thats pretty sweet. a probe gt engine in a mkII escort would probably be faster than a svt 'tour wouldn't it? whats the curb weight on one of those?
~ 2000 LBS. But the Probe GT was not a KLZE, it was a watered down american version that only made around 160 HP.An EGT in stock trim was around a 16 second quarter mile I think, a probe GT was around 15 and a half I think. A probe swapped Escort would run the same quarter mile as a probe GT. Thats why you go for that KLZE where you are putting ~200 HP under the hood. Either engine LOVED the bolt ons.
As far as faster goes.... Well they are traction limited like the tours, but you could build a sub 13 second escort at around 300 HP. But yeah, traction is a major issue with them just like a contour. You dont really have to change gearing to reach that, and I know at least a couple guys were doing that with stock diffs and driveshafts. Not that I would recommend it. It is a lot easier to do 12s with a quaife, and stock driveshafts is just stupid with that power. I always figure that if a car requires better than a stage 1 clutch, you should upgrade the axles. But thats just me. Anyways, yeah escorts can be fast. I lost my first escort, to an accident, that totalled the car and nearly totalled me. I lost my KLZE swapped one when it was stolen, driven into a ditch full of water, driven out of that ditch minus coolant in the radiator, and then driven another 6 miles in 98 degree weather. When they finally stopped black smoke was coming out of the engine bay so they pushed backwards into a ditch, with the door open. That of course was just adding insult to injury because now the door was bent too. So I decided that an EGT that needed a new engine, core support, door, radiator, fender, front bumper, and probably more just wasnt worth fixing. Its still in the salvage yard in oakes I believe.