Well your engine is rated at 88 horsepower - flywheel. As far as putting power down to the wheels, not having the parasitic drag from A/C compressor and power steering pump would benefit you somewhat. So even though you have the same horsepower as another LX 1.9 model, the power you put down to the wheels would be marginally greater. Consider this though...if you don´t have those two items sitting on the engine, then you´ve got plenty of room to fabricate a small Vortech supercharger and the associated plumbing. You could conceivably have the first supercharged Escort.