I was worried I might be talking to myself in here. I haven't taken the oil pan off yet, but the oil that was left in the pan and filter showed nothing of concern. The intake was cracked, so I'll have to replace that, and the valley of the engine was filthy, but inside, it doesn't look too bad so far. It supposedly has 99k miles, which is really nothing for a 4.6. I'm still a way off from installing the engine, but I took the time to remove all the stuff I won't need and give it a once-over. And since the 4.6 in my car predates even the NPI 4.6, it has an aluminum intake-that means the new engine will save yet another 15-20 pounds over the original. That's an Explorer 4.6, which means it's the same 260 hp engine that the 99-04 Mustang GT got, but with an aluminum block to save something like 70 pounds. I considered a Mark 8 swap, but chose this instead: So in choosing a new engine, I wanted something reliable and easy to install, but with more power than the original 4.6. I already have a pretty stout Supercoupe, and don't need to replicate that car. I don't want it to be an over-the-top built that sacrifices comfort and street manners for performance. The 205 hp 4.6 is the worst part about the car, so it's got to go.įirst, a bit about what I do and don't want this car to be: I do want it to be a nice daily driver. Note the giant wasp nest on the underside of the hood:īut this isn't going to be a restoration.

And yes, the headlight lenses fell the berkeley off: It looks worse in person-the paint is flaking off in spots, and it's become home to quite a bit of lichen. Here's the car after more than 8 years of sitting. Now I've decided to make it my daily driver again, but time is cruel to cars parked outside. I had plenty of other cars, so it was easier to let it sit than to deal with it. Unfortunately, by 09 or so, it had a number of minor problems that led me to park it: charging issues, exhaust leak, popping noises in the front suspension and a driveline vibration. I drag raced it, ran the road course at the California Speedway, autocrossed it and drove it across the country from California to Tennessee. Here are a couple shots from 10+ years ago: I know GRM isn't gaga over the MN12 platform, but when I got mine in 2001, I thought it was the greatest thing ever: a V8, two doors, RWD and an IRS.

94 t bird