A New Motor for Buddy the Mustang in the back of Fred the Minivan

A year ago today Conor H and I finished replacing the automatic transmission in Buddy the Mustang with a manual transmission. Today we bought the main ingredient (I bought it, Conor inspected it) for the next transformation of my 1989 convertible Mustang. We will be replacing her 2.3l 90 horsepower engine with the 2.3l turbo 190 horsepower engine out of a 1987 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Buddy is about to change from “all show, and no go” a vehicle that has show and go.

I posted the above photos primarily because I wanted to write about my love for my minivan. Every Monday evening I shoot bows with an amazing group of guys. As great as these guys are they raze one of our number because he shows up each week either in a minivan or a Prius (I on the other hand usually show up in Buddy). The jokes basically are about these vehicles emasculating him. It is all just ribbing and happens mainly because they guy driving the minivan/Prius combination is the first one start the jokes about himself. Personally, I am a huge van of minivan because of events like today. Conor and I drove comfortable over to Eau Claire, picked up Noah, bought the engine, and then comfortably (other than a fear of bumble bees because we found a nest of bumble bees in the transmission bell-housing before putting the engine and transmission in the back of the van) went to eat at Taco Januita’s (if you haven’t been here and you are ever in Eau Claire you should go). I did all this while getting good gas mileage. I love my minivan!

“Yeah I’m sorry I can’t hear your funny jokes about how unmanly my 300,000 mile minivan is, I’m too busy hauling the engine out of a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. What’s in the back of your fancy truck?”

SIDE NOTE – If anyone has an engine lift and/or an engine stand that I could borrow for awhile I would appreciate it. These are the type of things that I can’t do this project without but will probably never use again.

SIDE SIDE NOTE – If you are going to buy an engine from someone my experience is that it is best to buy an engine from a guy who owns his own personal Bobcat. Getting the engine in the back of Fred the minivan was easy. I have no idea how we are going to get it out. 🙂 Anyone want to buy a Bobcat and let me use it?

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