Noodling on a 289 Kit

[Havranasty]

Seriously considering taking advantage of the spring sale and avoiding the pending price increase for a 289 kit:
1. IRS
2. front sway bar
3.Levy wilwood brakes
4. TKX
5. Breeze roll bar (if I can make it work with the cockpit petty bar?)
5. everything else is standard at this time.

Engine choice is all over the map from a built up 289 to a crate 363. It seems folks take lower performing engines out and replace them with higher HP versions. But has anyone gone the other way?

Anybody near Wichita?

Neil

[Dieter123]

I'm in Wichita. 135th and Maple

[Grubester]

Ordered my USRRC on Monday! Worked with Dave V. -- great!
IRS, "std brakes" because using the 15" Halibrands.
Probably going with a BluePrint engine: 347, carb, TKX 5-sp.
Live near Eugene, Oregon.

[SteveWorth]

In the middle of my 289 build. Went with a mild Blueprint 302 and going to install a Sniper 2 system. Transmission is a TKX with mid shift.
Engine dyno’d over 360 HP which should be enough for a street car for me!

[Grubester]

Good to hear about BluePrint Eng. I've had good conversations with them and believe I'll probably end up ordering a 347 -- but now you have me thinking again about a 302. Also, my conversations with Holley were good, in that they answered my F.I. questions sufficiently, but I was still wondering if the Sniper 2 is "fully sorted". I'm probably returning to the idea of a carburated BluePrint engine.
Oh, on the mid-shift, I talked with BluePrint about that too: they want $800 to switch it to mid-shift. I like that better, so will probably pay... did you get a similar price?

[Bguetter]

Great to see another 289 build! My build is just about at the rolling chassis mark and getting ready to install engine/trans. I went with a 302 with trick flow 11r top-end kit which is likely good for 350-400hp. Combined with a Modern Driveline midshift T5 transmission.

[SteveWorth]

I found my mid shift kit on eBay for around $450. It is a little scary taking apart a brand new $3k transmission to at the kit but it’s not difficult!
IMG_6774.jpg

[lasse2]

I found my mid shift kit on eBay for around $450. It is a little scary taking apart a brand new $3k transmission to at the kit but it’s not difficult!
IMG_6774.jpg

Happy to see another 289 build. I haven't updated my build thread in a long time but I'm basically done and enjoying my car at this point. I decided to be different and went with a 3rd Gen Coyote and don't regret my decision.

I used the same mid-shift kit for my TKX. Wasn't tough to install. I love the position of the shifter and it looks correct for a 289 build but the 2nd to 3rd shift is pretty notchy and takes some technique. The kit recommended adding a bevel on the edges of the main linkage that needs to be reversed when you install the kit. I matched the angles from the opposite side of the part but it doesn't completely clean up the shift geometry. I think part of the issue is that the kit doesn't have enough spring pressure to perfectly center if you have any pressure on the shift handle. It doesn't feel soft but from what I understand, Tremec transmissions need the linkage to be perfectly centered to shift into 3rd. I find if I let it go to neutral and then push forward smoothly with my palm it shifts cleanly. Just figured that I'd mention that it is tough to bang the gears from 2nd to 3rd.

[john42]

Great to see another 289 build. There's a lot of "ifs" in my life atm. We're thinking about moving and part of the desire to move is a bigger/better garage. We have a very small single car garage now which is just big enough to park the Cobra in. My wife pities me every time I work on the car. There's lots of unsavory words flowing from the garage as there is simply no room. Anyway, I retire in 4 years and *if* we move and get a house with a decent garage I've been warming (her) up to the idea of building a 289 FF Cobra as my first retirement project. I'd want to go all out and carefully build as close as possible a 289 FIA car. One of the "sneaky" things I'd do however is put a 347 in it, but completely dress it up as a 289. Much easier money wise to get a decent 347 around 400(ish) hp then to build a hi revving, hi power 289. However I do love the sound of a 7k rpm 289...