1966 stang, with a V6???

Hey everybody,

My family and myself are presently restoring a 1966 mustang inline six and i am wondering would a modern day V6 or 3.8 liter be a good mod? Is the modern day six, stronger or lighter weight then the inline six. or should we just stick in a 289? personally i would love to put in a newer EFI engine into it. It would be more fun, but i was wondering would the six cylinder be worth it.

tony

Tony,

Depends on what you expect to get out of putting a 6 cylinder in your car.

I don't know if the newer 6 cylinder's are lighter, but I would imagine they would be.

Take into consideration that placing a V8 in a 6 cylinder car usually means upgrading the front suspension, the driveline and the rearend. Sometimes its just best to buy a V8 car and restore that instead of a 6.

If you just want a nice running machine, I would just rebuild the current 6. If you are looking for a nice FAST good sounding machine, drop in the V8.

My 2 cents,

Steve.

Also, I think the new 6's put out over 200 HP. Not bad for a 6!

Are you looking for power, or do you just want to have fun, and stop at a couple of shows. If you are looking for power, I would advise that you purchase a car meant for a V8. If you would like to enter into a few shows, and just drive it around, I would DEFINITELY rebuild the 6. I dont know if you realized this, but once you change the engine, your numbers wont match, and you no longer have an originial car. This means that you cannot enter into any concourse events at shows, or anything of the like. Also, if you decide to buy the car meant for a V8, I would purchase a 67 or 68, they have a tougher, more aggressive look to 'em. Then you can slap on some Magnum 500's, and you got one hell of a sweet ride. Thats my view.

My uncle had a V6 1964 1/2 as his first car. Ya know...if anyone cares...

Keep it stock. There are many aftermarket goodies for that i6. AND THOSE THINGS ARE SMOOTH RUNNING!
Swapping to a new V6 is a heap of work. Engine, Tranny, Esystem, Brakes, emissions, on and on! Keep it stock!

id go with keeping it stock and retro modding it, its worth more then too, but liek he said, plenty of stuff out there for the sixes,

I had the same problem with my 65 convt... I debated over a v-8 or inline 6. I went with the 6 for most of the reasons the posters listed above. It is a smooth engine, and I'm very happy with it. Your not going to win any races with it, but it's plenty for a cruiser. My next step is a new tranny. Im on a three speed stick,on the floor, I'd like to put a 5 in. Is there any chance I can put a t-5 on the I-6? I know it bolts to a V-8 but I'm not sure on the I-6.

hmm, once again you might be able to find adapters and stuff for it, i dont think itll bolt right on though.

I'm in pretty much the same situation as you right now. i debated putting in a bigger engine (351W or 347) bvut to much work and lowers the value.

Drop a 302 in that beast ;)

The problem with dropping a v-8 in a 6cyl car is that you have to change lots of other stuf=$$$$. The cooling system has to be changed, as well as the drive shaft. A new rear end is probably a good idea too. If you really want a v-8, you should find a v-8 car, otherwise prepare for a lot of $$ and headache.

My dad had a Mustang Ghia.. 70 something.. and he swapped the V6 with a 79 302... it didn't cost that much, he had the engine itself from the 79 mustang I gave him.. and the rest of the stuff he found at a Junkyard.

There's a big difference between a 1970 mustang and a 66. Also the inline 6 in a 70 would have been bigger, I think a 250 while the 66 is a 200 ci. The 70 was really a v-8 car with a small engine, the 66 is a 6cyl car that could fit a small block v-8.

Im inclined to disagree with allot of the posts. Now a days, if done correctly, modern efi systems in older cars are becoming more and more common. If your going for a numbers matching car, fine. but to enter any type of event would cost about the same if the car happens to need work. but if your going for something that will be a bit different yet comfortable, then i say go for it. It does cost money and it might be allot of work, but in the long run, if the motor is put in properly, with an aod or manual trans, the car shouldnt lose any type of monitary value, and in factmight gain some considering now the car is ready to with stand another 10 years........go with the modern 6