when it comes to what can you do to convert a 65 or 66 with the 6 cylinder in it... I am still a believer that unless you are just attached to the car for some reason, it is always better to sell and get another car with the motor you want. The amount of time and money it takes to upgrade a 6 cylinder pony is just not worth it imho. There are so many nice reasonably priced 65-66 mustangs out there with strong running 289 motors, that is what I would do. A well built 289 can easily generate 300hp which is plenty for street driving. If you have to have more cubic inches under the hood, it is alot easier to just find a 67-70 mustang with a big block motor.

 

Define reasonably priced as i only paid 650 for this car, needs 2,000 in sheet metal and havent started pricing any drivetrain or susp. Any 289 ive seen have been round 4k ,any less than that and they are missing the components that id have to buy for the I6 and most are states away still may have to sell and continue lookin, also have thought bout restore and sell, probly not worth the time. thanx for ur thoughts

 

You are in the north like me, so that means old 4x4 F150s are easy to find cheap. Get one with the 5.0L for the engine, I got two running F150s with 5.0L engines, one was $150 with a broken frame the other was $300 with lots of rust. Simple way to score a v8. A C4 or AOD trans are the easiest swaps. A toploader 4 speed or T5 manual arent difficult to do if you have the parts to install them. Kits are available for all these transmissions to make swapping them in easier.

Add V8 spindles, torque boxes on both sides, and a rear end from a number of different Ford cars and you have your V8 drivetrain and suspension in place. You can use either headers or stock manifolds, but if you are planning on a manual trans get headers that clear the clutch linkage, not all of them will.

You could drive east, head up to Marquette in the U.P. and drop your Mustang off, order the parts and pick it back up in the spring.

 

thanx thumpin think im gunna go for the swap, not only do I already have the car but I can order parts as I can afford them. instead of paying 4Gs for a v8car that needs a s-ton o parts. thanx again im sure ill have many more questions in the years to come. If you know any models (such as the f150) that swap out easly, you could pm me as Im compiling a list.

 

re prices on 289 1st gen mustangs, I see them for $2000-$4000 all the time. On the low side, they usually run but would need quite a bit of work. At the high end, they would be in driving condition but usually need some cosmetic stuff like paint and/or body work. If you add up the cost of converting a 6 cylinder to a V8, I think you might find selling the 6 banger and buying a 289 pony would end up cheaper in the long run.

 

A 5.0 is a 302 only thing you need to change is the oil pan and oil pump pickup if you want to rub a carb not the efi then you change the intake.I'm not trying to be a jerk but why buy a car that's really rusted out?If you look long and hard you can find a nice rust free v8 car for 3k maybe 4k.My 68 coupe was 3500 2 years ago just needed a carb.

 

finding a 68 coupe that only needed a carb for 3500 was a very good price 2 years ago. You don't say what area of the country you are from but 2 years ago, my area (dallas) was selling mustangs at alot higher prices. Probably twice what you paid. Prices have come way down in the past 6 months though. Sign of the crappy economy I guess.

 

Up here in the land of the salted road gods cars rust away in five years, sometimes less, so we dont have lots of old ones for cheap. Texas is 1000+ miles away and that poses a significant obstacle for getting a non running or barely running vehicle back home. Around here you build what you can find in your price range, and most come from states south of us. Around here my 71 is the only old Mustang for sale that isnt in someone garage with an asking price of $20k or something equally ludicrous.

If he can find a V8 car then great, but he has the 6er and with the availability of truck parts that can be adapted, the cost isnt that high especially compared to driving 2000 miles and paying $4000 for a car that still needs lots of work. Driving down there with a trailer will run around $1000 for fuel, plus days off from work, and that is if you have a trailer that will move a car that far. You can buy a lot of parts for what it would cost me to drive to Arizona to pick up a rust free car.

Where you live makes a huge difference on how you do things.

As for what engines will work, anything rear wheel drive with a 5.0 or 5.8 in it, trucks, Lincoln, LTD, Thunderbird, Mustang, just pop the hood and look for a non modular V8. Most often they are in pre 95 cars and trucks.

 

yeah id have to rent a car hauler@70 dollhairs a day, the car we have came from 200miles away and we pulled it back w/my 91 sonoma on the bumper(no reciever hitch) pretty fn scary. Could I use the trans/shaft/rearend from any of them. may have to invest in this book,Ford Parts Interchange Manual. also read of people using 5.0 front end componants (power rack n pinion) good idea or no?

 

I'm in Kentucky most older cars here are rusted but nothing like up north.Only rust on mine was one wheel well had a tiny rust hole.