[Q] More horse power for an 88 Mustang LX?

** Hello folks! ** ** This is the first time I post in this group. I recently got an 1988 ** Mustang LX convertible (5 speed) as a gift and I am trying to restore ** it since it was in bad shape. ** ** One thing that bothers me is the horse power in that car since it is a ** 4 cylinder (2.3 engine) My question to any one in the group is if it is ** possible to increase a little horse power in that car? ** ** Thank you very much for your time and help in advance.

I owned an '89 LX myself for many years; it was very reliable transporation through college, and it looked really nice. Unfortunately, it yielded poor fuel mileage, wouldn't accellerate past 80 mph, and as you've discovered, offers very little real, usable power. For me, it was annoyingly slow, even for a 4-banger.

All 4-cyl. LX's came stock with 3.73 rear gearing which helped increase torque, but limited top speed considerably; other than keeping it in peak tune, there isn't much you can do with the stock engine to increase power. I've heard of others who have swapped in turbocharged 4-cyl. engines with good success; still others installed a V-8, something that requires much time and technical expertise to accomplish.

My advice: clean it up, tune it, and enjoy driving it as-is. The 4-cyl. LX's were an entry-level vehicle sold mainly to rental car companies and people on a budget, and it served well as basic transportation. It was never designed in any way as a performance vehicle. I drove mine for a few years, then bought an '98 GT as a replacement. Very big performance difference!

-JD

________________________________________________________ | | | 1998 Laser Red GT RAMFM Member Since 1998 | | M-5400-A Suspension http:/207.13.104.8/users/jdadams || Subframe Connectors & Seat Bracing, Strut Tower Brace || 4-point K-frame Brace, Tremec T-45 & OEM 3.27:1 Gears ||________________________________________________________|

It depends on what you want to do. If you are REALLY into trying to get real hp out of it then you'll need to do all of the good 'ol hotrodder "tricks" to gain hp such as a bigger cam, porting/polishing the heads, exhaust and intake work, etc Then after you get all of that done find the proper sized turbo (its been done many times before so just look around for suggests on what works and what doesn't) and make yourself a turbo kit.

If on the other hand you are looking for a little more power then dont bother. By the time you put on an exhaust kit, cold air kit, etc you'll still find that the 2.3L is still hideously slow and that it wasn't worth the time or trouble.

The only two other options are to swap it out for a V8 which IMHO isn't worth the trouble unless the body is in immaculate condition or you are building a drag car...OR sell it and buy a 5.0L/4.6L Sorry i couldn't give you a quick tip on making sick power but those motors were really never meant to make any power. Don't get me wrong, i've seen big hp 2.3L's but those have alot of time, money and know how in them.

Mike MuscularMustangs.com

transporation

JD thanks a bunch man! I was wondering about the fuel economy also before you mentioned it. Mine gives me about 22 m/gallon. Kind of crapy for a 4 cylinder, I have felt that the body weights a lot so that might justify the fuel waste. It's heavy for a "sports" car. Last night my girlfriend raced me in her 99 Mitsubishi Mirage 1.8L and in 5 seconds I was a block behind her... lol... Thanks a lot for your help.

Buy a universal 4cylinder Nitrous kit ;)

Despite what everyone in here is saying, you can make some decent power...over stock. You are looking at 88 horsepower currently. Unfortunately, you have the second slowest Mustang ever made. The first would have been the 4 cylinder automatic convertible.

So, back to making power. Research Esslinger. They make plenty of aftermarket parts for your engine. Ford Motorsports has a few things available as well. Most notable is the 2.5 stroker kit.

If you have a dirt track around your area, go and get in good with some of the racers. You will find the engine of choice is the 2.3Liter Ford engine. Plenty of power...and the get reliability out of them as well. Most of the work and help I got on my motor came from a dirt tracker. Knowledge was the key here.

My 88 LX 4 cylinder 5 speed made decent power in its naturally aspirated form. Esslinger cam, ported and polished upper & lower intake, SVO 2 into 1 header, high flow cat (used), 2.5 inch exhaust (no muffler), CAI, K&N, polished TB, and UDP's netted me 157 rwhp. While, that really isn't blistering by any means, I did eliminate everything else I possibly could to cut down on weight. I could have done more as well...like porting and polishing the head, fuel injectors, plugs, wires, ignition, timing, etc. Most everything I did I traded for or got used. The only piece I bought brand new was the cam.

I did better however using these parts on a Thunderbird Turbocoupe motor. I was making 237 rwhp before I crack the block and threw a rod. I was attempting to run 23 pounds of boost at the time without the aid of a blowoff valve.

What you have to remember is that you can only go so far with what you have. While you can get more power and make it faster, there comes a point when you have to dig really deep or start adding things that could be better served on a V8. If you did everything in the book possible and got into the

14's...you are now where a stock 302 is at. A V8 swap is a good idea, if you once again have the time money and resources. The beauty of a 4 cylinder Mustang is that most people "slow down for corners and ease away from red lights". The body isn't as twisted and abused from the stress of hard launches and hard corners like a 5 Liter would be. Many people do the swap because they have everything in hand and can find the 4 cylinder bodies for a very small price.

I hope that some of this helps you. It might seem bleak, but the bottom line is time and money. You can have fun either way, but the end result is that a V8 with the same mode is always going to be faster.

Don Manning

I think by now I'm not that worried about the horse power but the fuel economy. Can anybody tell me how to get better fuel economy in that car. At the beginning I thought since it was a 4 cylinder, stick shift it would save me a few bucks in gas, but it is wasting me more gas than my 93 tbird v6.

I know is a much older car. But I can't stand the fact that I only get

250 miles per tank, around 22 miler per gallon and it's still a slow a#@ car. I don't mind spending gas if I get a response (power) from the car.

I would really appreciate if you folks tell me how to make it at least more savvy, give me some links to go read if possible or buy parts. ] I have bought some parts @ eBay and have done a few trips to the junk yard looking for parts I really want to restore that car. I even have spare switches by now, but that's cosmetics. The car still slow and wasting gas and i want to do something about it.

Can you guys share pictures in this news group? Like upload pictures so the rest of the group can see the car and stuff?

Where can I go (website) to take a look at it?

Get wider wheels, better tires, add GT sway bars. You won't get any faster but you won't have to slow down as much for corners and lose the speed you have built up. Be thankful it has a 5 speed as they are TOTAL DOGS with an auto! Seriously, get a rear GT bar at least. StuK

Stuart I am a newbie with mustangs, can you explain more about "GT sway bars" I would really appreciate it.

GT Mustangs of the same vintage have a rear sway bar that the 2.3l cars do not have. However they have the same rear control arms complete with the mounting holes. So find a GT rear bar and it is a direct bolt in with 4 bolts. The front bar of the GT is larger and again is a straight swap. The bigger front bar isn't that necessary but the addition of the rear bar helps greatly.

As for tires and rims that is an obvious handling upgrade. Again stock 5litre wheels are a straight swap if you'r keeping a low budget, there are lots around cheap. StuK

I went with the front and rear anti-sway bars from a late '80s 5.0 Thunderbird. They are absolutely massive, something like 1.25" front and

1" rear. Seems to help, but I really need some new shocks, struts, and springs. Something to help locate the rear axle (quad shocks or 3-link, etc.) would be nice, too. :)

Yeah, the sway bars are there to help the rest of the suspension, If the springs and dampers are shot the car will handle poorly to begin with. The struts are so cheap now it doesn't make sense not to get new ones. I recall when these cars were new how expensive struts seemed but they've been around so long they are virtually a commodity now. Good tip on the T bird stuff, Thanks StuK

GT is larger and

I believe 5.0LX swaybars are the same diameter as GT swaybars.

-ERIC

Correct. The rear bar is actually part of the handling package that was for the

5.0 cars regardless of GT or LX. Thanks for the more accurate description. StuK

Put a Turbo coupe engine / computer set up in it.