Need General Advice for 66 Mustang

[AEinPA]

I appreciate any help. Directed to this site by a poster here, TheEngineer.

I have a 66 Mustang notchback. Currently, it has a 250 from a 73 Maverick. I have no intention of doing a full restore. I prefer to use it as a tinkering car.

A friend is offering his 87 Cougar to me for parts. Has a 302 with auto (overdrive).

I'm a novice. I can do top to bottom tuneups, but engine swaps is far beyond my tools and capability, so I'm going to have my buddy do it (owns a place).

It's fuel injected.

So what am I looking at?

Can the swap be done (engine is in nice condition, considering the age)?

Suspension?

Rear?

Worth it to try to keep the fuel injection, combo, or just carb?

One last thing. I think it may actually be a 65, but is titled incorrectly. Had a new trunk key made and the locksmith says the lock was from a 65. ALso, the 10th number of the VIN is a 5. Did they not ethe year made by the tenth digit back in the 60s? Anything else I can look at? Has power steering, if that helps.

 

[WORTH]

I appreciate any help. Directed to this site by a poster here, TheEngineer.

I have a 66 Mustang notchback. Currently, it has a 250 from a 73 Maverick. I have no intention of doing a full restore. I prefer to use it as a tinkering car.

A friend is offering his 87 Cougar to me for parts. Has a 302 with auto (overdrive).

I'm a novice. I can do top to bottom tuneups, but engine swaps is far beyond my tools and capability, so I'm going to have my buddy do it (owns a place).

It's fuel injected.

So what am I looking at?

Can the swap be done (engine is in nice condition, considering the age)?

Suspension?

Rear?

Worth it to try to keep the fuel injection, combo, or just carb?

One last thing. I think it may actually be a 65, but is titled incorrectly. Had a new trunk key made and the locksmith says the lock was from a 65. ALso, the 10th number of the VIN is a 5. Did they not ethe year made by the tenth digit back in the 60s? Anything else I can look at? Has power steering, if that helps.

the first digit is the year, not the tenth.

as for the swap, the 6 bangers have a different and smaller suspension and should be changed over to a V8 5 lug setup. That will require quite a few parts, or a donor car.

 

[AEinPA]

'preciate it.

 

[reenmachine]

The EFI 5.0 swap is common these days, and is a great upgrade. However, as WORTH said, going from a 6 to an 8 is another story. Since the current 6 in the car isn't original, do you know what the original engine was? Odds are it was a 6 but you never know. If the 5th character of the VIN is a 'C', an 'A', or a 'K' it was originally a V8 car and your swap would go well.

If not, to do it right, you'd have to replace much of the front suspension and steering and the entire rear end assembly. Lots of people do that too, but it gets pricey for a car you just want to have to tinker with.

Have fun either way!

 

[AEinPA]

Thanks for the help.

 

[bmcelhinn]

sell me the 66 and you won't have to worry about it.

 

[DukeGnarley]

if your original plans for the car include a new suspension, brakes, wheels, and rear end... then it's no big deal to do the v-8 swap. my general advice for potential v-8 swappers is to go by the condition of the body. let's say your '66 6 cyl is a pile. sell it and start with an 8. Or, if you'r '66 6 cyl is rust free and straight, go ahead and do the swap, you might come out ahead of buying a v-8 car in similar condition.

 

[AEinPA]

The body's in great shape. Interior needs a little work.

 

[steel1212]

Like everybody has said if its a 6cyl car and your going to drop a v8 into it pretty much all the drive line and suspension along with the brakes/spindles need to be replaced. The only drive line part on my car that is still the same is the control arms. I did up grade some parts from stock but I was going to have to replace them anyway. You'll also be needing new frame and motor mounts, and radiator as well. If you need any advice just pm me, I've done most of this already and now I'm down to the little stuff.