For real suppose -
anything including such odd and short lived hardware as the late (very) unlamented EXP

If a V8 is tuff to slide into a 1/4 ton Ranger, I bet a 2.3L into an EXP would be a study in body surgery...

I'm seriously studying dropping the 2.3 with a Volvo 740I head into an Escort Station Wagon


*I know where an '89 Escort wagon has been bookended next to a shed for the last three years, and I have all except the volvo parts and the stick for the tranny (it was a free gearbox...) pretty much within 15 feet of each other (including the wiring harnesses)

 

Wolf I had a 79 pinto wagon with the port hole windows and red with the custom orange and yellow and purple stripes. I put a cam headers and 4 bbl on with a mustang II 4 speed and clutch in place of the burned out auto. It was one of the fastest cars I ever had. The troopers clocked me at just over 130 MPH in it. And I was not even flat out yet. Had the German V6 engine. Can't remember the size but that thing was sure fun. Damn did I get in a lot of trouble with it. I am thinking your 351 Ranger may be about the same Bud.

 

From what I was told - a 302 Ranger can out-scream a lot of crotch rocket bikes, and that was from a guy who rode cafe bikes!

A 351 now, that's mostly uncharted territory. A 408...

Well, I still have to look over the other frame and decide if to keep it. An Explorer chassis makes more sense for what I want to do




FWIW, when I first joined FTE - I settled the question of whether or not a 302 would fit in a 2-door GEO Metro once and for all~













-the answer is-



























Yes and no...



~THAT was how I stored the engine of my old blue truck while I was in some apartments in Norfolk Virginia, while I was building it in the parking lot

I completely re-ENGINED that truck without the management knowing a dang thing until the very end

 

Are you talking a street legal car? If not,the lightest vehicle to put the 2.3 in would be the midget sprint cars like they use in the chili bowl race. those cars are fast considering they only use the 2.3 engine!!

Chili Bowl (race) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

I remember once reading a magazine article where someone dropped a Chevy 350 into a Chevette. It was mounted in the rear of the car with some kind of trans-axle setup driving the rear wheels. It needed wheelie-bars, IIRC.

I don't know enough about the 2.3 to say what it will fit in, but personally, I'd like to see someone gut a Smart car of all that electric crap and drop in an ol' fashioned gas burner (or diesel)...

 

That poll really needs to be multiple choice. There are at least two answers that fit.......

The US escort was FWD so it would be major surgery to get that engine in it. A shortbed Courier is probably the smallest and lightest thing that came with one, the first generation Courier was smaller and lighter though. Maybe Datsun 320, they were tiny but good luck finding one. At least it will be fast enough to outrun the mob that will want your hide for doing that to a classic truck like that.

 

Don't believe everything you hear or read. A 302 Ranger can't even beat a stock 5.0 Mustang of the same vintage, so why would it be able to beat a 10 second bike? I've ridden my share bikes and owned my share of Mustangs and doubt any Ranger with a 302 would raise an eyebrow on either owner's forehead...

 

The guy I talked to came across the truck he told me the story about on Interstate 15, heading north out of the "MIRAMAR ZONE" towards Escondildo and the great USMC wasteland of North Camp Pendleton, Sandy Echo, California.

He came up on a guy on his own bike, with a V8 truck - and they bolted from 65 up to ((?)kripezzz knows...) and his Ninja got left behind

*this was told to me pridefully - by a man who respected his rocket bike

The man swore up and down it was the only thing he'd ever seen beat a bike,
I think I know why. It was set up like a drag truck

 

Lots of problems with this story: first off is your huge use of generic terms used by people who don't know any better. Calling sport bikes things like "Ninja, crotch rocket and cafe bikes" shows a lot of ignorance of bikes in general. Second, repeating lies does not make them facts, no matter how good a buddy your friend is. If his bike is small displacement or he is not very good of a rider, I can see getting beat for a little while, but I would be more than willing to race any street-able 5.0 powered Ranger on the planet from a 65 mph roll if I were riding any Japanese 1000cc sportbike made since 1985. But that's just me...

 

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!

Slow down there, skippy. I'm not slinging anything - what has YOU so spun up?


(NOTE TO SELF: Where the hell is HYDESVILLE? I just have to put that on my map...)

 

They made 250cc Ninjas-

 

Yeah - but there's a max tire footprint for everything

Sheesh - it isn't like I'm trying to change anybodies religious beliefs or anything...


"You there! On the Kawasaki! It is undignified for a member of the faith to present themselves in such a ridiculous position

RENOUNCE your MANUFACTURER, or be subjected to the HARLEY INQUISITION!!!"




~ I keep an open mind. Sometimes stuff actually picks up speed on it's way from one ear to the other...

 

i'm not a gm type person but the chevette mentioned brought back memories of a 2 door one i had .... the 4 popper died , i bought a buick gn that was crashed hard , got some help retrofitting it into the chevette , and had someone with automotive electrical knowledge help with wiring in all the needed putor, etc .... needless to say it ran .... LIKE STINK !!! the 2.3 ford is a great little tough and dependable motor wolf , and still is sought after by circle track racers in some of the classes requiring a 4 popper . lot's of parts available for them too . had a 72 pinto with a slightly warmed over one with a 4 speed , and some bigger sway bars , wide wheels , etc. and it could hand a few of the vette guys a handfull to deal with !!!

 

not exactly a domestic, but... 1989 Ford Shogun - Custom Built - Jay Leno's Garage

I briefly considered a turbocoupe 2.3 for the falcon though...

 

The smallest, lightest domestic Ford chassis, after the Model T of course, would be the Pinto that engine family, in 2.0 form, came in originally. What fun is that?

If you can get hold of a MK I Fiesta, sold in the US 1978-80, a 2.3 swap could be quite impressive. I had one. It was the lightest tin can you could imagine.

We did a 302/c4 into a Volvo 144 swap. Had to fabricate custom headers to clear the steering column, but it was fast. At least it had decent brakes.