I am in the very early stages of planning to build a hot rod. I am still not sure if I will start with a roller chassis or go the kit route.

One thing I am sure of is that I will want to run a carbureted SB Ford with a 5 speed, so I may begin the project by searching for an engine.

I have heard that certain Explorers came with a 5.0 with the GT40 heads. What years were so equipped? It seems that this would be a good starting point for a "budget" engine.

What kind of power could I expect with this engine and a E303 cam?
What about a 347 stroker kit and E303 (or is there a better cam choice for the stroker)?

Thanks, and you can expect a lot more stupid questions over the next few years.