Whipple! How many of those guys are taking off the factory positive displacement blower and bolting on a centrifugal?

[Ysi91]

Plenty of low end grunt (and high end power) available with a Vortech!

Maybe, but a centrifugal Vortech is basically a belt driven turbo that needs some RPM to shine. A positive displacement blower like the KB I mentioned gives you that off idle, tire shredding grunt similar to that of a larger cubic inch engine. A KB is the closest thing to "bolting on" 100 c.i. for our cars.

1,000's of Terminator/GT500/Lightning guys can't be wrong going with big twin screw blowers from KB and Whipple! How many of those guys are taking off the factory positive displacement blower and bolting on a centrifugal?

A centrifugal will give you plenty off idle, tire shredding grunt. This is a video of my car with a little vortech s-trim. The car has an AOD trans and running 275/40/17s
http://youtu.be/w7QXDZ-fI0E

[Z282SLO]

A centrifugal will give you plenty off idle, tire shredding grunt.

Absolutely! My tried and true Vortech has embarrassed quite a few Terminator/GT500/Lightning guys over the years.

[Larry9901]

Plenty of low end grunt (and high end power) available with a Vortech!

Maybe, but a centrifugal Vortech is basically a belt driven turbo that needs some RPM to shine. A positive displacement blower like the KB I mentioned gives you that off idle, tire shredding grunt similar to that of a larger cubic inch engine. A KB is the closest thing to "bolting on" 100 c.i. for our cars.

1,000's of Terminator/GT500/Lightning guys can't be wrong going with big twin screw blowers from KB and Whipple! How many of those guys are taking off the factory positive displacement blower and bolting on a centrifugal?

A centrifugal will give you plenty off idle, tire shredding grunt. This is a video of my car with a little vortech s-trim. The car has an AOD trans and running 275/40/17s
http://youtu.be/w7QXDZ-fI0E

Car sounds good. What cam and exhaust are you running?

[Ysi91]

Thanks. Borla stingers and trick flow stage 2 cam.