Fantasy Time: What Restomod Would You Do?

[Pete05]

HQ Monaro with HSV Clubsport R8 running gear
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One of the fastest road cars I ever had a ride in, was a HQ 2-door with a 400 Chev with a tricked up Trimatic. Something I'll never forget.

Besides the HQ Coupe being one of the best looking Australian cars ever, as a retro project, I'd love to swap the driveline from C6 Z06 into one as the start of a project.

 

[05XR8]

Since the new Mustang Generations thread is go I have to bring this back in.
A green SVO with current Mustang 2.3T.

Modernise the dash without making it digital.
Make wider replicas of the stock wheels and keep the exterior standard. Drop in a six-speed manual, black Recaros with graded green inserts and I'm done.

 

[Pete05]

Since the new Mustang Generations thread is go I have to bring this back in.
A green SVO with current Mustang 2.3T.
View attachment 1476297

Modernise the dash without making it digital.
Make wider replicas of the stock wheels and keep the exterior standard. Drop in a six-speed manual, black Recaros with graded green inserts and I'm done.

I can see that being a pretty cool build, but I'd have to be different and go the current V8 driveline.
That and a suitably tuned titanium exhaust for just the right amount of aural pleasure 🤤
I must admit, having heard the 2.3T in both the showroom-spec Mustang and the Focus, I'm yet to be impressed by what many agree is divisible sound.

 

[05XR8]

Maybe a modern V8 would be lighter than the original 2.3T. No arguments about the better noise a V8 makes.

I'd just like it to make and even 300hp with the 2.3T to make it live up the Special Vehicle name.

 

[TexRex]

300hp turbo Limas are pretty common. I think you only need to open them up for a cam and the rest is bolt-on. The way the head flows I'd expect it to have a bit more usable low end grunt than a modern DOHC 2.3. But they are heavy motors.

 

[Pete05]

Maybe a modern V8 would be lighter than the original 2.3T. No arguments about the better noise a V8 makes.

I'd just like it to make and even 300hp with the 2.3T to make it live up the Special Vehicle name.

Just brushing up on my 80s SVO specs, 300 would be a significant jump up from the 205 peak of 1986.
One could also expect a boost in torque and driveability.
@TexRex
The 300hp in 'off the showroom floor' spec, has so many benefits over the 300 extracted out of the Lima motor.

I faced the same debate 20 years ago, when shooting for 400bhp out of my 5.0 carburettor V8. Go down that path for a very pricey investment and tolerate driveability, cranky behaviour when off cam, temperature issues, shorter life expectancy before rebuild time, and other associated niggles, OR
Drop in a more modern Chev LS crate motor that comes with a guaranteed 400bhp and a warranty!
Unfortunately, I kept getting a bad attitude from the car with issues popping up and eating into the budget before I got to pull the trigger.
So, I pulled the other trigger instead and sold up.
Loved that car, but I sure don't miss the reliability issues. Besides, my left leg post accident & rebuild wouldn't go anywhere near being able to use the heavy clutch.

 

[TexRex]

Just brushing up on my 80s SVO specs, 300 would be a significant jump up from the 205 peak of 1986.
One could also expect a boost in torque and driveability.
@TexRex
The 300hp in 'off the showroom floor' spec, has so many benefits over the 300 extracted out of the Lima motor.

I faced the same debate 20 years ago, when shooting for 400bhp out of my 5.0 carburettor V8. Go down that path for a very pricey investment and tolerate driveability, cranky behaviour when off cam, temperature issues, shorter life expectancy before rebuild time, and other associated niggles, OR
Drop in a more modern Chev LS crate motor that comes with a guaranteed 400bhp and a warranty!
Unfortunately, I kept getting a bad attitude from the car with issues popping up and eating into the budget before I got to pull the trigger.
So, I pulled the other trigger instead and sold up.
Loved that car, but I sure don't miss the reliability issues. Besides, my left leg post accident & rebuild wouldn't go anywhere near being able to use the heavy clutch.

Eh. I mean if you want to go modern DOHC turbo then fine. And there's some nice symmetry with Ford reviving the SVO Mustang nameplate and keeping it a turbo 2.3.

But if you've got a turbo Lima, which you do in an '86 SVO, the 300hp mark is not a crazy one and you don't really sacrifice reliability or drivability because you're just waking up a factory motor that was kept pretty conservative even for what was intended to feel like a sporty car of the period. It's a 50% increase in power, sure, but it's a turbo motor and that's not a moon shot. The cam isn't big at 300hp because the turbo is still filling the chambers sufficiently and you're not even porting the head yet. Port the head and yeah you want more lift to take advantage of increased port volume. I'm pretty sure 300hp is still cast intake manifold with an aftermarket turbo and maybe fuel control so that it makes the power happily rather than begrudgingly. Then it's just incidentals like plumbing in and out.

One advantage I can absolutely see the modern turbo motor having is when you want more power. The Lima's bomb-proof with that heavy block and forged internals but it takes a lot more flow and boost to get over 450hp and you won't be running stock anything but bottom end or anything less than full engine management for fuel and spark. Assuming the new 2.3 is stout enough, I'd bet the motor and upgrades combined cost less than getting that out of the Lima that you already have.

Anyway I feel like with this being a fantasy thread, you can basically pick a motor and pick what you want out of it and as long as it's even remotely possible then that's just what you have.