How dumb would I be? 200 to 302

abnovak said:

In the midst of restoring my 66 convt with a 200, actually just waiting for next spring to start the paint. Have the complete drive train installed and running (although needs a lot of tuning).

Then comes along a friend offering me a running 302 for free. But, I really want to get this car on the road by next summer.

How dumb would I be to keep the tranny and rear end from the 200 until I can afford to replace them with the appropriate systems. If I do not stomp on it and just run it as a crusier over the summer, will this work at all?

I know some will say just take the engine and wait until I can afford to do the whole conversion. I might depending on what you guys tell me but........ I used to be a purist and wanted it original but now I want just a little power

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My feelings...........................keep it original. Nothing wrong with a 200 cu inch early model.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

PS Get the motor if you can!

abnovak said:

In the midst of restoring my 66 convt with a 200, actually just waiting for next spring to start the paint. Have the complete drive train installed and running (although needs a lot of tuning).

Then comes along a friend offering me a running 302 for free. But, I really want to get this car on the road by next summer.

How dumb would I be to keep the tranny and rear end from the 200 until I can afford to replace them with the appropriate systems. If I do not stomp on it and just run it as a crusier over the summer, will this work at all?

I know some will say just take the engine and wait until I can afford to do the whole conversion. I might depending on what you guys tell me but........ I used to be a purist and wanted it original but now I want just a little power

Click to expand...

I went through this exact same issue over the exact same car and the exact same engine. I actually DID the swap and I love the power of the 302 I won't lie. But I tell you it does cost ya to do it. Keeping it stock will definitely get you on the road quicker. And it's alot of little cost that add up. I assume you have 4 lug suspension so ALL of that has to be upgrade because you can't use the stock 4 lug with that V8. Off the top of my head...

Suspension upgrade
Tie rods parts
The tranny you could use from what I have read online but those same sources say it's not designed to handle the power of a V8
The rear end
throttle linkage is different

And to me (if you are going through all that trouble) you might as well upgrade the brakes because it's not original anymore...so add that to the cost.

If you can find a good donor car then you'd save some coin.

Was it worth is.... at the time I was doing it...no...because it was a pain in the ass. Now that I am driving it and all that hassle is in the rearview mirror... YES

It's not the four lug wheels that won't work. It is the I-6 spindles that are dangerous. The v8 cars had beefier spindles than the I-6.

I got ALL my suspension, rearend, tranny engine done over the winter with out a doner car and a lot of ebaying. BUT if you have a good running I6 and just like to cruise...make it the best looking I6 out there. Hell, why not a turbo with a smidge of boost

steel1212 said:

Hell, why not a turbo with a smidge of boost

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Thats actually an option I had in mind when I first read this thread. I think it would be fun to have a 65-66 I-6, do the V8 driveline/suspension swap, and keep a six with some boost.....maybe a 300ci turbo six .

Anyway, I'm one of those people that would take the free engine and sit on it until I could do the full swap. At least you can drive the car in the meantime.

you can pick up an 8" for CHEAP. also the suspension stays the same except for the springs and spindles.

In the same instance you can get a 9 inch for not that much more, just a little harder to find a direct bolt in.