Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Topic: Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe (Read 9528 times) previous topic - next topic

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #60 – June 23, 2008, 09:20:19 AM

some more pics for the purists...:

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #61 – June 23, 2008, 12:58:36 PM

none of this will likely change your mind about a 5.0 and frankly it dont matter to me, but if you want to even try to make that car come alive i would suggest a few things:

better intercooler
BPV or BOV
adjustable cam gear
take some time and learn how to drive it

the only advantage to a volvo IC is placement. they have plastic tanks and poor flowing cores.

i dont see a BPV or BOV listed or pictured. not having some sort of bypass will kill boost between shifts.

the ranger cam is really tame. its great in the fact that its a roller cam, and a cheap "upgrade," but adding an adjustable gear will really help that cam out alot.

anyone who has driven a big low end torque motor and a 2.3T back to back can attest to the fact that the 2.3T takes some gettin used to in order to see it perform. a good friend of mine and i went back to back rounds in norwalk, OH, swapping rides in between. he had a supercharged 4.0 97 ranger reg.cab. i had a 2.3T powered 89 ranger reg.cab.
first run i went 14.6 to his 14.8
swapped rides and i went 15.4 in his truck and he went 16.7 in mine! over two seconds lost to driving technique.

with the ported head and holset, it wouldnt hurt to get it tuned either...

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #62 – June 23, 2008, 03:57:27 PM

Quote from: dominator;224353

I put a 5.0L in a under 100km unmolested TC and am happier than a pig in S**T as it has more power and is more reliable than an 2.3L turbo could ever be,(here comes the 2.3L vs 5.0L war LOL).
As stated above it's about personal preference,it's your car, do what will please you the most, not everybody else!

Putting a 5.0L in a turbo coupe is like moving sideways. You just added 200 pounds in the front end of your car and gained no substantial power. What I am trying to say is 1wld brd's TC is probably making a conservative 250 at the flywheel. put in a bigger better Intercooler, healthier cam and he will have 300 at the flywheel. You'll have to build a fairly stout 5.0L to get 300hp out of it, so why take a step backwards? unless you've got lots of cash to wave around. I truly don't see any advantages, more low end torque is about it. But now you have more weight to carry, and you won't be going around corners the same again either. But it will sound like v8, but who cares?

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #63 – June 23, 2008, 04:40:27 PM

Quote from: dominator;224353

it has more power and is more reliable than an 2.3L turbo could ever be,(

Says who? I know people who have had 5.0L's that lasted 50,000 miles, and I know people who have had 2.3L's that lasted 50,000 miles. My old man drove his 1987 silver turbo coupe 300,000 Miles. Original turbo, master cylinder, even the brake calipers where all original (although getting to the end of the trail) the car still waxed a BMW 3 series from a light. That car got 36MPG going 75mph across Montana with 3 people and luggage, it never skipped a beat. Until its demise in 2002 when a DWA ran a red in front of the TC. It's all in how you drive the car and maintain the car.

The 2.3 is a stouter, stronger engine overall compared to a 5.0L. Jack Roush took that very engine in the early 80's and got 1000hp out of it in a mustang. It raced against v8 Chevys, Pontiac's, Fords ext. in the trans-am grid, and did well. The FIA rally cars of the 80's had 2.0L Pinto powered engines that pulled 780-850HP out of them, They accelerated faster than a F-1 car. They were banned because they were literally flying off the track.

Have you seen Project bolt-on?

http://www.stinger-performance.com/bolton.html

"The fact that the engine and transmission has over 320,000 miles on it and has never been rebuilt is testament to the strength of the 2.3 Turbo engines."

All this on the stock iron head, stock lower end and stock transmission and he runs 10's.

Ford Cosworth's over in Europe are making 800+ Hp on pump gas in the UK. and A friend of mine knows a fellow over there that goes 0-100MPH and back to 0 in one city block.

Fact is 2.3L,2.0L,2.5L turbo Ford engines are and always will be dependable and reliable. Some people have good experiences others have bad, Mine have been good.

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #64 – June 23, 2008, 04:52:54 PM

Let's not start a g match here. This could be a very educational thread, whether RJ wants to keep the 2.3L or not.

RJ, at Cat Jam, we'll swap cars. I think you're not impressed with the power for two main reasons. One is that the car isn't able to take full advantage of that turbo. Those Holsets come alive at 25psi, which is what they're intended use is. They come off of spoogemins Dodge pickup trucks. To run that much PSI, you need a tune, larger injectors, and some other airflow mods. The other reason is that you really haven't learned to drive it all that well. I'm not going to try to trash talk your driving, but these things need a different outlook on driving.

I have less work done to mine, and on the street, I'm able to run door-to-door with 13.0 cars. You have a better platform, you just need the tuning and some other support mods.

We'll talk at CatJam.

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #65 – June 23, 2008, 05:05:47 PM

I do think it is capable of running well in the 13's, as it sits... (if the intercooler pipe will saty ON!) and the more I drive it, the better it is starting to feel.... as for my driving.... I KNOW how to drive one... just everytime I shift under boost (powershifting) it pops the intercooler tubes.... :(

I will take your guys' advice on things to try with this, 2.3L just to see what is up with it... but it will still get the 5.0L.....

So where are the best places to get a better intercooler, BPV, and adjustable cam from? I am interested in learning something new, so once I fix all the bugs in this I will swap out the 2.3L, if I am still not impressed...

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #66 – June 23, 2008, 05:15:31 PM

Quote from: 1WLD BRD;224386

So where are the best places to get a better intercooler, BPV, and adjustable cam from?

an isuzu NPR intercooler should drop in place of that volvo w/o needing to even change the IC piping.
what kind of clamps are on the couplers? if they are not T-bolt clamps, get some! if they are t-bolts and still popping off, try some hairspray on the pipe before you assemble them, or put small tack welds around the end of the pipe.

i run an Race Engineering adjustable cam gear. really though, they are all basically the same. either key way type, which you hafta remove to adjust, or two piece which you can adjust on the car.

i havent looked at BPVs for a long time. ive been runnin a Bailey BOV for years....40bob used to sell forge valves, he still might.

edit* yup still got em
http://www.40bob.com/

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #67 – June 23, 2008, 06:16:02 PM

Quote from: 1WLD BRD;224386

I do think it is capable of running well in the 13's, as it sits... (if the intercooler pipe will saty ON!) and the more I drive it, the better it is starting to feel.... as for my driving.... I KNOW how to drive one... just everytime I shift under boost (powershifting) it pops the intercooler tubes.... :(

I will take your guys' advice on things to try with this, 2.3L just to see what is up with it... but it will still get the 5.0L.....

So where are the best places to get a better intercooler, BPV, and adjustable cam from? I am interested in learning something new, so once I fix all the bugs in this I will swap out the 2.3L, if I am still not impressed...

If you really want a good intercooler and BPV (the Forge Motorsport Fast Closed Loop Diverter Valve is the one you want) you can either try

http://www.maxpsiracing.com/Fordturbointercooler.asp
or
http://www.stinger-performance.com/

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #68 – June 24, 2008, 08:07:58 PM

Ok I just got back from a test drive after welding a bead all the way around the tube. hasn't budged yet. now Im happy :D

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #69 – June 24, 2008, 10:06:18 PM

Quote from: 1WLD BRD;224516

Ok I just got back from a test drive after welding a bead all the way around the tube. hasn't budged yet. now Im happy :D

Faster?

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #70 – June 24, 2008, 10:42:32 PM

must be since he can power shift it without loseing his boost!!

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #71 – June 24, 2008, 11:29:47 PM

As for the 5.0 vs 2.3 discussion:

My Tbird's 5.0 runs amazing and has 150k on it. The only time the car has ever left us stranded was when the original alternator gave out. And judging by my 1/4mi time, it's still putting out great power.

My dad used to run an N/A 2.3 at the local circle track, which was puttin out ~200hp. The engine was put through 4 seasons with my dad with no problems, and another 7 or so with a friend of his who he gave the engine to after he left racing. Last we heard, it was still going strong.

Both engines are great, and when built well, will last a long time. Of course there will be a fair share of 5.0s and 2.3s that will have a huge list of problems, give out after less than 50k, etc etc. But that goes for ANY engine out there. It's just part of the hobby.

As for the project at hand, I'm glad you're going to try out the 2.3 first. As much as I love 5.0s and all American V8s for that matter, I always like to have an open mind for different things. Who knows, maybe a well built/tuned 2.3 just might float your boat more than you expect.

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #72 – June 25, 2008, 12:43:07 AM

Quote from: Carl;224530

Faster?

it's definatley alot better. still a dog compare to my Capri though.

I think I will run it at the track tomorrow and see what she does.

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #73 – June 25, 2008, 03:04:19 PM

Quote from: 1WLD BRD;224547

it's definatley alot better. still a dog compare to my Capri though.

I think I will run it at the track tomorrow and see what she does.

Drop a few hundred pounds, and it probably wouldn't be that far off from the capri.

Bought a modified '88 Turbo Coupe

Reply #74 – June 25, 2008, 08:43:49 PM

5.0... 2.3... same arguement different car... In the end he will do what he wants and will have his opinion on the 2.3 vs the 5.0. I am on the 2.3 side this time but i like my 5.0.

No one complains about 5 lug swaps...