horsepower

Well I have had my '95 escort lx since february, and I have gone through alot with it. I once hit a rock and severed my exhaust pipe right behind the flex pipe and ran freeflow for a month. It was fun for awhile but very loud, and I think Iburned out my valves, but I did feel a boost in my horsepower. Which I miss, 88hp isnt exactly alot but I do have great pick up. I have a friend whos dads owns a ford dealership and and if any wrecked gt's come in I get to rummage through. I wanna snag an engine and computer. But in the meantime, what can I do to boost my horsepower? I thought about building a custom cold air intake with a friend. He did it on his '98 240 and he said it worked great. I also thought about buying a new exhaust/muffler. But these would only be marginal boosts. what can I do?

Do what I did and you wont need to swap to a 1.8 motor/tranny computer harness...ect.
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeffescortlx

That's all nice, and good job too Jeff, but I have a question fitting to this post. I don't know where everyone's from, but up here, I have to drive Chicago to GI and back every day. If anyone's familiar with 80/94 in NW Indiana, they know what it's like trying to merge at 7am and 5pm. It's scary to say the least. My old car, an 82 olds delta, had no problem getting up to speed and merging with traffic. And of course if I couldn't, i'd just start moving over and people would get the hell out the way of a 3 ton car. Now I have a 95 'scort LX and merging is a nightmare. Three quarters of the way down the on ramp at Broadway in GI, trying to get on 80/94, I have the pedal to the floor, and I don't let off for a good 15-20 sec. Most of the time I leave a trucker pissed off, me driving in the shoulder, or a car swerving around me. I need something to get this car just a little faster. 10-15 hp?? would do it. I don't wanna try to make an LX scort a sports car, cause it sure as hell isn't. But I do want to be a little safter when driving. It seems like the car loses all power after 4K rpm and doesn't have much before 2k. I've never worked on a fuel injected car, or a car with less than 8 cyl (with the exception of my 89 subaru justy-3bang, but carburated) I don't really know if the same ideaas hold over on both smaller and FI engines. If my thinking is correct, a slight increase in overall exhaust and intake piping diameter would help with the power at high RPMs, but would cut down on the midrange torque. I need something good all around. I know some of the little tricks the rice boys do, but don't know of any aftermarket for the 1.9. Any help would be nice.

It sounds like you need forced induction. Have you looked into getting a turbocharger?

That's all nice, and good job too Jeff, but I have a question fitting to this post. I don't know where everyone's from, but up here, I have to drive Chicago to GI and back every day. If anyone's familiar with 80/94 in NW Indiana, they know what it's like trying to merge at 7am and 5pm. It's scary to say the least. My old car, an 82 olds delta, had no problem getting up to speed and merging with traffic. And of course if I couldn't, i'd just start moving over and people would get the hell out the way of a 3 ton car. Now I have a 95 'scort LX and merging is a nightmare. Three quarters of the way down the on ramp at Broadway in GI, trying to get on 80/94, I have the pedal to the floor, and I don't let off for a good 15-20 sec. Most of the time I leave a trucker pissed off, me driving in the shoulder, or a car swerving around me. I need something to get this car just a little faster. 10-15 hp?? would do it. I don't wanna try to make an LX scort a sports car, cause it sure as hell isn't. But I do want to be a little safter when driving. It seems like the car loses all power after 4K rpm and doesn't have much before 2k. I've never worked on a fuel injected car, or a car with less than 8 cyl (with the exception of my 89 subaru justy-3bang, but carburated) I don't really know if the same ideaas hold over on both smaller and FI engines. If my thinking is correct, a slight increase in overall exhaust and intake piping diameter would help with the power at high RPMs, but would cut down on the midrange torque. I need something good all around. I know some of the little tricks the rice boys do, but don't know of any aftermarket for the 1.9. Any help would be nice.
There is a few things you can do to get a bit more pep out of your 95lx.
To start with you can get rid of the air intake box and snorkel, by replacing it with a cone filter, you'll also need a "MAF adapter" you'll find it all on ebay for really cheap. The first generation Escorts 85-89 use a nice 4-2-1 header, it will fit your motor with a bit of cutting and exstending, nothing too bad, you can usally pic that up at a junk yard for about 30 buck. There is also performance chips that help gas milage and increase touq and hp "superchips" and "Diablo" make them for about $200. Black Diamond Racing make a underdrive pully for 99 bucks, it a lot lighter than the stock one, easy to change, and sends a bit less power to the acceries and a bit more to the wheels.
Thats about it for the easy stuff, next would be turbo's or N2o or a differant motor completly. It is possible to make your car run a 13 second 1/4 mile, with out breaking the bank.

Well thanks for everything so far. I have been doing some research too, and I wanted to ask about getting a high performence Cat Convertor, or Pace setter headers. What about a new set of ignition wires?

Well thanks for everything so far. I have been doing some research too, and I wanted to ask about getting a high performence Cat Convertor, or Pace setter headers. What about a new set of ignition wires?
New wire's wont add any hp, a new high flow cat wont do a lot concidering how much in will cost by buy and install, and the pacesetters header is made in the wrong firing order, that is why I suggest the Ford 85-89 GT one.

the pacesetter header is nothing moer then a 85-90 GT header

the pacesetter header is nothing moer then a 85-90 GT header
The fireing order is differant. And the EGR bung.