4 vs 8

[fordkid68]

Hello all. Glad to be back.

I'm going to be saving my money from my summer job and want to buy an LX Mustang. My friend said that the 5.0's aren't faster then the 4 cyl mustangs cause of the wieght differences between the engines.

I don't think this is true but thought I would ask you guys about it. and if it's not true just how fast are these 4cyl lx M ustangs? What do they run when they are stock and how much can they be improved without adding NOS or a turbo. I've never seen a 5.0 run stock so what would they run?

Thanks!

Ford Kid

[Mr 5 0]

The 5.0 HO Mustang V-8 engine runs about 14.5 to 15.0 in the quarter-mile, average.

The 2.3 four-cylinder Mustang runs around 20 seconds in the quarter-mile.

There is no real comparison here and your friend is an idiot for even trying to sell you this drivel.

Don't even bother considering a 2.3 Mustang if you want any performance. They're a dog; meant for good gas mileage and little more. If you want good mileage, buy a motorcycle.

[1BAD89]

An LX 5.0 will run low to mid 14's stock, maybe faster in the right conditions. An LX 4 cylinder will run around 19-20 second quarter miles, a 5-speed that is, maybe slighty faster, or slower. They cannot be improved alot, they are not fast, they can't really be made fast on a budget. Sure you could put $15,000 in one to make it fast, but come on now. A 5.0 will absolutely destroy one. The weight differences are minor, and I think the 4 cylinders have around 100hp, and the 5.0 being around 225. The 5.0's are WAYYYYY FASTER THAN A 4 CYLINDER, END OF DISCUSSION. The 5.0 has alot more potential also.

[fordkid68]

thanks guys I didn't think that the 4cyl could keep up with A 5.0. and yes I love racing so I definatly want A 5.0. do you guys know what the avg price for A 5.0 is I will be looking for one that needs a litle work cause I love working on cars.

thanks
for kid

[GodStang]

I raced a 4cyclinder at the track with my v-6 when it was stock. I ran 17 sec 1/4 and I looked in the mirror he was only half way down the track. I was slow and he was that much slower.

[Tony Frank]

maybe he was talking about a SVO mustang with the turbo 4cly.
what did they run in the quarter anyway....was it like high or mid 15

[fordkid68]

yea what did the SVO stangs run.

and I just found out that my dad isn't going to let me go to the track untill I am 18 (dammit) I don't turn 16 till next month. so I know the 4cyl are much cheaper so I was thinking about getting one of those and do some mods to it and practice with that car untill I am almost 18. reason being if I messup and crash I would rather it be A 4cyl so if it wasn't A SVO (cause theres not alot around here) could I make it run high 14's low 15's with A few mods such as 4.10 gears/ higher pound injectors/ exhaust/ and if I need to get A bigger intake. not sure if the intake is possible to enlarge but I heard it was


thanks for all the help
ford kid

[Conman]

don't mean to rain on your parade but if you just want a 4 cyl why don't you get an Escort or even (dare I say this?) a Honda. I doubt I would have ever even considered a mustang if I wasn't getting a 5.0. Save your money so when you do want a 5.0 you can get a decent one that hasn't been trashed.

[fordkid68]

yea after thnking about it I thought theres no way I would be happy with A 4cyl. and about the escort or honda I will never buy A foriegn car. so I guess I will just be saving all summer long.


thanks guys
ford kid

[Conman]

I'm not sure what country you live in but I do believe the Ford Escort is domestic here in North America

[fordkid68]

my bad I am hella stupid. yea ford escort. I will look into it. is there A reason why you sugested the escort.


thanks
ford kid

[Jeb_Bush_2000]

so I know the 4cyl are much cheaper so I was thinking about getting one of those and do some mods to it and practice with that car untill I am almost 18.

Practice what?

[Mr 5 0]

The 2.3 cylinder Mustangs will always be dogs as not only is the engine built for economy but the Mustang is well over 3,000 pounds, much more than the four cylinder Japanese cars carry.

You can do a few modifications to a 2.3 Mustang or even a Escort with the 1.9 engine but it'll still be slow compared to a V-8. Fact of life. They are economical.

On the other hand, a 5.0 Mustang is a powerful car that I can't imagine a new driver being able to handle with confidence. They can 'get away from you' very easily as a tap on the gas pedal can have you from point A to point B in a few seconds, leaving little room for new-driver mistakes.

The 5.0 also fishtails very easily on any kind of slippery road, including sand or wet. They are almost impossible to drive in snow without weight in the rear, very good snow tires and a light foot on the gas. Even then, not that great.

That said, the 5.0 'Stang is a great car - obviously - but I wanted to point out the possible drawbacks to having it as your first car, ever. Of course, that's between you and your father but just realize that you're talking about driving a car that doesn't forgive driving errors easily.

The brakes are fairly weak and although they handle well, it's no Corvette on sharp turns. Mostly at it's best in straight-line driving, mild cornering and a pretty decent highway cruiser, although not economical, especially around town. You can watch the gas gauge drop when you 'get on it a few times', which you will.

Although an Escort may not be exciting, it might be a better first car to get comfortable with and then move up to a Mustang 5.0 next year.

Just a thought; it's all up to you.

[fordkid68]

Jeb_Bush_2000 I meant practice my driving/racing skills.


Mr 5 0 thanks that helped me alot. yea my dad is kinda worried about me thanks to my older brother. who has 8 tickets and totaled 3 cars. yea you guessed it he can't drive. so my dad thinks the escort or 2.3L mustang will be best as my first car. so I just got to figure out witch one.


thanks for all your help.
ford kid

[84LX89GT]

In terms of reliability escorts and 2.3L mustangs are about the same and the escort i believe gets better gas mileage. My GT mustang now gets around 17-21 Miles per gallon (increased mileage since i've modified it....if i can hold off on the gas pedal a bit) and i had a 2.3L '91 mustang with 105 horsepower that got 18-21 mpg even with a very light foot, which is hard because those things are SOOOOOOO slow. I'd go with the escort, they feel peppier and they handle ALOT better. The 4 cylinder mustang suspension shares almost nothing in common with the 8 cylinder except for the basic suspension design. They come without a rear sway bar, a puny front sway bar, the 5.0's come with "low friction ball joints" as opposed to whatever the 2.3's come with, the springs are spongy and the car handles like a boat as well as they come with absolutely hideous wheels and smaller brakes than a 5.0L. and also the shocks and struts have crappy valving on the 2.3L's that are supposed to increase "ride comfort" which is guess comfort means floating around at highway speeds.

....that's my long winded rant, i'd go with the escort for now. The 2 door escorts/5 speed get good gas mileage, handle well, brake decent and are pretty reliable. You can also find the Escort GT's which have more power and better suspension. Just my opinion though,
Good luck,

[fordkid68]

yea I only like the escort gt not the other escorts.

well my dad said that I can get the escort or 2.3L mustang and turn it into A 15 second car. I know that not that fast but what am I going to do. so now my question is witch car is easier to turn into A 15 second car.


thanks
ford kid

[RageForces]

Mr. 5.0 is right, a 5.0 is alot to handle for a first car. H*ll my 5.0 was not my first car and when i first got it, it was hard to handle. I would not go with the 5.0 for a first car. The escort GT would be a better choice for a first car. Or possiblely a probe GT. The probe handles fairly well and there not all that slow.

[Jeb_Bush_2000]

Jeb_Bush_2000 I meant practice my driving/racing skills.

Certainly not on the street, I hope. And buying a 4-cylinder to practice drag racing for when you get your V8 is kind of like drinking non-alcoholic beer to "practice" for real beer.



And I agree with RageForces. Danielle is the fourth car I've owned, and even after driving my dad's Cobra on numerous occasions, I still almost looped it a week after I bought it. Hell, six months later, I put it up on a curb coming down an offramp. These cars do not handle in a "friendly" manner at the limit. Stiff springs, thick roll bars, and fat tires make for some high cornering speeds, but they're not designed to handle well at the limit of traction. It's very easy to get into trouble in these cars.


If it's literally going to be the first car you use as a daily driver, you're better off getting something a little more tame. And then, when you do get your 'Stang, you'll be better able to appreciate how quick it is.

[fordkid68]

ok wait. for the summer I will be driving A 68 vw bug. (it was given to use) so really that will be my first car. and I don't think there is A slower car then that. I mean it only has 50HP.

well I am confused but at least I got till end of summer to think about it.


thanks
ford kid

[84LX89GT]

Probe GT's are another fun car, especially the ones with the V6, those things i think go 15's stock (mid to high 15's i believe is the potential they have stock). ALso the earlier turbo probes cook pretty good, but in terms of replacing any parts it gets expensive because they're basically a mazda MX6 (i think it's built on that platform) and alot of parts are "obsolete" and aren't made in the aftermarket.
I can tell you already that getting a 4 cylinder mustang to go 15's without a turbo is VERY expensive because you have to more than double the power output. the '87 to '90 2.3L's had 88 horsepower and the '91 to '93 had 105 with the redesigned cylinder head, coil packs and dual spark plugs per cylinder (like the rangers had for a couple years before the mustang).
You'd be lucky to get sub 20's in a stickshift, i had a friend with an '89 2.3L and i'd smoke him with my '91 but realistically i'd get humiliated by EVERYTHING else that is driven on the road. I bet the only real match for those cars is like a chevy citation or any 4 cylinder Chrysler K-car.
One car that's made from the same platform and as a result alot of performance parts bolt upto is a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, they come with 4 wheel disc brakes, 5 speed manual, and i believe 170 horsepower but i may be wrong. The suspension is the same as a mustang, mustang seats will bolt right in, strut tower braces, engine, you name it. You could also buy a thunderbird or cougar from '83 to '88 (fox body years) with a 5.0L non HO and hop that up or build an engine for it that you'll eventually put in it. Also insurance would be ALOT less for these vehicles even with 5.0L's in them.
There are alot of cars built off of the "fox" platform that the mustang is built on and as a result there is ALOT of parts interchangability. The sky is the limit as to what you may want in the future.