hey i bought my son a 89 4 banger automatic for his first car after he gets some more experience driving how hard is it to convert to 302 v8 or should he opp for turbo seeing he has 2.3 motor now paid 1200.00 for car very clean

 

we are doing the same thing to my brother's 86 mustang. what we have had to change for parts include swapping the trans crossmember (to fit the dual exhaust), swapping the 7.5" rear end to an 8.8", suspension and have to redo all the engine wiring. i think you would also need to change the front k-member to one from an 8-cylinder car, due to it being an I4.

 

good choice, should have gotten him a stick IMO. i would convert to the turbo'd 2.3. it's not too hard and there is a site where you can get a good set up including a garrett t3/4 turbo, chrome header, BOV, boost controller and intercooler for 2K +/-


the 302 would also work, just be a little more time and money consuming as to propertly do so, out comes everything and i do mean everything! suspension, drive train, wiring, it's a pita to do unless you wanna find another car and make that your father son project!

EDIT: sorry, i remembered, the kit had everything listed, but no oil lines or tubing of anysort, so prolly more around 4K. but all in all the father son project would prolly be better anyway

 

Whenever he gets to where he can drive well, and I mean well........Sell the 4 banger and get him a classic. Good choice for a first car though. My son had an F-150 pick-up for his first ride. Not to popular with the ladies, but he was never injured in a wreck. Later I got him a hot rod after he proved to me that he could put the truck in a skid and recover.

 

the 4 and the 8 use the same k member its a bolt in deal if u have a 5.0 and a v8 tranny(4 cylinder manuals will actually work with the 5.0 if u get an adapter pilot bearing. and use the v8 bellhousing althought the 4cylinder is rated for less torque)

 

and where was this? did he forget to install the bed cap/mattress combo? LOL!


i agree with Glen's idea, but, i'd say, give him the 5.0 first to make sure he can handle it. anyone, trust me, anyone can drive a rear drive 4 banger. especially a FORD 4 banger. i'd rather see a fox slide into something than a classic slide into anything.

 

i love my 5.0 but id give him a 4 to start with cause he will kill himself in a 5.0 trust me what would u do with 300ft lbs of torque? they are too much fun for a 16year old im 23 so i know how the kids there age act i used to manage 16-17 year olds!

 

yeah, i'm sorry, i left part out there. give him the 4 banger, than when he's ready get him the 302 and while he's got his fox 5.0, find a nice classic project for him. sloved!

 

Yep the k member is the same for 4s and V8s. Doin a carbed swap wouldnt be that bad if you find a complete engine, injected just get the entire car. I know of two 8.8s up here that you can get, out of Turbo Coupes with ventilated engines.

Puttin a turbo on the NA 4 cylinder is making its days numbered in the tripple digits, like less than a year. The turbo engines had forged bottom ends and wer built to take the boost, the others werent. So if you wanna swap in a turbo shortblock, a ranger head, and a slightly larger turbo, he could have something that will beat up on stock 5.0L's.

I would do the V8 swap when the 4 dies, build the engine over time with him. then put it in later.


A low powered vehicle can get you in just as much if not more trouble than a high powered vehicle. learning respect for the machine you are driving doesnt come from flooring a 4 away from every stoplight. Get a ticket, pay for it yourself, lose driving priveledges for a while, those will keep a kid in line.

When my daughters can drive, we are going racing. Why? Well so they can learn how to control the car, and know when is a good time to get silly. The track is where you get silly, not the street. learn by doing, and give them all the info they need to make an intelligent decision. Leave it to them to make thier own mistakes, just try to keep them from being too bad by teaching them to respect the vehicle.

I learned the hard way. I bought my own car with money I earned through hard work. I broke my car. It sat untill I could afford parts for it. I never have wrecked one, and I have only gotten two speedin tickets in the last 20 years. First car was a V8 with a 2 barrel carb. Smoky powerstands were the norm but it wasnt terribly fast. I earned the car, so I didnt get so stupid I wrecked it, thats how it stayed together.

 

My son is going down the same road. Getting him a full size pick-em up, fancy paint and interior and he can do what he wants after he learns to drive better. I'll be danged if he's gettin a V-8 hot rod for his first car. Besides, he likes the secure feeling. Thank God...a hurdle I don't have...he's OK with the truck.