[DickH]

I am thinking about picking up an 84 svo and am curious what I should watch out for. I am looking for a different car to be my DD and I want something that will be decent on gas and not be real slow. How reliable are these cars and what kind of mpg do they get? I have seen someone claim as high as 38, how common is 30+mpg? And out of curiosity the one I might go look at says the car has a new t3 t4 turbo running at 17 psi, what kind of power can that make on the 2.3?

[HMUSN]

30 mpg is pretty common depending on your foot of course. The turbo oil feed lines tend to corrode a bit so that is something to watch out for. As far as the hybrid turbo.. that really depends.. does the car have any other mods? Mine dynoed stock at 190rwph @ 12 psi on a T-3. ( I was having issues with the waste gate and should have been at 15psi)

[03 R Code]

Originally Posted by DickH I am thinking about picking up an 84 svo and am curious what I should watch out for. I am looking for a different car to be my DD and I want something that will be decent on gas and not be real slow. How reliable are these cars and what kind of mpg do they get? I have seen someone claim as high as 38, how common is 30+mpg? And out of curiosity the one I might go look at says the car has a new t3 t4 turbo running at 17 psi, what kind of power can that make on the 2.3?

Assuming everything else is stock you could hope for about 175ish hp, maybe a little more. I would check all things fox body cars have issues with, torque boxes, body rust, floor pans, smoke (isn't a huge deal to diagnose and fix), and drive comfort since its going to be a daily. Make sure it warms up completely and let it idle and check that it's a smooth idle. Old breaks can be expensive to repair/replace as well. Remember it's a 27+ year old car at this point, and realiability for daily work is going to be tough to find! Check that turbo out well, it may be a worn out old unit with freshly cleaned housings! Look at the shaft play, try and move it by hand in and out/side to side. Excess is a sign it needs rebuilt. It may also be a cheap Chinese version. They have gotten much better in quality recently, but still not the best option available unless on a really tight budget.

30mpg isn't hard to hit if you drive easy.

[jjpluml]

My svo gets ab 18 mpg no matter how easy i drive it, but im also runnin a pos fmu. the car is ab as reliable as it gets if u ask me, fonsidering the age. As long as the car hasnt been ragged to hard and you odnt see any major problems, get it. The car is super simple to work on and relatively cheap. Oh, and its a blast to drive. Its not like the other foxs' out there. It feels like you drivin an overgrown go kart. And most of the 5.0s around cant touch one with the boost turned up im a big fan

[HMUSN]

I hear ya on the go cart thing. These are very nimble cars.

[jjpluml]

HMU, what all have you done to yours? anything that made a big improvment that i dont have? looking into a FMIC but dont know if its worth the $

[HMUSN]

Basically, all this and a boost controller. That is about it for now.

[jjpluml]

have you installed it yet? ive already got the 3" turbo back and boost controller

[DickH]

Well the car sold before I could go look at it. Its ok though I think im going to look for a 2.3 ranger. I wouldnt mind a small truck, test drove a 4cyl ranger once and it just didnt have enough power to move around very well. I have quickly grown fond of the idea of a 2.3T ranger.

[HMUSN]

Originally Posted by jjpluml have you installed it yet? ive already got the 3" turbo back and boost controller

In the middle of it now honestly. I am doing the FMIC, and a few other things in the mix as well. Basic stuff. For now..

[03 R Code]

a good FMIC is a great investment, with the cooler air charge you can run more boost without detonation. A high flow fuel pump will be great as well. That's about as far as basic can go for power improvements, other things like sub frame connectors, tubular k-member and a arms, light rims and drag radials... After that it's really good to get a way to tune the comp, or go for an aftermarket system.