3.0 And 2.5 SVT Pros Please Help!

[99Redcat]

Hey!
These questions have prolly been answered 100 times... but I'm so confused with all the 3L and 2.5 stuff that I'm just going to give up trying to figure it out on my own and ask for professional advice... here's what I got...
Sometime about 5 months ago I had a beautiful lazer red 1999 Cougar 2.5 DOHC fall into my lap... now my cougar isn't the best one in the world... one and probably the only reason I got this cougar so easily was because it has 116000 miles on it!!!! Yeah! 116K! Plus it's an ATX... but anyway... I want an MTX I mean WANT! But I can't spend that kind of money on a new coug w/ less miles. (I'm broke and in college). However I can afford an engine swap... (valued at about $3 - $4K) What I would like to get is an Contour SVT engine and swap out the ATX for an MTX... OR... get a Taurus 3.0 and swap out the ATX for the MTX... Now what the heck should I go out and get for a total job! (ECU ect.) Thanks! I'm Dying over here!! :)


Jon

[exigent]

Gosh i hope you live near MI.... we could do it for you im sure. Labor will be the killer in this deal so using us would be a deal. Expect about $700 for the mtx75 and about $1000 for the other junk you will need unless i(or somone else) comes up with a way to easily modify the crossmember to accept a mtx75 mount.... $450 for just the crossmember.... $300 from the junkyard.

As far as the engine... 3.0 all the way... MUCH more tourque. Forget the overpriced SVT engine. If you are serious.... ill give you a complete parts list so you can start shoping.... its going to take a while to get all the parts unless you have the big bucks for new parts from the dealer.

[99Redcat]

That would be awesome! I live in PA, and I wouldn't be afraid to take a weekend off to get rid of this 116K on my engine, plus get rid of my stupid atx... 3.0 sounds good to me I'm sick of getting whooped by Probe GT's!! hehe :) If ya have time you could send me a parts list... how long will it take to install? I'm betting that a weekend won't do it... But we have 2 cars, so I'm sure we could acomodate.

Thanks.
Jon

[99Redcat]

Shoot! Sorry... e-mail:

redcat1999@msn.com

[disarm]

slap a 3.0 in that bad boy and have level 10 build you a tranny. your friends wouldn't be seein much more but your tailights if you could manage those mods

[4sfactor]

I would defintely look at a 3.0 and a level 10 tranny mod too instead of a swap.. It's $1500 for the level 10 and they're in Jersey, so it's not far from you. People who have gotten it done love it. Actually makes an atx right on line with the mtx, well at least a stock mtx... :)

Where in PA are you? Have you ever been to a keystone neco meet? don't need to post a reply to the keystone thing p.m. is fine, don't want this get off topic...

[bnoon]

Getting a 3 liter and Level 10 trans mods would get you the most performance per $$$. Just for comparison's sake, say $1000-$1500 for a BNM prepped/rebuilt and well massaged 3 liter, plus $1500 for the install... add on the $1500 for the level ten trans and we just went over budget... Of course, do the labor yourself and you're right on the low side of the budget...

A MTX conversion would cost equal or more and you'd have to back down on the engine mods to get it done for that price... Swapping out to the MTX would be more fun in the end for someone who really likes to shift, but that is by far going to kill your 3-4K budget just in labor and custom fabbing/or buying salvage yard MTX parts. $5-$700 for the trans, $250 at the least for the X-member, not to mention the shifter tower in the car has to be purchased/welded in along with clutch pedal/master cylinder assemblies. Over a grand just in parts and still nothing is installed...:cry:

[overfiend]

but! would a 3.0 benifit from the extrude honed manifolds and other svt parts planted into the 3.0? (dunno if they'd work really) and what about extrude honing the manifolds on a 3.0? just a theory a lil off topic, sorry

[bnoon]

Yes, the 3-point-ohs like the extrude honing. No flow or dyno comparisons have been done between the 3L UIM and SVT UIM that I know of. Haven't heard of anyone Extrude Honing the 3L UIM either... mainly because the 3L UIM is open enough you can pretty much hand port it and save tons of money... *cough*cough*hint*cough* Hummmmm, I'm going to have to get that looked at... I'll have a secret to share hopefully within the next couple of months... Everone gather around... :grouphug: pspspssppspshshshsswwswswwwwwihsihsispspsdsdpssdps pssps, and then pspspsswsswswswswsissiswiswsw

[Kinger]

Not to mention if you get a MTX, it would be silly to not add a Quaife so that is $600 or go through terry and get it for cost and have him install it, probably around $800-900 total. Then it would be even dumber to not have a good clutch and flywheel so that is another $600-1000, then get upgraded driveshafts those are $600 PLUS you have to buy the tranny and all the other stuff that has been mentioned.

ATX w/level 10 and a BNM 3L strapped to it would be your best bet. I think when more people get thier ATX's modded the MTX'ers will be jealous in that they will be as fast but CONSISTANT. A MTX 1/4 mile or 0-60 can range quite a bit, and ATX is rock solid. Up to you.

[99Redcat]

Sweet! Thanks guys! Sorry I haven't replied for a while... I've been kinda out of it. (Workin hard hardly workin) But anyway you guys think I should stick with my ATX vs. go MTX cuz of $$? I've never heard of Level 10... but I'm willin to give them a try! ;)

[DemonSVT]

No offense to slushbox owners, but even a level 10 ATX is still a slushbox. Plain & simple.

Even if it is almost as effecient as a stock MTX, you don't have even an option for a LSD IIRC...

Guess I just hate them with a passion... :tongue: