Lex decided to handle this month's write up, so here it is!
Originally posted by Lex
I bought this blue 1991 5speed Escort GT in June 2003 from an older man that was selling it for his daughter for 2000CAD. At first sight, it looked very clean and well cared for - and had only 190,000 km on the odometer.
Initially I had no plans to modify the car aside from putting in a CD player. I was a huge car fan ever since I was a kid however and it wasn't long before I started to really do my homework. It also didn't take me long to figure out my little blue was smoking the blue ... burning oil. I was heartbroken - I didn't know how to fix it and had no money to pay for an engine rebuild; so I put her away for a year while I was in school and started to look at my options. I soon discovered Club Protege; where I have learned invaluable information that helped me get the car where it is today.
My heart was set on an engine swap and I came across a great deal on a motor someone was selling locally. I picked the motor up even before I re-insured my car in the summer of 2004. Then, after convincing my parents that it was a good idea to do an engine swap in their garage; armed with the FSM, many hours of reading, a box of tools, a good friend and his cousin, and many car parts the adventure of the swap began. Two weeks later, the car was running and I couldn't stop smiling when it first hit boost.
From then-on the car underwent a much-needed suspension upgrade - twice, exhaust upgrade ... and so forth; while never letting me down as a daily driver. This was still on the GTX motor and turbo but soon my sights set higher. At one point I had every compatible turbo upgrade in my stockpile - VF10, VF12, Tbird ... and finally a VJ23 that I later replaced with a newer VJ23 ... what can I say, I like playing with turbos!
Around the same time, I started working on engine management. First, there was a GTX ECU, then a chipped GTX ECU, then an SAFC, and then finally the Megasquirt. All was well and dandy but there is one thing I still hadn't done: build the engine!
So in the winter of 2007-2008 I pulled the faithful GTX and built a brand new engine with the help of Jon (Shades) along with the transmission ... you can see what went in it in the mod list. Finally, the car is where I wanted it ... and at 240 000km on the odometer it stopped being my daily driver and just became the fun/race car this last summer.
During the summer I went to a track day and managed a 13.6 at the track on street tires. I could use a lot more practice. During this last year I also started offering plug and play Megasquirt kits to make it easier for people like myself to push their BG cars further with less hassle.
It's funny how although I have a much newer/more comfortable car to drive to work; I miss the unadultered fun of the Escort as a daily ... after all you know what they say about a first love.
Before I close, you might ask what’s next? Honestly, it’s up in the air. I love projects and I’m itching for a new one. I want something from the 90s, AWD or RWD. I think I’m leaning towards a 94-97 Miata (since 323 GTRs are expensive to import) … that way I can keep and use the heart and brain of the Escort – but this won’t be for probably another year.
I could also sell the Escort as a whole, but it would have to be for the right price.
Car Mods
Engine:
Fully built and balanced engine
- Belfab H beam forged rods
- Wiseco 9:1 pistons ceramic coated and PC9 sideskirt coated by Swain
- Clevite bearings
- FM gasket set
- NA head with ported exhaust, GTX cams
- External oil cooler with -8AN lines
- Port matched exhaust and intake manifolds
VJ23 turbo with GTR exhaust manifold
GTR intake manifold
Heat insulator gaskets for throttle body
Megasquirt I Extra HR controlling fuel and ignition with following modifications:
- PWM idle control
- Boost Control
- Wasted spark control
- Knock sensor
Mazdaspeed Protégé LSD welded for strength
Kia transmission, jackshaft, axles
SPEC GTR SZ231H clutch
550cc RC low impedence injectors
Vishnu dual feed fuel rail
HKS SSQV blow off valve
4-wire TPS
21x9x3 FMIC with 2.5" inlets
Full 2.5" mandrel bent intercooler piping
3" turbo back exhaust
Highflow cat, no resonator
Magnaflow 3" muffler
MSD Blaster SS coil
Walbro 255 l/h fuel pump
B&M short shifter
Solid front and rear motor mounts
Delete A/C, Cruise, and power steering
Suspension and Footwork:
Ground Control ZX2 coilovers
Tokico S/R struts
Tokico strut mounts front and back
Front and Rear Corksport upper strut bars
Energy solid swaybar bushings front and back
MX3 rear tie bar
Mazdaracer front lower tie bar
Front and rear ST swaybars
SS braided brake lines
Brembo front and rear rotors with 99 protégé front rotors
Hawk HPS pads all around
16x7 Rota Subzero rims
Hankook Ventus tires (205/45/16)
Misc:
MX-3 recaro style front seats
Autometer Boost, Oil pressure, and EGT gauge
AEM wideband O2
Initially I had no plans to modify the car aside from putting in a CD player. I was a huge car fan ever since I was a kid however and it wasn't long before I started to really do my homework. It also didn't take me long to figure out my little blue was smoking the blue ... burning oil. I was heartbroken - I didn't know how to fix it and had no money to pay for an engine rebuild; so I put her away for a year while I was in school and started to look at my options. I soon discovered Club Protege; where I have learned invaluable information that helped me get the car where it is today.
My heart was set on an engine swap and I came across a great deal on a motor someone was selling locally. I picked the motor up even before I re-insured my car in the summer of 2004. Then, after convincing my parents that it was a good idea to do an engine swap in their garage; armed with the FSM, many hours of reading, a box of tools, a good friend and his cousin, and many car parts the adventure of the swap began. Two weeks later, the car was running and I couldn't stop smiling when it first hit boost.
From then-on the car underwent a much-needed suspension upgrade - twice, exhaust upgrade ... and so forth; while never letting me down as a daily driver. This was still on the GTX motor and turbo but soon my sights set higher. At one point I had every compatible turbo upgrade in my stockpile - VF10, VF12, Tbird ... and finally a VJ23 that I later replaced with a newer VJ23 ... what can I say, I like playing with turbos!
Around the same time, I started working on engine management. First, there was a GTX ECU, then a chipped GTX ECU, then an SAFC, and then finally the Megasquirt. All was well and dandy but there is one thing I still hadn't done: build the engine!
So in the winter of 2007-2008 I pulled the faithful GTX and built a brand new engine with the help of Jon (Shades) along with the transmission ... you can see what went in it in the mod list. Finally, the car is where I wanted it ... and at 240 000km on the odometer it stopped being my daily driver and just became the fun/race car this last summer.
During the summer I went to a track day and managed a 13.6 at the track on street tires. I could use a lot more practice. During this last year I also started offering plug and play Megasquirt kits to make it easier for people like myself to push their BG cars further with less hassle.
It's funny how although I have a much newer/more comfortable car to drive to work; I miss the unadultered fun of the Escort as a daily ... after all you know what they say about a first love.
Before I close, you might ask what’s next? Honestly, it’s up in the air. I love projects and I’m itching for a new one. I want something from the 90s, AWD or RWD. I think I’m leaning towards a 94-97 Miata (since 323 GTRs are expensive to import) … that way I can keep and use the heart and brain of the Escort – but this won’t be for probably another year.
I could also sell the Escort as a whole, but it would have to be for the right price.
Car Mods
Engine:
Fully built and balanced engine
- Belfab H beam forged rods
- Wiseco 9:1 pistons ceramic coated and PC9 sideskirt coated by Swain
- Clevite bearings
- FM gasket set
- NA head with ported exhaust, GTX cams
- External oil cooler with -8AN lines
- Port matched exhaust and intake manifolds
VJ23 turbo with GTR exhaust manifold
GTR intake manifold
Heat insulator gaskets for throttle body
Megasquirt I Extra HR controlling fuel and ignition with following modifications:
- PWM idle control
- Boost Control
- Wasted spark control
- Knock sensor
Mazdaspeed Protégé LSD welded for strength
Kia transmission, jackshaft, axles
SPEC GTR SZ231H clutch
550cc RC low impedence injectors
Vishnu dual feed fuel rail
HKS SSQV blow off valve
4-wire TPS
21x9x3 FMIC with 2.5" inlets
Full 2.5" mandrel bent intercooler piping
3" turbo back exhaust
Highflow cat, no resonator
Magnaflow 3" muffler
MSD Blaster SS coil
Walbro 255 l/h fuel pump
B&M short shifter
Solid front and rear motor mounts
Delete A/C, Cruise, and power steering
Suspension and Footwork:
Ground Control ZX2 coilovers
Tokico S/R struts
Tokico strut mounts front and back
Front and Rear Corksport upper strut bars
Energy solid swaybar bushings front and back
MX3 rear tie bar
Mazdaracer front lower tie bar
Front and rear ST swaybars
SS braided brake lines
Brembo front and rear rotors with 99 protégé front rotors
Hawk HPS pads all around
16x7 Rota Subzero rims
Hankook Ventus tires (205/45/16)
Misc:
MX-3 recaro style front seats
Autometer Boost, Oil pressure, and EGT gauge
AEM wideband O2
New engine is ready to be dropped in.
Wiseco piston and H beam rod
Summer 09 track day
Escort resting for the winter in front of the daily driver.
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