200 Super Pursuit

[XPC66]

Hello, my first post

I have a question, which has probably been done to death. I have an XP Coupe I'm doing up and it has a 200 Super Pursuit engine installed, with a brand new 2V head sitting in the boot. The car was a project of a bloke who started and stopped about 15 years ago.

I am currently building a 1970 windsor 302 with fuel injection and various other bits to go into the hardtop, but being a holden man most of my life I was wondering if I should run the log with the 2V head fitted for a while?

If I can sneek in another question; can the 200 be made to perform?

 

[xctasy]

Welcome aboard mate. All my friends are Holden blokes. Hate it when you guys win Bathurst 75% of the time over 40 years of pilgrimages. Dang dang dang. :chill: :fume: :splat: :chill: :chill:

Anyway, aside from have a bad Holden habit, I guess we can allow for it since you guys always win anyway, so here is a gesture of warm fuzzies!

The 200 is a dead set riot with the 2V on. 25 Americans with Mustangs, Comets and Falcons have converted to 2V 200's and found the results very impressive. It will bolt on 38 rear wheel hp right off the bat! The 200 has bigger bearings than the 186, better porting than an XU1, stronger block, better flywheel retention, better aftermarket bits, and has a huge amount of good componets that retro fit.

I'd keep the thing stock, add the 2V, and then rebuild the block later on. When you do, add some 5.14" long 221 con-rods, low deck ACL 1.163" pistons shaved 1.6 mm , a Celica 5-speed, a proper cam, and then add a nitrous kit! With the right cam, perhaps some roller rockers, you can see Ian Tate Torana XU1-style grunt off the bottle (215 hp), and Falcon Turbo style grunt (320 hp) in a 2400 pound car on the bottle. There is a twelve second street machine waiting to be unleased.


The items which work in favour are the massive range of parts and experience from a small hard core bunch of 'trigger happy' six shooters in the states! Look at the posts, and you'll be very impressed at the amazing Aussie style grunt they are pumping into old forlorn Fords.

Don't worry about being a Holden guy. We will take the proverbial out of you, but you don't need to applogise. I hooted up Vauxhalls and spent most of my time towing my mates Holdens around, and the next door nighbour has a 454 HQ which eats Falcons for breakfast. I hate him, he's evil....

 

[addo]

I'll play devils advocate (or something).

It is a heck of a lot harder to make the Ford 200 get up and go, than a 202. You pay more for parts, there are design differences which inconvenience (like having to pull the head off to swap cams), and you'll be running a motor which here has not really got respect by comparison. The Ford 250 is another matter, but that's not really relevant.

The 2V head will have to be murdered to work with the 200. Combustion chambers have to be milled way down from 58CC to about 50 or so CC . A lot of the well-used 2Vs that sat on people's back shelves here for ever "That one's rooted mate, too much skimmed off it", are now being sold to the US for their Mustang 200s. You would have never thought it! But a few of the people there are also fitting 250s, so the market for unskimmed heads is up also.

That all said, why not see if someone can trade you parts wanted for the 302? If that's the motor you must have, don't get distracted trying to make an temporary measure impress. The best upgrade to the 200 is electronic ignition, and to do this properly costs double what it does on a red motor (so about $275). You won't find used extractors at the wrecker for $40 either...

Don't get me wrong. I'm not giving you a hard time, even if it seems like it. Rather, trying to ground (prove) some of my comments that might otherwise seem biased. I've messed around with both 202s and 200s and the GM one was more satisfying to do up. If you do want to pursue the 200 as a performer, I'm happy to share my actual costs and experiences with similar motors, as will be others.

Regards, Adam.

 

[wagon]

For an el-cheapo (but good) electronic ignition have a look at a project published by Silicon Chip mag... It works with points dissys, etc and for about $50 at Jaycar (part no. KC-5247) is a heap cheaper than $275. Will free up more cash for other goodies!

 

[XPC66]

Thanks guys. I have read some of your previous posts and I can see you know your stuff.

Addo I have all the parts for the 302 rebuild, including cam, bearings, pistons etc. The block ahs been machined and it's ready for assembly. It really is a primitive motor compared to the jap engines I have been doing up recently, but I just want a cruiser with a burble and some tow and to my mind nothing sounds like a windsor getting a gutful of fuel, except maybe a cleveland. Otherwise I would have gone for a lexus 4.2T or TT.

Time is my enemy and I thought I could use the 200 as a stopgap, and maybe coupled with the 2V it wouldn't feel like a Belmont. This would allow me to build the 302 properly.

Wagon I know the one you are talking about, but having used it previously I much prefer vacuum advance coupled with electronic pickups and regulated dwell. Electronic ignition is not a problem for me and I can retro a points type for about $60, either reluctor or hall effect coupled with IGBTs and HEIs.

My weakness is I see an engine and instead of accepting it for what it is I find myself re_engineering it. I suspect this will happen with the 200 when I swap it out. I'm just coming off a jap motor that is stock 40kW/litre and now has about 100kW/litre so the withdrawls are a problem

xtaxi you are a walking almanac. I am very impressed. 8)