1,000$ budget , one 1985 Gand marquis 302 5.0 and no idea

[BIGBABEMERCK]

and more

I have been visiting this site for awhile now and i finally got my own screen name . i have a 1985 Grand marquis e.f.i 302 5.0, i'll get right to the point i want to beef up the merck but i only have 1,000 bucks and i dont have to be concerned about emissions b/c i live in s. Florida. i need to figure out what would be my best way to tackle this issue i have heard somay different things. So, far i figured i would start with dual pipes and make my own custom intake b/c it seems like there isnt anything already pre-made i dont have a big budget and i'm a college student with a "great" granddad that is very smart and knows more then i do as far as mechincal no how , What should i do ?

Just give me a list remember my cap is 1,000$ 1985 merck 302 stock 5.0

[BIGBABEMERCK]

:guns: :guns: :chainsaw: :chainsaw:


1. I just need an idea of how to approach the situation. !

2. I need to make a street/strip chevy caprice cereal killer. !

[Paul_]

Welcome!

dual exhaust
ditch the cfi for a real carb
does your car have a k-code rear end? if not that would be a nice upgrade as well

and once again, Welcome to GMN!

[Grand Marquis GT]

Agreed with above. You can get a junkyard K-code, run some cheap duals, and do a carb swap, all for under 1000 bucks if you are frugal....

Just make sure if you get a different intake and a 4bbl carb, to get the lokar cables (Trans/Throttle) to make it work right.

And welcome to GMN! Im from FL too! (North tho)

[85crownHPP]

yes. if you want power, didtch the CFI. youll never make it unless you get into silly shit.

ditch the AC and the smog pump first. then get dual exhaust and the K code rear. If you got enough $$ left and can do it yourself (they only way to keep it under cost) then do the carb swap.

No intake system will help the CFI... it chokes itself on its small internal fuel rail.

[Lincolnmania]

1 headers and dual exhaust...........mustang shorty headers, an off road pipe for a mustang, mufflers, and dual tails and chevy s10 intermediate pipes............i did this to a friends vic for $150 in parts
2 3.55 or 3.73 rear...........k codes are around and locally i get em for $30-$60 at the u-pull it yards
3 shift kit and mustang govenor for the aod if it's in decent shape......bout $130 including fluid and filter too
4 better heads, a cam and lifters, and a carb conversion.........e7's are cheap and plentiful, expect to pay $50 for a pair of used heads, and $150 for a valve job and resurfacing.........decent cam and lifter combos can be found for under $100...........you will also need stuff like a timing set, gaskets, water pump, thermostat, hoses, belts spark plugs, etc......the little stuff adds up..........also used 4bbl intakes and carbs will keep costs down also
if you have the talent to do your own work, and you are good at finding good used parts, and decent priced new stuff, you may be able to keep that 1,000 dollar budget........hell knows i've at least doubled a grand lol
scott

[BIGBABEMERCK]

I think i got it but "Johnny five needs more input&quot

Thank you for the information every and its good to see some poeple from my neck of the woods but, i still have a million and one questions!

i wanted to know how do i verify if i have k-code rear and also how do i convert cfi to carb sound pretty scary

i think i can handle everything else ( i think ) alot of it i can handle :guns:

[Grand Marquis GT]

https://www.phayzer5.net

Has a little bit of an article in the info archive bout when we converted justin's '84 towncar to carb, that may help.

I will post the pic of the diff tag ID thing later, but look for the door tag on the car you pull it out of, and look for a "K" where the axle code is, where it says "AX" i belive.

And questions? Bring em on! Any stuff you got questions with, we can help!

[Grand Marquis GT]

Also, i killed a chevy crap-peice

Check fireside chat....

[BIGBABEMERCK]

Thank you everybody more questions

I do mind getting rid of the smog pump but the A/C i dont know about that one i may just keep it here in south florida its always 80 degrees so say if i change everything around as far as the carb swap what type should i get i was planning on going with a 600 cfm holley 4-barrel ( would it be over kill if i go ahead and get dual plane setup ???

[Grand Marquis GT]

a low profile dual plane intake (like a stock mustang GT peice off an 82-85) would work well.

Justin uses an edelbrock carb, and it is good for running right out of the box, but its hard to beat a well tuned holley.

Just some things to think about. Any questions dont hesitate to ask.

[Pirate]

a low profile dual plane intake (like a stock mustang GT peice off an 82-85) would work well.

Justin uses an edelbrock carb, and it is good for running right out of the box, but its hard to beat a well tuned holley.

Just some things to think about. Any questions dont hesitate to ask.

If you use a stock 5.0 mustang 1983-1985 1/2 4v intake, please try to grind out the intake port openings to get more airflow, they are severely pinched in the port exit area (at the intake/head flange)...the best intake, if you can find one on EBAY, would be a regular Edelbrock perfomer....additionally, the edelbrock and holley carbs would be about on par for power delivery, you won't get much more power out of either one.