Hey everyone, i am new to this forum and am looking forward to any advice i can get. Basicully I have a 67 mustang and am trying to figure out what i want to do engine wise. I would really like to keep the original engine in it (68,000 miles only) but i also want some nice power. What limits/drawbacks does the 289 block have? Would i be able to get 400 Horses out of it without pushing the limits? I just like the idea of staying with the original 289. I dont know much at all about this engine and have been researching it so any advice/comments is greatly appreciated.
What I can get out of my 289?
- Thread starter thedanman40
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How much power you get is directly related to how much money you are willing to throw at it.
BTW 400hps out of 289 is doable, but reliablity/longevity goes down, not really ment to be used as a daily driver. In the day Shelby was known to get that kind of horsepower out of the 289's but they were rebuilt frequently.
BTW 400hps out of 289 is doable, but reliablity/longevity goes down, not really ment to be used as a daily driver. In the day Shelby was known to get that kind of horsepower out of the 289's but they were rebuilt frequently.
Cobain03
Active Member
i would try to go up to 300 and see what you got then if you want more, try upgrading the nessacary peices so it wont break on ya
hey danman. alot of people here know alot of stuff so hopefully one of them will help you out. anyway back to your car, is it a daily driver or not? if its gonna be a daily driver you should worry about handling and safety first then for power and appearance. like 06cobra said it's how much money youre willing to put into the car to make it nice 
zookeeper
Founding Member
For a good streetable 289, I'd look into a getting good forged pistons (flattops) a 331 stroker crank and H-beam rods, AFR heads, and a hydraulic-roller cam with around 230-235 degrees lift @.050" with an open-plenum manifold and a 650 vacuum secondary carb. I'd let the final decisions on cam, head and intake particulars be made by calling some of the tech lines that make these items, not just sell them. Lunati is very helpful as is Comp Cams tech guys. The reason I would go with the seemingly oddball carb (the 650 is a spreadbore, q-jet replacement) is that I installed one on my wife's 427 vette and it works great and delivers 17+ mpg, plus the small primaries give it killer low-end, and the vacuum secondaries eliminate any "bog" normally found on spreadbore-equipped cars. You could squeek out a few more ponies with a 780 holley, but say bye-bye to any hopes of mileage.
To get 400HP out of your 289 is possible, but you would be better of using a stroker kit. It would also be more steetable with more CI's. Wit h400hp you also have to look at your brakes, suspension, cooling....ect. It's going to cost you some $$$. Do a few small upgrade to get you need for speed fixed(intake carb cam exhaust) and work on the reat of it. When you finish everything else then do the motor. good luck.
Assuming you DO NOT want a stroker kit then I would look at a set of the 165 AFR heads, Weiand Xcellerator intake manifold, and a 600 – 650 Holley. If you have an automatic look at a vacuum secondary carb, if you have a manual trans get a double pumper. 1 5/8” headers, good duals (2.5”) and a little gear and you are good to go. Try to get about 10:1 – 10.25:1 compression so you get good power and can still run pump gas.
Regarding the cam, I would get a solid flat tappet. If you want something aggressive look at the Comp Cams 282S, I think it would be great for a hot street car. If you want something mellower consider the 272S.
If you are going to stoke the 289 my recommendation would change dramatically based on your goals.
Regarding the cam, I would get a solid flat tappet. If you want something aggressive look at the Comp Cams 282S, I think it would be great for a hot street car. If you want something mellower consider the 272S.
If you are going to stoke the 289 my recommendation would change dramatically based on your goals.
If you have a 2V carb, then your engine was rated at 200 hp by Ford and that was in the days when the engine was rated without accessories, like a water pump and alternator. If the original 289 was rated under today's methods the hp would be more like 170-180 at the flywheel. So you are asking to get 2.5 times more power. That cannot be done without pushing the limit. Horsepower comes from burning fuel and air mixed in a ratio of about 14+:1. To get 400 hp you have to burn a certain amount of gas. To get 400 hp from a 289 you must either spin the motor very fast (>7000 rpm?) or force more air & gas into the cylinder - turbo or supercharger or NOx. The bottom end of the 289 was not designed for any of these options so trying to get 400 hp will require replacement of the engine internals with really high quality (i.e. expensive) parts. If 400 hp is your goal probably the most economical (and IMHO) and reasonable way is to swap the 289 for a 351w.
Of course if you ever do really get to 400 hp then you need to start worrying about other things like the transmission, rearend and traction.
Then if you're going to drive the car on the street, there is the issue of what do you tell your insurance company??? If your honest you may not get insurance and if your not honest the insurance company may not payoff should you ever need to collect.
Just some things to think about.
Of course if you ever do really get to 400 hp then you need to start worrying about other things like the transmission, rearend and traction.
Then if you're going to drive the car on the street, there is the issue of what do you tell your insurance company??? If your honest you may not get insurance and if your not honest the insurance company may not payoff should you ever need to collect.
Just some things to think about.
If it came down to it would a Supercharger be the way to go if i really wanted some power but didnt want to change engines? If its gonna be a pushing the limits of my engine then i do need to consider the 351w. I dont know how everyone else looks at it but having the original engine with only 68,000 on it seems like such a waste of a classic to me if i just switch engines. Thats where my problem is. I want power but ill have to sacrafice that engine most likely.
67coupe351w
New Member
Displacement = power.
Do what I did, drop a 351w in. It bolts right into your current motor mounts and all you need to do is get the conversion headers or run your stock exhaust manifolds (what fun is that).
Or if your crazier, do what I was going to do, drop a 460 in.
You will have more power and higher reliability with more cubes as you will not need to build it as much to obtain power.
The 289 is a weak little block anyway...
Do what I did, drop a 351w in. It bolts right into your current motor mounts and all you need to do is get the conversion headers or run your stock exhaust manifolds (what fun is that).
Or if your crazier, do what I was going to do, drop a 460 in.
You will have more power and higher reliability with more cubes as you will not need to build it as much to obtain power.
The 289 is a weak little block anyway...
zookeeper
Founding Member
That's true, if you simply eliminate your sentimental value of wanting to keep the stock block, you simply can't beat cubic inches, the 351 is a monster in even mild form, and the 289 is a flexy block when subjected to massive HP gains.
How much $$ am i looking at for a 351w? My car is running and will be a daily driver here in about a month. Would i be better off finding a decent shortblock 351 and go from there or saving a nice amount of cash and getting a drop in ready to go engine with the amount of power im looking for. Like i said my car is ready to be driven so im not in a hurry at all. Either way im looking to put a good 4-5k in whatever engine im getting by the time im done. This is my first car project and im gonna do it right the first time even if it takes longer and costs more im gonna have it just how i want it. 
my 289 with 30 over with crane hy. cam and diamond piston plus 1200 novi paxton supercharger @ 6300 rpm 566 hp. 471 ft pounds. not bad for a weak 28967coupe351w said:Displacement = power.
Do what I did, drop a 351w in. It bolts right into your current motor mounts and all you need to do is get the conversion headers or run your stock exhaust manifolds (what fun is that).
Or if your crazier, do what I was going to do, drop a 460 in.
You will have more power and higher reliability with more cubes as you will not need to build it as much to obtain power.
The 289 is a weak little block anyway...
Cobain03
Active Member
not to flame but some people dont like the ideas of turboing or supercharging engines but i dont care myself
Cobain03
Active Member
that's a weak statement.67coupe351w said:Displacement = power.
Do what I did, drop a 351w in. It bolts right into your current motor mounts and all you need to do is get the conversion headers or run your stock exhaust manifolds (what fun is that).
Or if your crazier, do what I was going to do, drop a 460 in.
You will have more power and higher reliability with more cubes as you will not need to build it as much to obtain power.
The 289 is a weak little block anyway...
I do have to rev higher, but I do have decent power. no dyno to the wheels yet, but I do know mine is good for 340+ flywheel.
and what good is a lot of torque if you can't put it down to the ground.
even my small *cough* displacement engine will smoke my tires to shreds just as fast as a bigger engine could.
zookeeper
Founding Member
Whether you're on a budget or not, building horsepower for a street motor is a matter of sticking to proven ideas. I'd start by searching ebay for parts. I've seen several good deals on used intakes, just make sure it's undamaged before bidding. I'd look for an open plenum manifold, but measure first to see how much room you have underhood, some intakes can cause the air cleaner to hit. While you're in a bidding mood, there are a couple of businesses that list like-new Holley carbs on ebay for a fraction of new prices, I'd get a 600cfm, vacuum secondary Holley for the street. Never buy a used cam, if it were any good, it'd still be in someone's motor. Instead buy a name brand flat-tappet hydraulic lifter cam with approximately 280 degrees advertised duration with around .500" lift. Next, you need to address the exhaust, and used headers can be a bargain, but only if you're careful. I would not buy used headers from ebay, simply because you can't inspect them personally. Otherwise, you're better off buying them new and saving yourself the headache of buying something that won't fit, or has been bashed flat by speedbumps. Go with 2 1/4 inch tubing and lo-restriction mufflers like Borlas, Flowmasters or whatever you like. Another area to look into when your looking for extra snap on a budget is gears. If your car currently has 2.79 rear gears, swapping to 3.55's will make you feel like John Force without sacrificing any reliabilty, although your freeway mileage will suffer a bit.Cobain03 said:
Look, you only have 68,000 miles on the original engine so just modify what you have. Put a good set of heads on it that you can grow into if and when you rebuild the engine (or stroke it). Get a good performance cam, carb and intake to complement the heads and you are good to go. Don't forget the headers and gear, too.
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