I have a 75 Comet 2 door IL6 /250. Ok I was gonna go stock all the way, but I'm considering a small block v8 upgrade. All I ever hear and see though is 302. Is this the easist and best swap? I don't want a rocket ship, just thinking the Comet would be more fun with more punch. I know this is a "can of worms" discussion but I'd love to hear some ideas. Basically wanna go with a mild build up on something inexpensive but with good bang for the buck. I feel like the 302 is ford's version of the chevy 350, cheap, plentiful and easy to build, but I'm open to any ideas.
IMO If you want easy and fun a 302 is probably your best bet. Anything bigger and the shock towers get in the way. You can even stroke the 302 if you want more fun.
I would not reccomend somthing that you have not yet completed until you know how cheap and easy it is or IS NOT. Comet4me is asking for cheap, easy way to swap in a v8. A 302 can be put in with stock maverick parts. No special headers required like with the 351. Performance Parts like intake manifold are cheaper and easier to find if going used.
For your needs, a 302 will make you very happy. I have a 351w in my car and I love it, (well I did before it grenaded itself) but I do stupid things. I'm building another 351w to put in it and I imagine I'll love it even more. But it's not an easy job, nowhere near as simple as the well-traveled path of the 302. If you're stubborn like me, you might feel quite a sense of accomplishment after a successful 351w swap. There are some advantages, the torque on even a very tame 351w is fantastic, but the installation is an uphill battle. Mostly it's the exhaust. I think a lot of people will agree with you.
Yeah, that's kinda what I'm thinking, I don't want a lot of fuss doing this. If I can have fun rebuilding an engine and figure out how to transplant it properly, that's my angle. Just a fun swap, not a nightmare.
This car has been fun so far, I just don't want to regret a very wrong move. That's why I'm asking opinions. I think a 302 stroker sounds like an interesting option so far.
@ Ryan Didn't Comets come with 302's too? You mentioned that I need to get Maverick parts to drop a 302 in.
Yes, they did. Maverick or Comet parts. Sometimes we use the words interchangeably. They are the same car except for a few minor differences. Hood, grille, taillights and emblems.
A 302 is the best bang for the buck, and once you get it done, and want more, you can always bump it up to a 331, 347, or 363...More power than a larger engine, and less weight, and way less work.
I do think the 302 is the best bang for the buck, but not necessarily when you start talking about strokers. A 347 costs a good bit more to build than a 351.
Any 289 or 302 will bolt in with factory parts. For that matter, a 260 and the oddball 255 will too, but the 260 has a 5 bolt bellhousing like the early 289's did, and tranny choice is limited. The oddball 255 was Ford's quest for better fuel mileage, like the 262 that Chevy built in the early 80's. The idea with both was V8 power with good fuel mileage, but both failed to deliver.....
