Originally posted by zaven:
Well ive been kicking it around for a little bit now with some minor mods to the engine comp floor and trunk and front springs I will be putting a 302 in my 98svt this summer.



Nothing minor ahead of you...

Engine bay will need alot of work and relocation. The passenger compartment floor will have to be re-engineered, you'll need a fuel cell since the rear axle and exhaust will now live where your gas tank once did, You'll need to fabricate a new floor in the trunk to accept the rear end as well since the spare tire well is in the way. You'll need a new drive shaft made to the right length. You won't be re-using your factory guages.

You'll be looking at a bit more than front springs for the 302. You'll have to buy an entirely new suspension since you'll have a solid rear axle unless you can engineer the Cobra IRS fit, in which case you still need a new suspension. You need a new rack and pinion as well as new knuckles in the front end since the FWD stuff is all gone. With that new steering box, you'll need a new booster. You need a cradle to attach the engine to the chassis, motor mounts, all your electrical. New fuel lines. You'll need new wheels unless you plan on using a weak rear end from a 2.3L Mustang with a 4 bolt pattern.

The actual added weight of the 302 will be negated by the fact that you don't have the entire engine in front of the wheels and your transmission, should you manage to build a new floor for the passenger compartment, will also be behind the front wheels. Your weight distribution may well improve. It does in the Focus when you replace the Zetec with a 302. The problem is that solid rear axle thing, but the Cobra IRS has already been implemented in V8 Foci as well.

You'll probably also want to look for a new hood, unless you are planning of installing an fuel injected 302. The air cleaner in a 302 Focus just fits under the hood. Go park your SVT next to a Focus. Tall little buggers aren't they?

Other questions that arise are what transmission are you running? Is this all out of a Mustang? Is the 302 a crate engine? Is the engine even going to physically fit into the car?

See, I would like to toss a V8 into my Focus when my warranty expires. For me, it's a feasable option. In my case, the only setback would be the cost of the Kugel kit parts, which run up to a few grand. It's all bolt in, was engineered, and is sold through Ford racing. Someone already did all my research for me, and built my parts.

If you're serious, then more power to you. But unless you tackle this properly, you'll destroy your SVT's handling. As for an improvement in straight line speed, Most 302 V8 Foci tested by magazines only manage mid 14 second 1/4 mile times. And that's with a Crate 302, the GT-40 5 speed, and some minor tuning. If you throw an old mustang 302 in there you will likely be hitting high 14s or possibly driving into the 15s.

As for cost, even with the kit going down in price, Foci owners can expect to shell out close to $10K when all is said and done just to get a basic 302 Focus plus the cost of the car.

2003 Ford Focus ZX3 "Tarmac" http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2352003