302 into a 2.3? Help please

[stang&2Birds]

Question though. Is a 302 a bad choice to run in a daily driver?

Depends.
Is gas mileage very important?
Is having a car that is good in snow important?
How about ABS?
How about the need to fix stuff as stuff on your ~20 year old car fails?

With the above said, I was LMAO when I read that question!!!
For the past SIX PLUS YEARS, at various time, I've had to use/depend on my now 25-year old 150K mile, Mustang for transportation. Even though I have two newer GM cars. Oh, wait, I meant to say TYPICAL STREAM POS MEGA CR*P GM cars (IMHO, that applies to *ALL* GM CARS!!).

I've had to drive my Stang in snow storms, and so on. Sorry, I'm sick and tired of the PURE S***T that GM puts out (since the 70's!). Also, I'm a decently paid engineer (no complaints, really!). And, there are a number of times when it is very important that I'm at work (verses taking a day off).

So, I decided over a year ago that I need a GOOD RELIABLE NEW car. Why? So, I can work on my Stang (plenty of neato mods waiting to be put on, but sitting in my basement!) and not have to worry about my POS GM cars falling apart again.

I was going to buy a Prius (see some previous posts of mine). But, Toyota, and the Prius, are heading to the POS GM way of doing things. So, I'm now waiting, and WAITING, for the Ford Fusion Hybrid Plug-in (again, see some previous posts of mine) to be introduced and have at least one year of being on the road, while I track every comment in a Fusion Hybrid plug-in forum. So..., I just finished a very expensive engine R&R and referb on one of my GM cars in HOPE that that POS GM car will last for 2 more years. Do, I 100% trust it? LMAO! I said it's a *POS GM* - of course I do NOT trust it to last two years!

But...., I have my "always ready" '86 Stang for WHEN one or both of my POS GM cars puke. So, thanks to my 1986 Mustang, I am able to wait for the ~2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid plug-in. And, not to get stressed about not having a car to get to work. I have 4 Blizzak snow tires, and ABS on my Stang (M2300K brake upgrade & 95 Cobra ABS). So, even though I winch at taking my Stang out if there's snow pack on the road, or if it's snowing , I know that my 25+ year old Mustang does not let me down!

Note, I also do preventative maintenance. IMHO, a must in any old car.

I know other people have a Fox as a DD. But again, with a car that old, things will go. I had to replace the steering pump about a year ago (that was while it was my only working car, I replaced it in under 2 hours at night). And now, the fuel gauge works only sometimes. Yea, BFD! Most of the stuff with a Fox you can replace in ~1-4 hours. Heck, some people can replace trannys in under 8 hours.

IMHO, the two cars that I'm looking to retire with is simple:
1) My 1986 Ford Mustang
2) My ~2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid plug-in (don't forget, my Stang is 25 years old and still going strong! )

I have better things to do than to screw with POS GM cars.
Just my two cents, (and three cents, and four cents... )

 

[Emory]

Depends.
Is gas mileage very important?
Is having a car that is good in snow important?
How about ABS?
How about the need to fix stuff as stuff on your ~20 year old car fails?

With the above said, I was LMAO when I read that question!!!
For the past SIX PLUS YEARS, at various time, I've had to use/depend on my now 25-year old 150K mile, Mustang for transportation. Even though I have two newer GM cars. Oh, wait, I meant to say TYPICAL STREAM POS MEGA CR*P GM cars (IMHO, that applies to *ALL* GM CARS!!).

I've had to drive my Stang in snow storms, and so on. Sorry, I'm sick and tired of the PURE S***T that GM puts out (since the 70's!). Also, I'm a decently paid engineer (no complaints, really!). And, there are a number of times when it is very important that I'm at work (verses taking a day off).

So, I decided over a year ago that I need a GOOD RELIABLE NEW car. Why? So, I can work on my Stang (plenty of neato mods waiting to be put on, but sitting in my basement!) and not have to worry about my POS GM cars falling apart again.

I was going to buy a Prius (see some previous posts of mine). But, Toyota, and the Prius, are heading to the POS GM way of doing things. So, I'm now waiting, and WAITING, for the Ford Fusion Hybrid Plug-in (again, see some previous posts of mine) to be introduced and have at least one year of being on the road, while I track every comment in a Fusion Hybrid plug-in forum. So..., I just finished a very expensive engine R&R and referb on one of my GM cars in HOPE that that POS GM car will last for 2 more years. Do, I 100% trust it? LMAO! I said it's a *POS GM* - of course I do NOT trust it to last two years!

But...., I have my "always ready" '86 Stang for WHEN one or both of my POS GM cars puke. So, thanks to my 1986 Mustang, I am able to wait for the ~2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid plug-in. And, not to get stressed about not having a car to get to work. I have 4 Blizzak snow tires, and ABS on my Stang (M2300K brake upgrade & 95 Cobra ABS). So, even though I winch at taking my Stang out if there's snow pack on the road, or if it's snowing , I know that my 25+ year old Mustang does not let me down!

Note, I also do preventative maintenance. IMHO, a must in any old car.

I know other people have a Fox as a DD. But again, with a car that old, things will go. I had to replace the steering pump about a year ago (that was while it was my only working car, I replaced it in under 2 hours at night). And now, the fuel gauge works only sometimes. Yea, BFD! Most of the stuff with a Fox you can replace in ~1-4 hours. Heck, some people can replace trannys in under 8 hours.

IMHO, the two cars that I'm looking to retire with is simple:
1) My 1986 Ford Mustang
2) My ~2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid plug-in (don't forget, my Stang is 25 years old and still going strong! )

I have better things to do than to screw with POS GM cars.
Just my two cents, (and three cents, and four cents... )

Strong argument, sir. Touche.

 

[Vaz88GT]

Question though. Is a 302 a bad choice to run in a daily driver?

Mine is a DD, honestly its not horrible on gas. But don't expect your daily 4 banger gas mileage.

 

[stykthyn]

My 302 gets the same or better mileage than my old 4 Banger did.

 

[Emory]

My 302 gets the same or better mileage than my old 4 Banger did.

I always assumed a 302 would afford the car the gas mileage of a tank. That's good to know. Do you have any other mods to yours? I keep hearing a lot about K-members and even gear ratio. How do I know how much or which one (or more) of these mods people generally do are necessary and visa versa? Also, if headers are installed doesn't it make sense to upgrade the air intake system on general principle?

 

[stykthyn]

I run ported explorer heads and intake with the stock 87 ho cam. Bbk Shorty headers and off road h pipe. 5 spd tranny with 3.27 gears. I also made a home made Anderson style power pipe since my car had a ghetto cai that had an open filter on top of the pass side header. If I keep my foot off the gas I can get 17 city and my best hwy run was 24mpg at 70mph.

The biggest difference between this car and my old 2.3 was that I was constantly pushing the 2.3 to merge or keep up with traffic. By the time it got up to hwy speeds it was tapped out.

 

[Emory]

I run ported explorer heads and intake with the stock 87 ho cam. Bbk Shorty headers and off road h pipe. 5 spd tranny with 3.27 gears. I also made a home made Anderson style power pipe since my car had a ghetto cai that had an open filter on top of the pass side header. If I keep my foot off the gas I can get 17 city and my best hwy run was 24mpg at 70mph.

The biggest difference between this car and my old 2.3 was that I was constantly pushing the 2.3 to merge or keep up with traffic. By the time it got up to hwy speeds it was tapped out.

Ghetto cai...hmmm? Not following

 

[stykthyn]

piece of tubing attached to an open air filter that was hanging on top of the header sucking in 200* temps. a decent cai will have a closed air box taking air either from the fender or from the front of the car. possibly one of the best setups is the stock 5.0 air box with the baffle removed but seeing as how you are doing a swap this may not be an option for you unless it comes on the donor car and I will be honest. most of these have been relocated to the garbage can a long time ago.
Here are a couple mock up pics
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/attachments/pipe-jpg.65520/
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/attachments/img_20110219_154504-jpg.65519/
Here is the link to the thread where others beside myself have done this. I cant take credit.
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/check-out-my-homemade-power-pipe.770054/

 

[Emory]

piece of tubing attached to an open air filter that was hanging on top of the header sucking in 200* temps. a decent cai will have a closed air box taking air either from the fender or from the front of the car. possibly one of the best setups is the stock 5.0 air box with the baffle removed but seeing as how you are doing a swap this may not be an option for you unless it comes on the donor car and I will be honest. most of these have been relocated to the garbage can a long time ago.
Here are a couple mock up pics
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/attachments/pipe-jpg.65520/
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/attachments/img_20110219_154504-jpg.65519/
Here is the link to the thread where others beside myself have done this. I cant take credit.
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/check-out-my-homemade-power-pipe.770054/

This is pretty cool. But like I've mentioned I don't think I'm going to do the 2.3 to 5.0 swap anymore. Especially since I'm graduating school within the next couple of months. I can't afford a true project yet. I was mainly asking about the 302 just in case the car I do end up acquiring has an engine on its last leg. I don't want to end up in something that has been dogged out and try to drive it proudly everyday and end up with it on a tow truck my first day of work.