Ive been looking into multiple engine options to put into my 66 which currently has a 200 and a C4. I think that for the most part i have been convinced to use a 302. I dont have much mech experience but i have a couple friends that could help me put in an engine and a manual trans. I have seen some engines on craigslist.com so i know that I can get an engine for a decent price but im starting to wonder is it cheaper/better to put a new engine in mine with a manual or to look around and just find a mustang that already has one in it. The body and interior on mine are in good condition with no rust but it has me wondering which would be cheaper and smarter for me to do? Any ideas?
Cost Effective
- Thread starter cjperry81
- Start date
This is a hard one to answer. Is your car special in any way. Did you have it in highschool or anything like that? Are you concerned at all with originality? If your car is rust free and has a nice interior then I would work with what you have. Another car might be a can or worms.
What do you want from the car? V8 sound and to cruise? Do you want to go really fast from stop light to stop light? Why are you messing with it.
If you are like me, you think the straight six/C4 combo is pretty weak and you want more get up and go just for the fun of it.
Here is what I would do. If your straight six is in good shape, put a T5 behind it. I like the mustangsteve.com kit. It works very well in my 68 cougar and there are more than a couple of people on that site that have put T5 behind their straight six and loved it. You might like it so much that you won't want to go through the trouble of an engine swap. I would put some 3.5:1 gears in the rear end at the same time.
have fun...
Austin
What do you want from the car? V8 sound and to cruise? Do you want to go really fast from stop light to stop light? Why are you messing with it.
If you are like me, you think the straight six/C4 combo is pretty weak and you want more get up and go just for the fun of it.
Here is what I would do. If your straight six is in good shape, put a T5 behind it. I like the mustangsteve.com kit. It works very well in my 68 cougar and there are more than a couple of people on that site that have put T5 behind their straight six and loved it. You might like it so much that you won't want to go through the trouble of an engine swap. I would put some 3.5:1 gears in the rear end at the same time.
have fun...
Austin
how much did you have to do to the cougar?
After 3 months, I almost have the one in my falcon done.
To the original poster:
It really depends on how fast you want to go with how much.
If you go to a v8 AND a stick, that 6 3/4 rear end will last a couple of days maybe.
If you are dead set on a v8, I would just buy a 351 (84 or later), leave it stock and upgrade it when you have the time/money.
After 3 months, I almost have the one in my falcon done.
To the original poster:
It really depends on how fast you want to go with how much.
If you go to a v8 AND a stick, that 6 3/4 rear end will last a couple of days maybe.
If you are dead set on a v8, I would just buy a 351 (84 or later), leave it stock and upgrade it when you have the time/money.
The mustangsteve kit rocks. I got the pedal set, cable clutch combo kit and love it. One hole in the firewall and that is it. Uses the stock 87 to 93 mustang cable. Can't beat that. Easy parts replacement. I'm using the stock 90s mustang bell so everything just hooked up like stock. I swaped to power brakes using his kit at the same time. His power brakes kit uses a modern booster ( I can't remember from what, but I think it is a 4 cyl mustang but don't quote me...) for a great feel.
nice.
I had to cut my cowl out above the 4-bolt plate for the pedal assembly/master cylinder.
In the falcon the pinch weld is like 1.5" above the top bolt hole because everything is so squished up there. I had to remove the wiper assembly, basically a huge ordeal to run a t5 with a clutch cable.
I am going to post up some pictures one day . . . I only have a few little things to wrap up.
VTStang66
Founding Member
Nobody has mentioned the brakes/steering/suspension upgrades. 6 to 8 ain't just an engine and a tranny, there's a lot to it. If the car isn't special to you and you really want a v-8 car, I'd see about buying one that already has the v-8 in it.
I had a 67 coupe with a 200 in it for a couple years in high school, fun car. 3-speed manual, I put a header from clifford performance and dual exhaust on it, and it really did sound almost like a v-8. Didn't go quite like a v-8, but that's probably why I'm still alive.
I had a 67 coupe with a 200 in it for a couple years in high school, fun car. 3-speed manual, I put a header from clifford performance and dual exhaust on it, and it really did sound almost like a v-8. Didn't go quite like a v-8, but that's probably why I'm still alive.
You WILL have to get the V8 version of the bell housing, and convertor. It bolts right in place of the I6 parts. However, V8 and I6 C4's were not created equal... don't expect it to last behind any power!
Check the v8 swap sticky to make sure you are up to the task. If anything, I would do all the suspension conversion and the rear end first because most of those things can be done without puting the car down for more then a day. Then it will be ready to go for the engine swap when ever you have more time to work on it.
Turbo the 200 and swap in the T5.
You'll beat any v8 you would have built from stoplight to stoplight, it'll be a kick in the pants to drive and it'll be pretty original.
You can get an aluminum head for the 200 now, which flows like crazy. And you can keep your radiator and your steering, and your suspension, and all the other things you would have had to change.
Do a little research at Fordsix.com.
I'm swapping a straight six 250 into my 68 coupe, with a Garrett t04b and a T5. I can post pics if you want.
Good luck.
You'll beat any v8 you would have built from stoplight to stoplight, it'll be a kick in the pants to drive and it'll be pretty original.
You can get an aluminum head for the 200 now, which flows like crazy. And you can keep your radiator and your steering, and your suspension, and all the other things you would have had to change.
Do a little research at Fordsix.com.
I'm swapping a straight six 250 into my 68 coupe, with a Garrett t04b and a T5. I can post pics if you want.
Good luck.
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