new motor?
 

a local shop in town donated a recently rebuilt 4.6l that was supposed to go into
a crown vic to my auto class. its complete axcept for the throttle body and front accesories, how can i tell if it will fit in my car? valve cover bolts? any info would be greatly appreciated. i believe it has 8 bolts on the head.

8 bolts on the head as in head bolts?

Check the valve cover bolts... You can drop by the house I've got windsor and romeo covers you can look and see which one looks like what you are using in shop...

(then maybe I can talk you into buying my old stuff)

Regardless of where the engine came from (unless it's from a FWD car), any modular engine will fit into your car, provided it has the same bellhousing pattern and mounts (Windsor will always but for Romeo, the years need to be checked).

well if it's a 4.6 it'll fit. Other than valve covers there isn't enough difference to shake a stick at. The number of bolts on the crank is more important for most people... 6 bolt or 8 bolt will determine which flexplate/flywheel you need. Other than that they all have all the same mounting setup until you start on the 3v motors.