kalli

Hi all,

this question has been bugging me for ages now.
I know a few of you have been doing 6 to 8cyl conversions. And I know this has been chewed on a lot ....

what I have is:
641/2 mustang U code
came with 170ci 6cyl, but was replaced with 289V8.
That was done before I received the car.

Now with this car I have:

4 lug wheels
71/4" rear axle (which is still running thanks to JMD) but I fear in a few years time or less I'll blow it
4 drum brakes (i belive the drums themselves are the smallest you can get 9" ?)
no powerassist (servo) on brakes
single master cylinder (only one brake circuit)
dual exhaust (which probably heats up my brake circuit more than I want it to)


So all this said I want this to sort out: brake and axle

as with new axle i might get different brakes and they probably won't even fit my brake lines I don't see how I could ever make this a seperate job.
(replace brakes first, then axle or other way round).

If I cannot do it in seperate jobs, I'll probably need

- axle housing with 3rd member (at least 8", preferrably 9"). I might get 9" posi with axle housing and brakes attached (1500+$)
- new wheels/tyres probably 300$ wheels, same in tyres
- new brake conversion kit in front (either new bigger drums, but preferrably a whole kit with discs that would match the brakes on rear): 1000$ ??
- all new brake lines
- all new brake hoses
+ anything that I forgot ...
will I actually need a V8 suspension ? Or how would I be able to tell them apart (if there's one already in it) ?

This is where my problems are:
a) i live in ireland. so best option is probably one time shipment (get all into one box)
b) i don't want to spent more money than I paid for the car ;-)
The car is good as is, love it and don't want to give it away for another Mustang
my girlfriend will kill me if I sell the car (she likes it as well)

Anyone who did 6 to 8 swaps please help me out here. what options did you go for ? what did you do ? and how much was it ?

I spent a lot of money on the car already and it's good running as is. A few minor issues (weatherstrips, horn not finished ....). It is _very_ reliable. it never broke down while driving or stopped me from driving it. So that's why I want to keep the car as well ...

thanks for any help

Kalli

Riverside66

Too bad you're so far away. A complete V8 rearend around here is about $100US. All you would need there after are leaf springs, brake lines, U-Joint (maybe), wheels, etc. You should get, at least, an 8-inch rearend for that V8.

TexasAxMan

Front brakes: $525 from www.discbrakeswap.com
Complete suspension: $809 from www.laurelmountain.com

You'll still need to source a drag link, pitman arm and an 8" rearend (check out some of the UK Ford products from the era, maybe). I bought my rear brakes at AutoZone for $165, not sure if your local parts houses stock the stuff, and I'm pretty sure it will be more expensive.

Your biggest problem is going to be getting the parts from the states to the Ireland. Get a friend in the US to accumulate the parts and then send them to you in one big package, maybe even call it a gift if that will avoid import tariffs.

Good luck.

RolandT3Speed

Swap Your Six For a Great V8

kalli

Roland: already swapped. I now need axle, brakes .... etc
Riverside66: my car is from just around your corner. I got it from David in Santa Ana. He seems to have a few Mustangs (projects).
i believe if all parts are sent to a shipping agency I could have it to europe cheaper. will just take 8 weeks, which doesn't really bother me. It's more the money.
Texasman, thx for that:
Front brakes: $525 from www.discbrakeswap.com
Complete suspension: $809 from www.laurelmountain.com

major problem with the 8" rear is probably that I'll waste money to get it shipped and then realise it's not working.

But the main question is still:

what you think:
upgrade to powerbrakes and then redo the whole lot when converting to 5 lugs ?

By now I seem to belive I'm cheaper off buying another stang and just leave this one as it is ...

Kalli

RolandT3Speed

Yes, and if you'd read the article you'll see that they cover all that.

TexasAxMan

Was the 8" ever used on a car in the UK? You might get lucky and find out that they were used on a car with a similar track width.

kalli

Roland: never realised your text was a link. mea culpa. will start reading.
TexasAxMan: no idea, no idea where to research. But maybe on a Ford Transit van or something .... will google

Kalli

falconfixer

If budget is a concern....
I recommend just doing the brakes. Use steel hoses instead of custom hard tubing.

The axle may be fine unless you really get on it!

JMD

I have V-8 tie rod ends ant the center section of the tir rod, all new.... We bought them and then did not use them because we went rack and pinnion.... I can lat you have these if I can find them.....

For the front end you will still need new (V-8) spindles, hubs, and brakes. Springs will not need to be changed, but the car will handle better with heavier springs. The rest of the suspension that you already have will work fine.

We bought a new 9" from Currie, itwas a bolt in deal. Brake lines were not a big issue. Wilwood brakes are available from Currie installed. We did this on my sons truck, but not on the Mustang. On the Mustang we used an SSBC rear disk brake kit, I made new lines, but the e-brake cables hooked directly up.

You may needto have the drive shaft shortened if you go9"... or maybe even 8"...