As anyone who is following my project thread knows, my motor and tranny are out. This is that time where I need to really assess what I am going to do powerplant wise as I restore the engine compartment. So far, here is where I am at:
1) V8 - nix, I don't want to change the driveability
2) Turbo - cute, but I don't want to deal with the computer and harness crap
3) V6 - strongly considered but a poor following and little aftermarket speed parts/support
....leaving me a 4 banger. OK, with a 4 I can:
4) Stay stock - boring. It would be a cheap route, but why pull a car completely apart only to make it exactly like it was - after several thousands of $$.
5) Build the 4, make it streetable - yup, lots of aftermarket goodies, no messing with the alterations of a V8, and the 2.3 is a strong little motor. Horsepower gains can be reasonable, not building a race car.
OK - now, speaking of race car, I know a guy who has a mini-stock Pinto for sale. I could care LESS about the body, what I am after is the motor. Here is how it's described:
Stock intake
Motorcraft carb (nothing special about intake)
Electric fuel pump
Adj cam pulley
Crane Cam (.510 lift IIRC)
Solid lifters 10 + 10
Oversized valves
Port and polish job
.040 over
New rings and bearings
Flat top pistons
Oval port head
Mustang rear end, welded axles, 3.45 gears
Raced mostly around 7500 RPM, motor did not have many races on it.
Whole car - $1000 (mind you, it's a ministock, all stripped out, nothing of value in interior or anything). NOW - I have TWO 2.3 blocks (my original - 65k, was running fine, all stock), and a second long block that supposedly had the head shaved and a cam added, but has not run in more than 10 years.
I am NOT a motor builder by any stretch, so I have two options:
1) Buy the ministock, use the motor, derate it in whatever required means (new cam?) to make it streetable. Most of the hard work is already done. I'd probably stick $1k in a motor anyway.
2) Take the $150 block I bought, send it to the machine shop, have them tell me what I need, discuss options and price points, and build fresh. Figure on footing $1k after all is said and done.
Thoughts, anyone? Please? Guys, again, I am no motor builder, I do not want to race my car, I want a nice street car with some pep, what would you do given the same circumstances? Thanks for your inputs.
Chris
Honestly, you'd be better off just putting up with the headache of the computer & wiring harness and run a stock turbo motor!!
Chris, Pro is right if you put in a mini stock monster where will you find the race fuel it needs to run correctly? Forget about good fuel mileage and the power increase will be nill compared to a stock turbo ...Just think with a few light mods to it you can have high HP and still pull 25-30MPG. Did you see the new Hot Rod mag this month Hensley's 2.3 Turbo mustang 1000 BHP and 25 MPG...the wiring is no sweat will help you when the time comes..
Just my .02$ Paul :evil:
I'd go with the 2.3T or the V6. wouldn't get the Modded Engine from the Race car. too much Fuel consumption. I don't mind 18mpg from the V6. hell even the 3.8 gets pretty decent Gas mileage. You would sink about as much as you paid for the mini stock into making the motor reliable for street use i think. Get the 2.3t from a Junkyard for about 400 or so or locally from someone and Sort out the wiring, TONS of people on here have done it and are offering the support to help you get it done. Go for broke if your gonna do it lol. my .02 cents
Quote from: popbumper on December 01, 2009, 08:48:32 PM
2) Turbo - cute, but I don't want to deal with the computer and harness crap
why not go with a blow through carb set up? no wires, no computer. just a carb with a hat, and some piping.
bob
I agree that the turbo is the way to go. There are lots of sites that can get you throught the wiring issues and there are even plug and play harnesses available. If you don't want to go the EFI route, you can always do a blow through setup with a carb and keep all of the stock ignition wiring. All you would need for that, motor wise, is a set of forged pistons, a turbo exhaust manifold and a little bit of plumbing from the turbo to the carb. You may want to rework the carb a little, but even that can be avoided with low boost. Just a suggestion.
The EFI isn't *that* bad....
Thanks all - I guess I also should have noted that the owner told me that the motor will run on pump fuel, so I don't believe the compression ratio is steep.
Blow through carb setup? This is where my inexperience shows - that's greek to me.
Chris
the turbo will force air through piping and/or intercooler into a hat which is sealed to the top of the carborator. so the turbo is forcing air, or "blowing through", the carborator. early fox bodies had a draw through set up in which the turbo was after the carb and would compress the air/fuel after the carb...kinda like a roots style blower. i guess the draw through had problems. but, ive never played with or used one so i dont know first hand.
and as dholvrsn said, the efi isnt that bad. plus, isnt it nice jumping in your fuel injected car at anytime and having act the same? no matter how humid or cold or hot it is? no fouled plugs, no flooding, better power, better fuel economy, no waiting to warm up...etc. the wiring hastle pays off i think.
the power you gain from putting the stock car motor would probably yield less power than a stock 88 turbo coupe motor (190hp/240ft/lbs) with worse drivabilaty and fuel milage.
bob
Wiring is not a problem,you leave the stock wiring intact install a early model TC,GT/SVO or any Merkur harness, plug and play hook up one main power wire a few grounds and your running many of us can help out if your interested. I'm in the process of building two engines right now and plan on installing one in my 80 and the other in the Starsky car.I'm toying with the Volvo DOHC head on the second engine. There is plenty of help out here if you ask.http://www.turbopinto.com/index.php?topic=7.0 (http://www.turbopinto.com/index.php?topic=7.0) check this link out maybe it will help you make your mind up.
Paul
Hmmm, tough decision, but I for sure would steer clear of the ex race car engine. 510 cam, big valves, on pump gas? ???
Too much cam for the street. (ask me how I know)
If your original engine is in good shape, you could hop it up a little and have a good reliable car. A Holley 350 will bolt to the stock intake, add a header and a super trapp muffler, bump up to the next size cam (420) and some good valve springs and anti-pump up lifters or even a stock roller and an adjustable cam pulley and you have a hot 4-banger that will smoke the tires but still get decent gas mileage (if you can keep your foot out of it!) ;D
Enough feedback to put me against the race motor option - gonna stick with a stock block and get some head work done, do a little intake and exhaust stuff. Nothing exotic for now.
Chris
I would do fuel injection.
I hope to do fuel injection to mine some day, but I can't figure out if I will need to do head work, or if I can just leave my head on there and change the intake and add the computer and sensors....
Then there's the hood clearance issue... :(
Quote from: skunky56 on December 01, 2009, 11:34:21 PM
Did you see the new Hot Rod mag this month Hensley's 2.3 Turbo mustang 1000 BHP and 25 MPG...
Thats Jon Huber ;)
I wonder what Mr. Huber's secret is behind the milage and performance?
Although it's probably that adjustable Megasquirt setu-up instead of just running a plain old XR4Ti ECU.
My turbo Pinto is either underwhelming or my expectations were too high. Or maybe I just need to tune or tweak it better than I have so far.
Quote from: dave1987 on December 04, 2009, 01:53:38 AM
I would do fuel injection.
I hope to do fuel injection to mine some day, but I can't figure out if I will need to do head work, or if I can just leave my head on there and change the intake and add the computer and sensors....
Then there's the hood clearance issue... :(
Leave the head, on the Engine, use a IR style manifold with sidedraft style Throttle Bodies and all the hardware. Then you car can run "stacks" and get a Wonderful growl. Air box is easy to fix too! U have your cake and Eat it too! No hood issues!
Pintosopher
I would consider the new 2011 Mustang 3.7 V6 that is due out this summer. It is all aluminum and puts out 305 hp without a turbo. It should be able to fit into the engine bay easily since 3 cylinders on a side is shorter than a four in arow. The weight will be less than your 2300 or turbo 2300. You keep your handling & stopping while it will be faster. It will get fantastic gas mileage.
The Mustang will be available in an automatic or 6 speed stick!
Here is a link http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2011-ford-mustang-3-7-liter-v6#3 (http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2011-ford-mustang-3-7-liter-v6#3) with a picture of the engine.
This will be the bread and butter engine for Mustangs and the junk yards will fill up with these from accidents. Get the whole darn drivetrain for under 3 grand with less than 20,000 original miles. It will cost you more to do any other option and no other option will be as reliable.
I plan to do this to my 72 Volvo 1800ES now over the V8.
heck yaa, do it :2fast4u:
Some notes on the V6 Mustang http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/09q4/2011_ford_mustang_v6-official_photos_and_info (http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/09q4/2011_ford_mustang_v6-official_photos_and_info)
OK, now think about throwing away the boat-anchor Mustang shell and having this in your light weight Pinto?