hi!

[zoom-zoom]

Hi all! Kind of new here, I've been lurking for a couple months now, but the time is comming when I might need help or to buy parts so I figure I'll introduce myself and get my post count up! I'm on a couple different forum sites, but a few friends have suggested I check this place out, so here I am.

I'm from Marietta, Ohio and I have 2 cars right now, a 99 Mazda 626, and a 94 Ford Aspire. Neither one are very pretty, but since I've been driving them they haven't let me down. Well, the 626 kinda did, but a new water pump and timing belt fixed the problem.




As you can see, the Aspire was in pretty bad shape on the outside, the paint was horrible, and it was just an eyesore, (the driver side was worse where someone had keyed the car) granted it was mechanically sound. I decided to paint it, and since it's all tore apart, I figure, what better time for an engine swap? I can paint the engine bay and make everything nice and clean! So I've started taking the old engine and transmission out, and this is where I'm at now.



There's still a bit more work to do in there, I'm going to remove as much from the engine bay as I can, but right now I'm looking for a BP motor from a 1st gen protege, and all of it's components. Which is hopefully where you guys may be able to help! I've got a lead on an engine, but I still need the rest of the parts to make it turn over. I hope to have this car back on the road by October, but we'll just have to wait and see, this being my first whole motor swap, I'm in for a few suprises!

[progt91]

welcome to the club, im sure you will find what you need here to get the car all finished up

[KaleoXtreme]

Welcome to CP! Don't feel bad. I lurked for several years before I started posting here, lol!

[FE3-323]

welcome!!

[monoxidechild]

welcome to the forum! nice to see more 626 owners here. and dont forget the escort GT's also. as they have the same BP in them as the 1st gen protege's. and are pretty easy to find in the midwest.

[irishkev90]

Welcome!

[zoom-zoom]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the warm welcome!

I was told I needed a later BP from a protege because they have the large nose crank with main bearing support plate, which would be better for a turbo application. My plans are to rebuild the engine and turbo it for at least 200 hp. I'm heading to a JY thursday to take a look at the motor they claim is from a 93 protege dohc, after that I still need an intake disty alt transmission and starter, and the axels. I don't know what wiring harnesses will be used, for the most part everyone is saying I can splice sockets from the protege onto the Aspire harness, but I'm not sure how it's going to work out yet. I'm just gonna buy the motor and intake and go with it, there's some firewall clearance issues I need to take care of first, maybe even clearance issues with the crankshaft pulley, but I'm really not sure, just need to get the engine and see what it needs! All of your advice is appreciated tho, feel free to point out anything I overlook!

[zoom-zoom]

Double post, lol..

[billzie]

Welcome! I'm in the Athens area, so, nice to see others in this part of the state. What JY you going to, maybe I can give some pointers dealing with them.

[scort4life]

Welcome to the club. Nice starter car!

[zoom-zoom]

Thanks guys! I can't remember the name of the junk yard, it's written down at the house.. I ended up not doing that, a guy pm'd me on another site saying he could get me a whole bp from an escort gt from the belts to the clutch for 200$, and at that kind of price I waited for it. By the time he told me it was already sold from the JY, I was back at work doing 13 hr shifts, so..this weekend I'll be going up for the motor.

Thanks for the compliment! For an Ohio car it has suprisingly little rust. What it did have on the rocker panel was grinded off and a plate is going over top of it, it won't be noticable tho and shouldn't effect structural integrity at all. Alot of my friends are asking me why I bother with this car..."it's a ford aspire"... But this being my first "build" and real project car, with all the guys out there running fast cars with BP's and all the festiva guys who are there to help (and this site)... Why NOT bother with this car! Besides if I screw something up horribly, at the end of the day, it IS a Ford Aspire! But if it turns out close to how it should, if will be a brand new car that is fast sounds good, and looks as good as an Aspire can, for a relatively cheap price.

Btw, I'm in Marietta Ohio, if you know of or see any Aspires in any JY's close, let me know! I haven't found one yet! Or a festiva.. most of these places won't let you in, and they're always out of every part ever produced.