First of all, I must say that I'm impressed by the depth and scope of knowledge among you folks. Humbled in fact.
A comment on the first page of this thread mentioned knock sensors and dynamic timing systems, obviously on a vehicle with an On Board Computer. Well, my car was built on the Cusp of OBD technology in 1979, and unlike the same car built in the US or Canada, the Mexican Ford factory used an old-school points ignition on my old 302 V8. I was tired of 16 MPG and swapped the engine with a freshly built 3.3L stock Ford Fairmont six with the Electronic Ignition and get upwards of 22 MPG. Still no computer.
My plan is to drop in another stock 2.3L I4 Turbo with a standard transmission (my wife will not drive an Automatic, PERIOD). To do that, I would buy a complete, running 1989 Tbird Turbo Coupe or Mustang/Capri from around the 1987 to 1989 era. I've already wired a Mustang dash into my Fairmont (basically identical, except with gauges, not idiot lights) and added a vacuum gauge, voltmeter, and a 1984 Cougar clock. The clock doesn't sound like much, except that the 1984 Cougars and post 1984 Mustangs came with OBD II systems. The Speedo has a trip meter, so I can track my MPG and FE.
I never considered Ethanol with as much depth as you folks have, but I knew a Turbo would be more efficient.
As someone mentioned earlier, about the Ford Focus weighing 2,600 lbs. My 1979 Fairmont Squire wagon, all fueled up with the I6 weighs 2,645 lbs. Its in the weight zone. As a Mexican car, it had no rust, when I did a complete restoration in 2006 and 2007, and is even better protected against rusting, after all that. I expect another 10 years of daily service, and it won't be near as bad as the 1978 donor car was 4 years ago - no floors, no tire well.
Would Ford be my best bet for the knock sensors and dynamic timing components or are their better aftermarket sources? Thanks in advance.
