how to identify a pi head swap

today i looked at a 98 gt. the dealer said it was built and showed me two dyno pulls for the car. it put down 278hp and i believe high 290'stq at the rear wheels. i asked what all was done to the car and he wasnt sure. visualy i seen shorty headers and a flowmaster catback. it had a cold air kit and intake(c&l). he said he thought it had cams, but wasnt sure if the heads were swapped. how can i tell? also do these power numbers seem in line if it had the headswap and cams etc? thanks in advance. i am looking for a new stang and haven't had much luck. my day started with a 2.5 hr drive to look at an 01 bullitt. car was rough and once it warmed up the engine had a bad knock. so i passed on that one.
 
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demented22...o you have any pics? 278/290 sounds a little high for a PI swap (OEM PI). Maybe they are ported PI's with aftermarket cams on a high compression block. Have you driven the car yet? Can you tell by how it feels if it's legit? How much are they asking for it?
 
what should i be looking for? are there identifiable marks?

Look at the front runner of the intake, and if it leads to the drivers side it's PI, also look under your alternator at the bottom of the intake and if you see alot of open space it's not a PI, because the PI intake will almost fill up thee space underneath because it's so much deeper than NPi. Also most PI romeo Heads have the oil fill on the passenger side but some year windsor heads have um on the drivers side. I think it's possible to get that much out of a PI upgrade with cams and all b0oltons but if you have ever driven a 300hp car it shouldn't be a problem for you to tell after driving. Automatics can be decieving though.
 
they are asking 7500 for the car.also it had the bbk valve covers on it and the oil fill was on the passenger side. i went to take it for a drive and they said it needed a timming chain. he wouldn't let me start it either. i asked why all the sudden it needed repaired and no answer, so i think i am gana pass on this one.
 
demented22...HUGE red flag. Good thing you avoided it. Who knows what else is wrong. If the timing chain broke then the engine is probably severely damaged and will need replacing anyway. I don't even understand how they could get away with selling that car. Aren't there lemon laws or laws concerning full disclosure when selling a vehicle?
 
shwooo close one bud. yea i bet its a dress up engine with nothing done, and for 7500 he would make repairs before the purchase and it would be by my mech. and furhter more i still wouldnt give 7500 when i sould my full pi engine swaped car with dyno proven numbers thats still with the car that made 268hp. i sold it for 5500 and my car was loaded to the gills with options
 
thanks alot guys. i am just getting back into the mustang world. i found a 2000 gt i am going to get thursday. also i traded a friend a 92 ranger for an 87 gt. the 87 needs some work but is rust free and solid. just missing tranny and some engine pieces
 
Also most PI romeo Heads have the oil fill on the passenger side but some year windsor heads have um on the drivers side.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the other way around? When my 96 was stock it had the Romeo NPI heads with the oil fill on the driver's side. I bought Romeo PI heads BECAUSE I was told with windsors I'd have to get new valve covers but with Romeo's I could use the stockers. I think that's because it's the windsors that have the oil fill on the passenger's side. I don't know. I just know mine are PI heads from an 03 GT and my oil fill is still on the driver's side.
 
yes skidzz the oil fill can be on the pass side with pi heads (romeo and windsor). unless the user keeps the stock pre 99 romeo valve covers to use on the remeo pi heads, the only time you have no choice but to have the filler on the pass side is with windsor heads.
 
Not disagreeing, but when I asked the shop mgr. at battlefield ford he said that the romeo PI heads from factory on an oem gt had the oilfill on passenger side, and the windsors had them on the drivers side, but I am new to sn95s and was only repeating what I was told when I inquired about it.
 
yes skidzz the oil fill can be on the pass side with pi heads (romeo and windsor). unless the user keeps the stock pre 99 romeo valve covers to use on the remeo pi heads, the only time you have no choice but to have the filler on the pass side is with windsor heads.

Yep, after googling multiple pictures of 2001+ GT's, it's definitely on the passenger's side, but I guess that means you can fill the oil on either head, depending on your valve covers. Thanks for clearing that up :nice:
 

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