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Series II Ford Race Car

Charles Johns

Donation Time
Nice looking car. Any pictures of motor mounts? I am putting a 2.3 out of an 85 Mustang in my 67 SV now. Got an A4LD overdrive to help hwy MPG, but obviously this is not a racer like yours. I am also using a carb, but a 2150 (287 cfm) two barrel, making my header, using a points dizzy with BWD Select parts, an ACCEL coil, copper 7mm wires, and platinum plugs. Probably install a PerTronix. Cam is a mild one for Torque not HP. Engineering formulas say I should expect about 110 HP @ 4600 RPM, with maybe 140 lbs. ft. Torque around 2700. Who knows? I just want good drive-ability and comfort...like Bill Blue's, which I got to drive. He took his half way to China and back.
 

alpine_64

Donation Time
Rocco, what class do you run? Car looks good.. Love the libre wheels. Are they original magnesium ones or alloys.. Or more recent alloy recasts?
 

mototron

Donation Time
I still run in group 1 ,sometimes they bump me up one class with the alfas.
The car is not that much faster then my worked to death 1725 that i had to work on after every race
but it far more dependable ,I can run all weekend without ever having to touch the engine
Groups like the SVRA will not let me race with the ford engine , vintage groups are no fun anyway

The Libre wheels are Old alloys , took a while to find a straight set .

I used the alpine mount on the pass side and fabed a plate on the block
and used the mustang mount on the driver side and welded a plate to the frame for the engine mount
the header and the exhaust were the hardest thing to do .
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
THANKS mototron, I have a good Alpine 1725 mount and a good Mustang 2.3 mount so I may be home free. The 2.3 is heavy for a 4 but stout and very dependable. If Ford used them in pickups they must be strong. I know, the Ranger is a small pickup, but they get worked hard. I bought a header flange and the tubing so my next job after mounting is making the exhaust. It looks like there is plenty of room on the passenger side, so that should be the easy part to fit, but not fabricate. I have a small Chrysler filter on it now for fitting but may opt for a remote unit. Keeping the stock steering away from the back of the head looks like a possible trouble area, but it looks like it will work without going to the modified one. With the automatic I have an 18" inline cooler to replace the OEM in front of the radiator and I have a good OEM radiator which should work with an electric pusher fan. Anyway, my winter months are full this year. THANKS again for the info.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Consider using a flat four into one collector, available from Cone Engineering. Simplifies header design/construction to the point that I was able to make mine, a "bunch of bananas" configuration. Of course it is not tuned, but seems to work.
Bill
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
I am cutting and fitting tubing now using a 2.3 header flange and feeding the tubes into a single collector. My first go at header building so who knows what I end up with. I am placing them in the collector in firing order...1,3,4,2 so they feed the collector in a swirl (scavenge) pattern. THANKS Bill, I'll check Cone Engineering. This is the 65 Mustang I MUST sell to build the Alpine. At $12,000.00 I thinkIMG_1742.JPG IMG_1743.JPG I am fair with modified suspension, new interior, motor mods, and a bunch of extras (Motor, trans, 4 OEM wheels/tires, HEI ignition, paint to repaint-touch-up, and more.
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
mototron, it looks like you are running the factory intake and I have an Esslinger 2-barrel aftermarket. I also have the OEM intake and could use it but like the 2 barrels running front-to-back for best fuel distribution. Now with the motor just hanging in place, I may have a clearance problem on D-side with steering box. I am mounting the 2.3 as low as possible and would like to move it back also, but no-way-Jose with the steering rod there. The A4LD is a big tranny for such a small car, but the .75 overdrive should work great with the 3.89 rear and 14" tires. Do you have any clearance problems? I am hunting for a 2 belt crank pulley as my 3 grove is too long to clear the front crossmember. A shorter water pump would be great also. Yours is a 2.3...right? IMG_2089.JPG
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Have you checked intake manifold clearance? That was the limiting factor on my Pinto 2.0 installation, which used 2.3 transmissions. Cannot remember if the offender was the M/C or steering box.

Bill
 

Charles Johns

Donation Time
Bill, the intake just touches the steering box with the Esslinger intake, so moving things about a 1/4" to the pass-side may be needed. I really want it to sit as low as possible due to weight. The motor is about 100 lbs heavier than the 1725 and the trans is probably 75 lbs heavier than the OEM 4-speed. Since I am not building a race car the weight is not a real problem, but where it is in the car matters. Your trip in the windy mountains shows a little extra weight on a cross country driver is no big deal...but I don't want to get ridiculous. Keeping weight spread out helps, if it must be added. Getting a 50/50 balance is probably not happening, but I will do my best to keep it as low as possible and balanced. And I do not want to shift the motor unless absolutely necessary. My goal is a very nice looking car under 2500 pounds, 110 HP, heater, AC, stereo, cruise control, comfy seats, as little noise as possible (hardtop on), and great MPG on 89 octane gas. I had that with my 40 Ford coupe in the 80's running a 289, 3-speed, 29.5" tires driven by 2.79 rear gears. This engine like that one was built for torque not HP and it has a lot less mass and frontal area. Though the 40 is very aerodynamic. I'll take some pictures as I go.
 
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