40bob may make an DOHC head

[xrian]

Ditto what Simon & Eric have said. There is only a very small number of XR owners who have an almost money is no object attitude when it comes to the upkeep of thier vehicle(s). The larger majority only want the cheap way out (not that there is anything wrong with that), therefore it would be extreemly dificult for a vendor to invest huge amount of coin to manufacture a high priced item for such a small group to only get a small return. Remember that the XR is now 20 years old and nowhere near as popular as say a Mustang/Camaro etc.
Sad but true unfortunately. We are a forgotten bunch

[d3m0n1c50ld13r]

That head, if made, can be used on any of the 2.3 Lima blocks...

not just merkurs, or mustangs.

and they dont have to be turbo'd either...


There is a much larger market than you guys seem to let yourselves know

[d3m0n1c50ld13r]

Ditto what Simon & Eric have said. There is only a very small number of XR owners who have an almost money is no object attitude when it comes to the upkeep of thier vehicle(s). The larger majority only want the cheap way out (not that there is anything wrong with that), therefore it would be extreemly dificult for a vendor to invest huge amount of coin to manufacture a high priced item for such a small group to only get a small return. Remember that the XR is now 20 years old and nowhere near as popular as say a Mustang/Camaro etc.
Sad but true unfortunately. We are a forgotten bunch

Oh, and we have about the same aftermarket as a 2.3L mustang...

Further more, try finding parts for a 94 Turbo Legacy...
those seem like they would have something.. turbo subaru... theres NOTHING...
i dunno, in my opinion the 2.3 has a pretty damn amazing
aftermarket. i had an Escort, and when i first got it.. there were virtually
no parts for the car, after 3 years the community of people on the message boards did so much, and made so many group buys from different companies that an aftermarket sprung up. YEARS after the for example 2nd gen escort stopped being made.. so there

[88_WRC_Replica]

i had an Escort, and when i first got it.. there were virtually
no parts for the car, after 3 years the community of people on the message boards did so much, and made so many group buys from different companies that an aftermarket sprung up. YEARS after the for example 2nd gen escort stopped being made.. so there

Sure maybe easy stuff like intake or springs or exhaust manifold but I highly doubt there is a company that went from a chunk of aluminum and created a totally custom head.

That's what we are dealing with a totally new piece. The R&D that would have to be done is just staggering to be sure that it would work. Just the cam work alone could take months and months. Then there is the head gasket, head studs, intake manifold, exhaust manifold new ignition setup the basic stuff like valves lifters rocker arms and even cam gears this stuff would all have to be tested and or built from scratch. With all that work it would take a way larger budget than would ever be recovered from sales to the entire 2.3 market. There is also at that point the requirement for a new computer some sort of standalone and air metering, which would be another $1500-$2500.

Got 5-7K sitting around you want a DOHC setup you have 3 choices in my mind.
1) YB
2) Volvo Head conversion from PM.
3) 2.3 Duratec from a ranger or a Focus.

IMO just buy a duratec and bolt it up to a T5 then for the same money you get not only a new motor which is a few hundred lbs lighter but the DOHC setup.

Not out to rain on someones parade just being realistic.

[d3m0n1c50ld13r]

i had an Escort, and when i first got it.. there were virtually
no parts for the car, after 3 years the community of people on the message boards did so much, and made so many group buys from different companies that an aftermarket sprung up. YEARS after the for example 2nd gen escort stopped being made.. so there

Sure maybe easy stuff like intake or springs or exhaust manifold but I highly doubt there is a company that went from a chunk of aluminum and created a totally custom head.

That's what we are dealing with a totally new piece. The R&D that would have to be done is just staggering to be sure that it would work. Just the cam work alone could take months and months. Then there is the head gasket, head studs, intake manifold, exhaust manifold new ignition setup the basic stuff like valves lifters rocker arms and even cam gears this stuff would all have to be tested and or built from scratch. With all that work it would take a way larger budget than would ever be recovered from sales to the entire 2.3 market. There is also at that point the requirement for a new computer some sort of standalone and air metering, which would be another $1500-$2500.

Got 5-7K sitting around you want a DOHC setup you have 3 choices in my mind.
1) YB
2) Volvo Head conversion from PM.
3) 2.3 Duratec from a ranger or a Focus.

IMO just buy a duratec and bolt it up to a T5 then for the same money you get not only a new motor which is a few hundred lbs lighter but the DOHC setup.

Not out to rain on someones parade just being realistic.

I think full turbo kits, and camshafts coming out for an escort is pretty impressive

[fastmaul]

i had an Escort, and when i first got it.. there were virtually
no parts for the car, after 3 years the community of people on the message boards did so much, and made so many group buys from different companies that an aftermarket sprung up. YEARS after the for example 2nd gen escort stopped being made.. so there

Sure maybe easy stuff like intake or springs or exhaust manifold but I highly doubt there is a company that went from a chunk of aluminum and created a totally custom head.

That's what we are dealing with a totally new piece. The R&D that would have to be done is just staggering to be sure that it would work. Just the cam work alone could take months and months. Then there is the head gasket, head studs, intake manifold, exhaust manifold new ignition setup the basic stuff like valves lifters rocker arms and even cam gears this stuff would all have to be tested and or built from scratch. With all that work it would take a way larger budget than would ever be recovered from sales to the entire 2.3 market. There is also at that point the requirement for a new computer some sort of standalone and air metering, which would be another $1500-$2500.

Got 5-7K sitting around you want a DOHC setup you have 3 choices in my mind.
1) YB
2) Volvo Head conversion from PM.
3) 2.3 Duratec from a ranger or a Focus.

IMO just buy a duratec and bolt it up to a T5 then for the same money you get not only a new motor which is a few hundred lbs lighter but the DOHC setup.

Not out to rain on someones parade just being realistic.

I think full turbo kits, and camshafts coming out for an escort is pretty impressive

Yes, but if you know how to search, you'd realize some of that stuff is easily obtainable from the UK.
In fact some of them even look for the "American" 1.9 tall block.

[fastmaul]

That head, if made, can be used on any of the 2.3 Lima blocks...
not just merkurs, or mustangs.
and they dont have to be turbo'd either...
There is a much larger market than you guys seem to let yourselves know

Yes, but how many aluminum heads have been sold? I didn't see that many in Carlisle.

[Nick A]

Yes, but how many aluminum heads have been sold? I didn't see that many in Carlisle.

seems for some of us, (me at least) for aftermarket head solutions, the Alum SOHC vs. DOHC (ANY) is the major fork in my road ahead.

Maybe some more of us are still contemplating which path to take and for nearly the same price, I would like to go w/ DOHC, personaly.

[edge]

I know its my major fork in the road, under 2 maybe over that I don't think so along with SDS and the other stuff. If I'm going to invest major bucks into my motor I might as well as throw in the V8 and do a tt setup or a blower and turbo charger and have more torque. For the dual cams you can always get a 4.6 cobra modular motor . I'm all for keeping the 2.3 and spending some bucks on it but there is a limit as to what I'll do for the hp$$, plus it is fun to blow away a v8 with a 4. BUt with what some of these guys are now doing to the V8s it might just be better to go that way with their power adders plus ci. I guess thats why I need 2 XRs one with a 2.3 with decent hp (350 -400) and the other a V8 that I can make as wild as I want .

As for spending the money on the 2.3 I just put about a grand into the XR with some performance goodies. I guess I'm one of those in between guys where I'll spend the money depending on what it is, and do almost all the work myself except for machining (used to build pro cars).

[d3m0n1c50ld13r]

That head, if made, can be used on any of the 2.3 Lima blocks...
not just merkurs, or mustangs.
and they dont have to be turbo'd either...
There is a much larger market than you guys seem to let yourselves know

Yes, but how many aluminum heads have been sold? I didn't see that many in Carlisle.

I'm pretty sure there are more 2.3 modifiers than there are escort modifiers, keeping AGAIN in mind, that the Merkur is NOT the only 2.3 out there

[Ray]

Some people over on FJ wanted me to swap in a 2.3L focus duratec into the XR. KS gerry can source those, i believe, for fairly cheap.

$3500-$4000 for a head (to me) is waaaay too much money.

"How much did you get that car for?"
- Free
lol

[SuperCollasus]

This XR, being my 4th XR and me now being alot more experienced with the car (except this new cause its 5spd but not that much of a diff.) I know the car needs two categories of money. One to fix and one to upgrade. I'd love to take out a loan and buy all my aftermarket stuff and dump it into the car - one time! But, I know this think will break down at some point and I'll still have to fix it. Unless you are doing a ground up restoration there will always be something on this car to fix and it is something as expensive as a Diff or as cheap as a ground wire.

The bottom line with this car, in my view anyway, is have your plan! Look at your life and everything that needs money. Then look at your car and see what it needs now and what its going to need later on. Then look at what you want for both life and car and do the damn thing and be happy. But it all starts out with a plan with what you want to do with you money.

I'm planning the sweetest set up in my view and within a reasonable amount of cash $4K US... by this Carlisle. At the same time I'm also planning to quit my job and start hustling.

[fastmaul]

That head, if made, can be used on any of the 2.3 Lima blocks...
not just merkurs, or mustangs.
and they dont have to be turbo'd either...
There is a much larger market than you guys seem to let yourselves know

Yes, but how many aluminum heads have been sold? I didn't see that many in Carlisle.

I'm pretty sure there are more 2.3 modifiers than there are escort modifiers, keeping AGAIN in mind, that the Merkur is NOT the only 2.3 out there

Read it again my son, I said "CARLISLE" not sure if you've been but, it's ALL Fords!
so I'll say it so you understand better...I didn't see that many in The ALL FORD SHOW at Carlisle.

[d3m0n1c50ld13r]

Yarrr touche!... yeah... actually i didnt know it was all ford -.-

[fastmaul]

Yarrr touche!... yeah... actually i didnt know it was all ford -.-

Dude, if you've never been, then you must go!!!