Coche de JosĂ© MarĂ*a González de Hermosillo
(If your car was manufactured in Ford’s Hermosillo, Mexico factory)
or
Coche de Wayne
(if your car was manufactured in Ford’s Wayne, Michigan factory)
I sure hope your car is Mexican, the Jose just has that ring to it
Anyway, this is a bit more of a "practical" build taking into consideration real-world budget and effort constraints, as well as leaving you with a still-practical car.
Engine
2.0 CVH engine: 84.8x88mm (bore x stroke)
Swap bottom end to 1.6L Escort (81-85) 80x79.5mm
(a lot of info about increasing displacement, not so much about decreasing it. Head bolt pattern and oil galley locations should be the same for all Ford CVH engines, but consult a shop manual for details)
4-2-1 header, Pacesetter makes one for 1.9CVH, requires relocation of cat converter downstream. All CVH have same manifold bolt patterns. $155 shipped from ebay.
Warm air intake (aluminum dryer hose to airbox from under header)
192 degree thermostat (Duralast, Valucraft, Failsafe) $15
Unbelt or completely remove A/C (depends on your climate, comfort level)
Unbelt Alternator (keep belt and a wrench in trunk for long trips)
Relocate battery to cargo-area, replace with 2x 6v deep cycle.
Wire to engine compartment with 4awg amplifier wiring kit $60 from auto parts store
PV panel in cargo area for trickle charging while parked. $89 from JC whitney
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...016460/c-10107
Battery charger and block heater share common 110V plug
Charger : Soneil 12v smart charger $75
http://www.amazon.com/Soneil-12V-5A-.../dp/B0007ZAL0C
Block Heater: Genuine Ford/OEM $28 shipped from ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-O...QQcmdZViewItem
Body:
Mirror delete (use power mirror interior “covers” from junkyard if you have manual mirrors. ABS plastic to cover outside)
Front airdam (ABS or PVC plastic sheet)
F&R wheel skirts: front skirts hinged at top with Teflon sheet bonded to inside tire-contact-points (ABS or PVC plastic sheet)
Side skirts (ABS or PVC plastic sheet)
Lower ~2" with cheap coil-overs, cut springs (sorry it seems nobody makes spring kits for 97 wagons...)
Wheels & tires:
Bridgestone B381 185/65R14 low rolling resistance tires
Honda VX/HX 14” wheels (4x100 bolt pattern will fit)
“Full Moon” hubcaps
FE Instrumentation
Scanguage II
picture to follow whenever I can muster up the energy to properly photochop one.