How many people have actually done I6 to V-8 Conversion

[steel1212]

This seems to be a common topic lately and I'm curious. Also I'm not trying to start a flame war I know there will always be both sides of the fence on this one. I know the benifits of starting with a V-8 car I just don't agree that they out weigh starting with a equal quality I6 car if the I6 car is cheaper.

Anyway just post if you have actually done it and if you would do it again. I'm not looking for the people that have researched it or talked to people that have done. I'm interested in the people that actually own the car.

Of course everybody knows my opinion on the matter. I would do it again in a heart beat and I'm always looking for a I6 fastback or 67-69 coupe I could play with.

 

[68_stanger]

If I found the right car and it was an I6, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

 

[brianj5600]

No problems here. The chances of finding one with the motor, trans, rearend, brakes, radiator, etc. I wanted was slim. Then you don't know what you are buying. I would have stripped the drivetrain out of about anything I bought anyway. Why pay for more for a car that has stuff I don't want anyway?

 

[steel1212]

No problems here. The chances of finding one with the motor, trans, rearend, brakes, radiator, etc. I wanted was slim. Then you don't know what you are buying. I would have stripped the drivetrain out of about anything I bought anyway. Why pay for more for a car that has stuff I don't want anyway?

This is what I keep trying to tell everybody but nobody seems to want to listen lol. Oh well I'll keep preachin

 

[gzminiz]

No problems here. The chances of finding one with the motor, trans, rearend, brakes, radiator, etc. I wanted was slim. Then you don't know what you are buying. I would have stripped the drivetrain out of about anything I bought anyway. Why pay for more for a car that has stuff I don't want anyway?

ditto...

If i am dumping a bunch of money, time and work into something i want it exactly the way i want it. No sense in buying someone else idea of perfect. I went looking for a shell, found a shell with 2 rust spots no bigger then a quater, 3 dents and darn straight. the rest was ripped out and will be sold.

 

[10secgoal]

I'm with you guys, for exact reasons. Plus the changes of previous owners beating the piss outta the car are slim. So the body ought to be nice and straight.

 

[Opentracker]

Last time I did it was to my wifes '61 Ranchero. Those cars didn't come with V8's. It was a lot of work but it's a lot of fun to drive.

John

 

[66moneypit]

It really depends on your goal with the car. I bought my convertible with an I6 in it and I WOULD NOT do it again. It was too much of a pain in the ass to be worth it in my opinion. I just wanted a V8 cruiser as that was enough for me. Don't get me wrong...I love my car and it's not so bad because all the hassle is behind me but I could have saved myself some time and money in my particular case.

You logic is sound as far I as I can see IF you were going to tear down the drivetrain regardless. Then it becomes a case of rust and body condition.

 

[steel1212]

There are a few main points that I keep comeing back to.

1st) 99.9% of the time no matter ifs its a v-8 or I6 your replace all the suspension and brakes just to be safe. So you can't count that in the work

2nd) 99.9% of the time an original v-8 car will need its engine/tranny/rear worked on to be running smooth. That leaves you with just a block, heads and small parts most of the time when you rebuild the engine. As I've said repeatedly SBF are a dime a dozen if your going to rebuild. If your I6 is an auto thats even cheaper as all you have to do is refresh the c4 with stronger parts if my memory serves me right. The rear and the v-8 spindles in my opinion are the only real cost as you will have to buy them and sometimes are hard to find but if your patient enough you'll come across something that will work.

I just can't see what all the "work" is thats involved that your not going to do with the v-8 car anyway. There is some expense involved but you should have gotten the I6 car cheaper to start with.

 

[67efivert]

ive done 2 swape on 65-66 cars and own 2 original v8 67 model cars the 65 66 cars are a little harder to do in my opinion since the basically entire steering need to be redone where 67+ uses some of the same stuff but wouldnt stop me from doing another one in any year model so i say buy what looks good to u and put ur favorite motor in

 

[66moneypit]

There are a few main points that I keep comeing back to.

1st) 99.9% of the time no matter ifs its a v-8 or I6 your replace all the suspension and brakes just to be safe. So you can't count that in the work

2nd) 99.9% of the time an original v-8 car will need its engine/tranny/rear worked on to be running smooth. That leaves you with just a block, heads and small parts most of the time when you rebuild the engine. As I've said repeatedly SBF are a dime a dozen if your going to rebuild. If your I6 is an auto thats even cheaper as all you have to do is refresh the c4 with stronger parts if my memory serves me right. The rear and the v-8 spindles in my opinion are the only real cost as you will have to buy them and sometimes are hard to find but if your patient enough you'll come across something that will work.

I just can't see what all the "work" is thats involved that your not going to do with the v-8 car anyway. There is some expense involved but you should have gotten the I6 car cheaper to start with.

The assumption there is that the V8 is in need of work. There's a V8 daily driver down the street that runs strong but the body isn't that great. Spend X amount of money on the body and get a nice cruiser. Spend X + ???? to get the same cruiser. I guess it boils down to if it's worth it to the individual. Like I said...I agree with you if you are going to tear it down regardless because you have a very specific build in mind...

I can tell ya...I wouldn't do it again. With my driving goals....a good running V8 would have helped me out more.

 

[iskwezm]

i did one about 15+ years ago in high school,we used a 65 coupe that we also made into a convertible using all factory parts(top,stainless trim,interior panels).When i did the swap,mustang were not nearly as pricey or hard to find,eveything was from salvage yards.

 

[65up2d8]

You are all making good points that can essentially be summed up as follows: If you want a cruiser with stock suspension that has recently been rebuilt, then buy a V8 car, assuming, of course, that the price is right. One thing I've learned over the years is that you can always buy a restored car cheaper than you can restore it yourself, even if you do a lot of the work. The reason is that these cars are simply not worth as much in the free market as what it takes to restore them. Notice that I said restore because that is pretty much what a cruiser is; a restored car.
If you want even a slightly radical restomod (yes please ) and are starting with a car that needs a good bit of work to begin with (or maybe not, depending on how radical you want to go), then I totally agree with Steel. You may think those original Kelsey Hayes disks will suffice just fine in the beginning, but a couple of years later, you'll be paying for a Baer kit or the like, which saves you $0.00 over the I6 brakes. Same goes for suspension and so forth and so on.
The real point of all this? Know what you plan to do with the car and have a plan. That will dictate what is the best deal. Finally, never, ever, ever underestimate the expense of bodywork. The dictionary should say rust=mega dollars. The value of an I6 vs. V8 car is all relative depending on the body, that's why there will never be a consenus on this issue. A complete rust bucket 289 car may be worth $500; a rust free I6 car may be worth $5,000 and still be better a better value at the end of the day. Of course, the opposite may also be true. The point, once again, is that its all relative. :Word:

 

[steel1212]

Spend X amount of money on the body and get a nice cruiser. QUOTE]

I'm not saying buy an I6 car just because its an I6 and is going to be cheaper IF you have a decent shaped v-8 car to start with that can be had for a good price that would just be crazy. I'm saying all these people that say stear clear of the I6 swap are crazy when there are perfectly good I6 cars out there that can be had for dirt cheap and everybody is telling them to go find a v-8 car.

65up2d8 is right there will never be a settlement on this issue so I probably need to just drop it and help those that ask.

 

[thehueypilot]

I did and would do it again, but don't tell my auto insurance company.

 

[66moneypit]

I'm not saying buy an I6 car just because its an I6 and is going to be cheaper IF you have a decent shaped v-8 car to start with that can be had for a good price that would just be crazy. I'm saying all these people that say stear clear of the I6 swap are crazy when there are perfectly good I6 cars out there that can be had for dirt cheap and everybody is telling them to go find a v-8 car.

65up2d8 is right there will never be a settlement on this issue so I probably need to just drop it and help those that ask.

I wish I had met you guys BEFORE I bought my car. I was the perfect storm for an expensive ass restoration because I had a little money and NO plan. I was ignorant of what it took to bring a car back from the dead and my experience should be a lesson to anyone who even looks at a Mustang. I think everyone has VALID points. Let me say it this way. Given the car I picked and it's condition...I wouldn't do it over again. Given a different car in better shape the answer would probably be different.

 

[havack]

you'll be paying for a Baer kit or the like, which saves you $0.00 over the I6 brakes.

I would have to slightly disagree with the zero cost. Starting with a V8 car gives you the spindles, pitman arm, and the tie rod adjusters for the front end. Not cost breakers but a cost. I do agree with the theory though. If you will do the popular Maverick/Granada swap for disks or a restomod front end like a MII or aftermarket setup and with that the whole front end is replaced and the cost is $0

In my case, I started with a V8 shell and no running gear so my cost would be the same if I had started with an I6 but my end value will be higher.

 

[65up2d8]

I would have to slightly disagree with the zero cost. Starting with a V8 car gives you the spindles, pitman arm, and the tie rod adjusters for the front end. Not cost breakers but a cost. I do agree with the theory though. If you will do the popular Maverick/Granada swap for disks or a restomod front end like a MII or aftermarket setup and with that the whole front end is replaced and the cost is $0

In my case, I started with a V8 shell and no running gear so my cost would be the same if I had started with an I6 but my end value will be higher.

You're right. I did exaggerate when I said zero cost, but as you pointed out, the cost is minimal.
Insofar as your end value being higher with a V8 car, I think that probably depends on what you intend to do with it. If you're essentially restoring the car, absolutely. If, however, you're building a fairly modded car, I doubt it makes any significant difference in value in the end.

 

[steel1212]

In my case, I started with a V8 shell and no running gear so my cost would be the same if I had started with an I6 but my end value will be higher.

Yeah, if your not restoring it to originality no body will care if it was an I6 car to start with or not.

 

[krash kendall]

If you just want a nice V8 mustang to drive around and have your alignment shop deal with consumable parts replacement, or you are not mechanically inclined then buying a V8 car, or a car already converted is a benefit. I on the other hand have done the swap twice. I have a garage full of tools that a condo dweller or non-hands on person won't have, and I have a three good sources for original or new parts.

Also, since my car has a mildly built 302 (not available in '65), non-green dot C4, and a nine inch rear, it is really of no consequence that the VIN denotes a I6.