I would definitely do the 6 to 8 conversion. I did it to my 65 and had no regrets. Now if i had a choice weather to buy a 6 or an 8, then definitely take the 8. Find yourself a 88-93 mustang block and build that. When your ready, all you have to do is drop in the motor, get some engine mounts and a new radiator if needed, a gas pedal. Don't need to touch the suspension yet, i drove my car around for about 6 months before even touching the suspension. Then i put some disc brakes, 5 lug of course, then put the rear end, 5 lug. Only thing i really needed was some steering parts which you can you find easily. The sound and look of a v8 will get you alot more looks than a 6cylinder. Don't waste any more money on the v6, do the conversion.
What's the most you're ever going to get out of a 200cid?
- Thread starter glennv
- Start date
If you want to be different, put twin turbos and that will definitely be different. Why would you want to pour money into a I6, only to appear and sound like a stock 8. I would rather pour my money into something worth doing, thats just my opinion. Rather take the 8 cylinder, pour money into that and have a strong and reliable engine. As appose to pouring money into the 6, and having it reliable and only feel and sound like a stock week 8 cylinder. Start with something thats got potential.
To each his own. But what I meant was a stock V8 vs a built I6. I wish Ford would mass produce that inline six they built for the viso (sp*) concept 350hp 
. An I6 is worth building up rather than dropping in a stock/mild v8. Its all in what the owner wants. If someone wants a quick car that gets good gas milage, reliable, and easy to work on- build the six. If someone wants a real speed machine build up a V8, but stock won't do it. IMO, for a real speed machine, pass over the 5.0 and move up to the 351W or greater for real power for the buck. Its all in what the guy wants.
. An I6 is worth building up rather than dropping in a stock/mild v8. Its all in what the owner wants. If someone wants a quick car that gets good gas milage, reliable, and easy to work on- build the six. If someone wants a real speed machine build up a V8, but stock won't do it. IMO, for a real speed machine, pass over the 5.0 and move up to the 351W or greater for real power for the buck. Its all in what the guy wants.
Hack
15 Year Member
I have an I6 (250 70 convertible Mustang). I've thought a lot about what I want and what I'm going to do with it. I've had it for 16 years, just driving it and biding my time so far. Hehe, makes me sound more patient than I am, I just haven't had the money to spend yet. 
After reading your story and thinking about it, I think you should tear out the current suspension and drivetrain and replace it all at once. I would go for a modern EFI V8. If you want to use the car, you'll actually come out ahead long term storing the current drivetrain. I know you say you'll never sell, but it wouldn't hurt to hang onto it. If you upgrade the I6, you'll be using it up. Why do that when you can have more reliability and power with a modern V8, and keep all the value?
Anyway, sounds like you can hardly lose. Enviable decisions you have to make!
After reading your story and thinking about it, I think you should tear out the current suspension and drivetrain and replace it all at once. I would go for a modern EFI V8. If you want to use the car, you'll actually come out ahead long term storing the current drivetrain. I know you say you'll never sell, but it wouldn't hurt to hang onto it. If you upgrade the I6, you'll be using it up. Why do that when you can have more reliability and power with a modern V8, and keep all the value?
Anyway, sounds like you can hardly lose. Enviable decisions you have to make!
68stang351
Founding Member
glennv said:
Don't listen to the naysayers. If you want to convert then convert. I converted, and it was even my first real project car. I've never looked back, never regreted a single second or a single cent.
Loup-garou
Founding Member
glennv said:
63 Fairlane's advice makes sense... modify the six a bit while making the other changes (brakes, suspension, etc.). You could even put a V-8 spec T-5 transmission behind the six - see fordsix.com for more on that setup. The six makes more torque than some people think - it can handle the V-8 gearing in a T-5, no need to use the 4-cylinder T-5 variant. You may have to grab a 250 out of a Granada or Maverick in order to get the Windsor V-8 bellhousing bolt pattern; I can't remember if the 200 has it or not.
FWIW, you'll never lose money on that Australian crossflow cylinder head (see link up above in this thread) for your six. If that doesn't bump the performance high enough for you, you can always sell that rare part and proceed with the V-8 swap. In a '65-'66 Mustang, be advised that the 351 Windsor is a very tight squeeze. The car was designed with the 289/302 as the largest available engine and those V-8s fit much more comfortably than the 351.
Loup-garou
Founding Member
Whoops - almost forgot... you can get a Duraspark distributor for the inline 6 as well - again, look for the Granada/Monarch/Maverick parts cars. If you want to drive it, that's a modification that'll help keep the engine in tune longer.
Looks like I'll be doing the conversion. What about the motor? I have been poking around and I like the idea of the turn key motors with EFI. I don't want a junkyard motor. Is it more economical to buy the longblock or the turn key. I cannot build a motor so if I go with the longblock I will have to have it built up. The price diff is about $1500-2000
eric n
Founding Member
glennv said:
There are a ton of good longblocks out there at good prices. Some even have warrentees of some sort. WHAT KIND OF HP are you looking for??? Are you just wanting a little more beans, or are you looking for 300+ rwhp?
If you want dependable moderately bigtime (around 400 at the crank) hp, no one seems to have a better reputation than Coast High Performance and their 347 street fighter line up.
Were I doing it again today, that is the route (ultimately cheaper than the crap engin builders have put me through) I would go today. Of course Ford Racing has small blocks putting out 340 or so Ponies out of the box. Central Coast Mustangs seems to have nice pieces at very reasonable prices. The options are endless.
The way I see it, buying a Long block from an established builder, is that the combination will be TRIED AND TRUE. Not a bunch of parts that may not work well together.
LMan
Founding Member
a little food for thought, the industrial 200(mainly used in new holland swathers) are a tougher engine than the car one, they come with a steel crank have 7 main bearings( i heard somewhere the newer 200's have only 4, not sure if its true or not) make huge torque for the engine size, and take abuse very well.
when i was just a kid my dad bought one from a farmer for $25 because he thought the block was cracked, turned out to be a soft plug that leaked. he put it in a 62 falcon without doing any work to it, then gave it to my sister as a first car. she ran it one day with the oil pressure light on for about 15 miles till she got home, dad put oil in it and it was on its way. 5 years later i got it as my first car, beat the holy hell out of it just about anything a teen could do to a car i did to it. i parked it when i went into the army and when i got out the thing still ran though not to good anymore.the engine had 90,000 miles put on it in the car, and don't know what kind of hours it had on it during the farm life. but otherwise i think ive never seen another engine take that kind of abuse and still run till the day it was replaced by something bigger.
good luck with the conversion if your doing it the v8 is fun but it dont have the sentimental value the i6 did
when i was just a kid my dad bought one from a farmer for $25 because he thought the block was cracked, turned out to be a soft plug that leaked. he put it in a 62 falcon without doing any work to it, then gave it to my sister as a first car. she ran it one day with the oil pressure light on for about 15 miles till she got home, dad put oil in it and it was on its way. 5 years later i got it as my first car, beat the holy hell out of it just about anything a teen could do to a car i did to it. i parked it when i went into the army and when i got out the thing still ran though not to good anymore.the engine had 90,000 miles put on it in the car, and don't know what kind of hours it had on it during the farm life. but otherwise i think ive never seen another engine take that kind of abuse and still run till the day it was replaced by something bigger.
good luck with the conversion if your doing it the v8 is fun but it dont have the sentimental value the i6 did
