stay 2.3t or swap to v8 February 10, 2014, 09:49:46 PM I know.....I know, this question has been beaten beyond recognition. After searching for years I finally found a good 88 T/C auto, so I brought it home. The A4LD had went south and was pulled by the previous owner. I have gathered everything needed for 5 spd swap. now I am at a cross roads and cant come to a decision, Do I keep the 2.3t or swap to a 302 or 351w. I have most parts for either swap. I have wanted a T/C for as long as I can remember, but I have never driven one. So I am trying to get an idea of how the 2.3t performs in such a heavy car. I'm looking for a fun to drive daily driver that will hang with the mustang crowd. So if anyone wants to toss their opinion at me please feel free, criticism welcome. I'm a small block guy at heart and guess I'm kind of a skeptic that the 2.3t will be able to do what I want from it. If there is anyone from the marietta ohio area that has a 2.3 T/C and is willing to take a fella for a spin let me know. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #1 – February 10, 2014, 10:40:45 PM Well if you have a 351w with a set of Twisted Wedge 205s sitting around than go with that. Otherwise a 2.3t would make a good dd. Probably about as quick as a 5.0 HO Mark VII. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #2 – February 10, 2014, 10:41:54 PM Its your car. screw what anyone else thinks. either one will get you to what you want. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #3 – February 10, 2014, 11:12:49 PM Quote from: Haystack;428736Its your car. screw what anyone else thinks. either one will get you to what you want.There you go, but a few thoughts...If you want to run with the 5.0 Stang crowd, you'll have to make at least as much HP and really should have a little more... For a 2.3 it's possible but as far as dependable everyday driver, be prepared to walk a lot...As already mentioned heads are everything on a 5.0/5.8, aftermarket is the best option... A alu headed 5.0 won't weigh but maybe 75Lb more than a all iron 2.3T...I've never regretted the swap and I did mine back in the last century('99)... Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #4 – February 10, 2014, 11:46:37 PM Myself I prefer keeping the 2.3T in a TC, mainly because every other one you see someone shoved a sbf into. Been there seen that, I like to be different!!! Ive taken one of mine to a car show and gotten more compliments and stories about how someone used to have one and missed the fun!! In my eyes if you want a V8 Tbird find a 5.0 powered Sport or LX, if you want people to be shocked when they see a big car moving like they can and pop the hood and it be a little turbo 4 buy a TC. Agian thats just my opinion, But Ive seen to many TC's ruined that way. Ill run the little 2.3T til I cant find parts no more. Besides that they can be kept reliable modded, you just dont go hog wild!! Thats actually the direction Im going with mine, tastefully modded for more power but not over the top crazy. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #5 – February 11, 2014, 12:19:40 AM The shop I worked at built the boss a 2.3 turbo for a sand rail. it pulled 400hp with an esslinger head and t3/4 hybrid that came on the motor with a fast computer and no tuning. although I have no idea how this would perform as a grocery getter, it never did break down. the vw and tossle rx7 motors didn't fair as well. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #6 – February 11, 2014, 02:09:38 AM keep the half-motor, swap in a t5. meanwhile, build a badass stroked windsor, and sometime when you're bored, pop that in there. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #7 – February 11, 2014, 10:35:59 AM I prefer the V8 myself. I do know, however, you can make just as much power with the 2.3 and have better gas mileage to boot. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #8 – February 11, 2014, 02:14:55 PM Quote from: Chrome;428758I prefer the V8 myself. I do know, however, you can make just as much power with the 2.3 and have better gas mileage to boot.Yeah and when one of the 2.3 fanatics at Carlisle asked how's the gas mileage on that 5.0, and I said "dunno but we can figure it as I just filled up when I got into town"... When it came out to 26.3 he didn't want to talk any more...With a 5 speed a 2.3T is a fun car, but with automatic they suck even with tune and increased boost... Some of us are wayyy past wanting to shift gears all the time... I have one with manual(no not a TC), that's enough for me... Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #9 – February 11, 2014, 03:29:13 PM Personally, I would be more likely to put fender skirts & curb feelers on an 88TC than to put a V8 in it.With a few fairly simple upgrades on an 88 2.3T you can pull over 250 hp and run with any nearly stock 5.0 that you will encounter. Plus you should still get upwards of 28-32 MPG which is a lot better than any 5.0 that I ever owned. I always felt pretty good if any of my 5.0s (the ones that ran good enough to get out of their own way) got 20mpg.Ron Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #10 – February 11, 2014, 03:47:51 PM I'm getting about 30mpg out of my 86 right now. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #11 – February 11, 2014, 08:11:23 PM I've had both v8's and 2.3t's. They both have their fun points. I usually try to keep one of each, lol. I love both the rumble and torque of the v8, and the scream of a high-revving turbo. I just can't pick a clear winner for myself. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #12 – February 11, 2014, 09:30:51 PM Quote from: BLKBRD88;428765Personally, I would be more likely to put fender skirts & curb feelers on an 88TC than to put a V8 in it.With a few fairly simple upgrades on an 88 2.3T you can pull over 250 hp and run with any nearly stock 5.0 that you will encounter. Plus you should still get upwards of 28-32 MPG which is a lot better than any 5.0 that I ever owned. I always felt pretty good if any of my 5.0s (the ones that ran good enough to get out of their own way) got 20mpg.RonYeah but Trick Flow headed & cammed plus a Cobra intake, 1 5/8" BBK shorties and a full 2.5" dual exhaust system, my 5.0 wasn't stock by a long shot... It would club stock stockish 5.0 Stangs like they were baby seals(see link in sig under white TC)...Still if all I had to swap into my TC was a stock 5.0, I wouldn't have bothered...The new 331 has a E'brock performer intake, 70mm TB, 30Lb inj plus few other enhancements... Should run 12.60 easy at full weight(3700+ with me), that's with every original system still in place and operating... Most of the fast TC I've seen with 2.3 were gutted tin cans... Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #13 – February 12, 2014, 07:55:01 AM I had my 83 Turbo Coupe in the later eighties and always liked the car but after getting nailed by some drunk idiot then repaired, the car was never the same. After a lot of searching i traded it in for my vert. I had not driven another since last summer when i used my recently acquired 85 TC for commuting. The big difference is the lack of torque. Once I had the car into third it would pull good enough but 1st and second sucked after being used to a nice sbf fox stang. I yanked the drivetrain out of the car recently and sold it as I am installing a stroker Windsor for drag racing. If I ever get another one of these cars I would install one of the new ecoboost 2.3 engines from the new stangs. 300 ft lbs from 2500 to 4500 will make for an excellent 4 cylinder engine and there is going to be a lot of hi-po upgrades for these engines in the near future, you can bet on that. The only problem is going to be the 10k price tag for a crate engine, I am going to hunt for a written off car in a few years and yank that drivetrain for a future build one day.If you do not mind low bottom end torque run the 2.3 if you want nice streetable power run a small block but run good heads. Quote Selected
stay 2.3t or swap to v8 Reply #14 – February 12, 2014, 09:05:47 AM Quote from: Pro SC;428792I had my 83 Turbo Coupe in the later eighties and always liked the car but after getting nailed by some drunk idiot then repaired, the car was never the same. After a lot of searching i traded it in for my vert. I had not driven another since last summer when i used my recently acquired 85 TC for commuting. The big difference is the lack of torque. Once I had the car into third it would pull good enough but 1st and second sucked after being used to a nice sbf fox stang. I yanked the drivetrain out of the car recently and sold it as I am installing a stroker Windsor for drag racing. If I ever get another one of these cars I would install one of the new ecoboost 2.3 engines from the new stangs. 300 ft lbs from 2500 to 4500 will make for an excellent 4 cylinder engine and there is going to be a lot of hi-po upgrades for these engines in the near future, you can bet on that. The only problem is going to be the 10k price tag for a crate engine, I am going to hunt for a written off car in a few years and yank that drivetrain for a future build one day.If you do not mind low bottom end torque run the 2.3 if you want nice streetable power run a small block but run good heads.Any old pictures of your 83TC? The ecoboost 2.3 swap is one I'd like to see and I'm sure it's just a matter of time till someone does it! Could give new life to some of our cars. :hick: Quote Selected
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