[spiko642]

Hi there. I am building an Oval track Mustang for my Daughter. It is/was an 87 5.0 Std, but rules say I have to run a 4 cyl. Auto. All I need where it will be a pure race car is an engine bolted in "basically" the stock location. I'll run my own wireing, ect.
I have an 84 Ranger 2.3 auto (Carb, No computer) in hand so that will be the engine.
I have been an auto tech for GM dealers for years, so no fears on making stuff work. Rules state that all parts must be stock for year make of car. That being said and ignored, a few questions.

How much hassle will this be bolting up? (mounts, PS, ect.)

What will be my most cost effective method of making power with this engine?

Are there any bigger 1 bbl carbs that I can fit on this engine with minimum (read not really noticable) mods?

Thanks for any advice,
Spike

[hondahunter93]

well if it has to be year specific, an 87 was fuel injected. so you might want to find out if you can carb it.

[Kyle F]

Not only that I can think of a lot of better 4cyl o use than an 84 2.3. thats a pig of an engine. Does the class regulations call for it to be rwd?

[74stang2togo]

You'd seriously be better off with a 74-78 2.3 if at all possible, as they used 2-bbl. Holley 5200 series carburetors (Also labeled as Autolite, Weber, or Motorcraft depending on year/application, they were used on Ford, Volkswagen, and Toyota 4-cylinders from the mid-70s into the 80s and support a lot more performance than the 1-bbl. carbs, as do their intakes, made by Sheffield.

As far as hidden mods, you can use Chevy 5.7" connecting rods if there's not a rule regarding it ( www.racerwalsh.com has specific info) to increase compression, you can put bigger valves in if there's no specific rule, and you can tune the daylights out of the 5200 2-bbl. if you run one, they're very adjustable (like a Quadrajet, but a little less finicky). One problem with doing a lot of trick mods is the fact that most entry-level oval track series have a "claim" rule in place, meaning if your car finishes well, someone can buy the head off of your car, or the engine out of your car (depends on sanctioning body/track/etc.) for a set price, that's there to prevent someone from having several hundred dollars of grinding/machining work done within the "gray area" of the rule book and using that to dominate a season at a track/series. I helped build a Chevy 305 and a Ford 2.3 for a pair of dirt-track cars one season... it was hell tracking down the desirable 2.3 head castings in a week and getting them ready to race! (we ran literally week-to-week as far as money went, but we did very well, wish the guy I was working for/with had kept racing, but he had kids and sold the cars.)

[spiko642]

OK replies.
1 Barrel carb OR F.I. so Im ok with a carbed motor in an injected body.

I want her to Learn how to drive a rwd car as opposed to fwd for the fact that if she moves up to a faster class, it will be rwd, so no unlearning fwd driving tactics

No claim rule at my track. I was thinking of some very crude DIY porting to clean up flow on stock heads. I will look into the 5.7 rod angle for sure.

It seems like there are a few good cams available for this engine, so that is a for sure.

Thanks a ton and keep up the info
Spike