1994 Mustang Cobra & 1981 Capri Hatchback

Speedo FixI have a '94 Mustang Cobra. The speedometer doesn't work and the needle has completely spun around. Is there any way to fix this without buying a new cluster from Ford for over $300? Another dealer said there is a one-week turnaround if I remove it myself and they send it out for repair. Any suggestions on a better way to get this fixed would be appreciated.John E. BrittonCumberland, VA

Check with a local speedometer repair shop. They might be able to R&R the cluster and get you back on the road in less than a week and for less than $300. Your Cobra has a unique white-face gauge cluster compared to the regular GT, so that $300 figure from the dealership might not be so expensive. Could the dealer even get you a Cobra cluster? My advise is have your existing cluster fixed. Redline Gauge Works might be able to help (23347 San Fernando Rd., Santa Clarita, CA 91321; 661/259-8891; www.redlinegaugeworks.com), but you'd have to ship them your cluster. Since your car is a Cobra, it might be worth it. Otherwise, consider local resources.

More for the Turbo FourI really enjoy your magazine and would like to comment on people who want to improve the power in their 2.3L-powered Mustangs. While a 5.0 swap is popular, installing a 2.3L turbocharged four is quite feasible. Depending on the year of the car, the wiring varies. On a pre-'87 Mustang, you need a Merkur engine harness and the fuel system takes some work. On an '87-'89 Mustang, it takes around 15 minutes to re-pin the computer for the swap, while the '90 and newer cars require a little more time in the wiring department. An excellent site for this information is www.turboford.org. Several knowledgeable folks on that site helped me with my swap-an '89 Mustang with an '88 Thunderbird Turbo coupe engine. I hope this information proves useful to some of your readers.J.P. ScurrySummerville, SC

More on Rebuilding a FourI'm writing in response to the letter from Matthew Artibise in the August '05 issue. Although four-cylinder performance might be a little more obscure than with the V-8 cars, there are still resources one can contact for performance parts for the 2.3L Ford engine. Racer Walsh (1849 Foster Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32216; 800/334-0151, 904/721-2289; www.racerwalsh.com) and Esslinger Engineering (1930 Doreen Ave. S. El Monte, CA 91733; 626/444-4919; www.esslingerengineering.com) are two possibilities. Some cam companies might have cams available, not to mention the intake manifold manufacturers that might have something to offer. Offenhauser used to have an intake available that took a small Holley four-barrel. Hope this helps Matthew's quest for four-cylinder power.T. OgrenMuskegon, MI

Thanks for the info. Both Racer Walsh and Esslinger are clearly good resources for 2.3-liter performance equipment and helpful information for anyone interested in building either a naturally aspirated or turbocharged 2.3L inline-four.

Corral FeedbackI'd like to comment on the three letters from your Aug. '05 issue. First, the Cleveland/Fox swap. I have a 351 Windsor with modified 351M (Cleveland 2V) heads, a B&A manifold, Hedman headers (made for 351C/Fox swaps), and a T5 transmission I'm getting ready to put into my '86 LX 5.0 coupe. The accessory drives were a challenge. To get the serpentine accessory drive to work, primarily for the A/C compressor, I ended up using a modified '89 Crown Victoria 5.0 bracket-and-pulley setup with two belts. That puts the A/C compressor and alternator on the opposite side, but it looks like it won't be a problem. I also used a standard-rotation water pump, not the reverse-rotation pump used with the single serpentine drive in the Mustang.