i plan to get a pinto soon. i want to get about 200 hp under the hood. should i work up a 4 cyl, tweeak a 6. or stock 302. what is the best bang for the buck
depends on what you mean by tweak a 4 if you mean a 2.3 turbo then they are almost at 200hp stock and can be at 250 with just a few mods.
Well, I think if you have an 8 in it, great. If it has a 4 or a 6, I would keep them because they are original to the car. 200+ is deffinitely obtainable wth any of the above and 200+ is a nice amount for a Pinto. Anything more usually ends up on the track and starts to look less and less like a street car. Y suggestion, get 2, one stock and one monster! :devil:
I debate this almost daily; with my engine compartment restoration nearly complete, and a bare engine compartment staring at me, the choice of motors is tough. I have the stock 2.3, running fine with a standard tranny. I also have a used 2.3 that is not running and needs serious effort to get going - it was originally slated to be my ""build up" motor.
I look at it like this - 4 cyl is OK but takes serious bux to get alot of HP, unless of course you go turbo, and I don't want to. 6 cyl, well, not much to choose from, the 2.8 is a tired beast. Maybe a new v6 that Ford is putting in the 2011 Mustangs? Dream on. V8 is awesome, V8 parts are cheap, you can build a nice one for cheep, but you have to have the special motor mounts and front sump, etc., headers are tough 'cause it's cramped, gas guzzling is typical, weight on the front end distorts the ride characteristics, you need bigger brakes.
No ideal solution as I see it, though most will swear by 2.3 turbo.
Chris
is there any old articles on hp mods. maybe 10-1 pistons and a cam differ cyl head , porting, i like to get a 2.3 stick wagon, i seen a cammed pinto video and loved it with the flowmaster on it. here is the vid link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vUjlZCNIvw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vUjlZCNIvw) is the person who ones it on this site.