Jhm,
thx for the explanation. It had me confused before. The fact that my starter does crank when I apply 12volts directly to the starter where the signal from the ignition switch goes, means that that the ignition solenoid is functioning, right?
Tomorrow I gonna get that thing to work, with all this advise.
cheers,
I wouldn't get too caught up in 50/50. There are ways to get there in other ways to get there via moving things around and it also kind of depends on dynamic movement. You can have 2 cars with 50/50, but if one had the engine lifted a foot higher it would raise the center of gravity and behave poorly etc.
I would put the VQ back on the table with that kind of power restriction, there are aftermarket intakes available which you may even need to flip the intakes towards the front. It would be torquey, reliable, and be brand loyal if that mattered. Plus the transmission option is really fantastic for that latter years, it really has a lot going for it.