The blower motor upgrade is basically a stronger blower motor and bigger cage, which creates more air flow. I got the blower and cage from Advance for under $40 I believe. The blower and cage are for a late 70's C***y pickup. It requires some trimming to the heater box, but its very minor and easy to do.
There are several factors that went into the swap. First obviously it needed an engine or rebuild. A rebuilt engine would be nice, but expensive. At that point we still wouldn't have EFI, so we would either have to find all the bits and pieces needed for EFI, or buy a new $300-$400 carb which would obviously not be as reliable.
Second, the dash and wiring was going to have to be removed anyway due to the fire. So that is part of the work toward an EFI swap already being done. Also with that, the tanks needed dropped and cleaned or replaced.
The Mountaineer we got was only $600, and it is complete. We will use the engine with serpentine, wiring harness, and fuel pump. After that, we can resell the remains or part it out, as the 8.8 rear and 4R70w trans are worth a bit. I know some people think 113k miles is a lot, but actually it is very low for one of these engines. These are known to last 250k plus with little to no engine trouble. I feel a lot more confident in a factory Ford engine than a rebuilt one with aftermarket parts. Also, an Explorer/Mountaineer normally faces a LOT less abuse than a Mustang.
So why the Explorer style EFI over Mustang? One, it has OBD2. You can plug a scanner in and check codes, unlike a Mustang. Two, it uses coil packs. No distributor or timing to worry about. Three, they are a lot better for low end torque than a Mustang when stock. A Mustang is designed more for higher RPM power. The Explorer has a better flowing intake and heads, and a better low end torque cam. Also, it is a roller engine as well.
