Outside of Philly, don't get offended by my advice. I'm just stating what I'm sure 90% of others would, bigger doesn't always mean better. Efficiency is the key and a T88 is way out of range, but with a proper setup motor/fuel/ems you could pull it off. Best of luck to you..
Edit: To answer your question about the Mines ecu, they are programmed specific to the setup so I'm pretty certain you are going to need another ecu to use your e-manage. My advice, set your T88 aside and go with something more practical until you piece everything together. Look into what other guys are running on their 1j's as depending on your goals the options vary significantly. And yes PA winters are brutal when it comes to anything rwd!
Edit: To answer your question about the Mines ecu, they are programmed specific to the setup so I'm pretty certain you are going to need another ecu to use your e-manage. My advice, set your T88 aside and go with something more practical until you piece everything together. Look into what other guys are running on their 1j's as depending on your goals the options vary significantly. And yes PA winters are brutal when it comes to anything rwd!