67t5ponycoupe

Ok not easy but not impossible and I'm still of a mind that the 8 inch is a good solid rear and can be used behind a healthy 5.0 with a T5. 8 inches are not that hard to find and you will never convince me the 8.8 is so much better than the 8 that it makes it worth it to retro fit it into and old mustang.

Starfury

You're right on one hand: an 8" is fine behind a mild small block with a T5, as long as you have a good differential. It's actually the pinion gears in a two-pinion differential that are the weak point in an 8". A 4-pinion unit or TrueTrac will be plenty strong.

However, I6 cars don't come with 8" rears. 8" rears for 67-70 cars are difficult to find. 8.8's are easy to find, cheap, and aren't that difficult to set up for a classic.

Also, if you plan on doing significant engine modifications and tend to drive very hard or drag race, you're probably going to need something more than an 8". 8.8's are much stronger than 8" rears, plenty strong enough for most built 289/302 small stroker motors. They're also much lighter than 9" rears, which makes them better for track use, which is one of the main reasons I'm going that route. Don't need any extra weight in the *** end of an already tail-happy car.

Cheap, easy, and strong are the words of the day, here. Doesn't make much sense to spend all that time, effort, and money trying to find an 8" or 9" when you can grab an 8.8 out of any junkyard for chump change.

chivas88

thanks for the for the advice im gonna check out the local junkyards here and see what i can dig up. yes my car has a 4lug rear end. ya i plan on at least obtaining 350 maybe more or for the most part have the option of going down that road when im good and ready.

the driveshaft is only expensive in that its a supposed ford racing driveshaft but ill check it further to verfy that.

if i did put in the lincoln versi i heard that 77-81 work. i havent heard much about the earlier ones and couldnt i just change the gears or would that defeat the purpose of doing an affordable swap??
sry for the many questions its just i want to make sure i clearly understand what it takes. THANKS AGAIN..

one more thing is since most of the rear ends ive listed come with disc brakes its an obvious plus cuz its expensive to do swap drums for discs...

67t5ponycoupe

So the rear end you have is the original I6 rear then it will need to be changed. They are no good at all to run behind a V8. The I6 rear is a 7.25 or 7.5 I have never really fingured out which but whatever it won't work. With the Versailles rear you would need to figure on changing the gear set which will cost money. It may also need brake work, calipers rebuilt, new shoes and new rotors. The yoke will also need to me changed. Of course that all costs money. Any rear end you decide to go with will need some work. If you have in mind the gears you want to run the chances of finding a rear end with that exact gear set are pretty slim. So what ever rear you get will most likely need gears. I personally don't think that disc brakes are needed on the back of a street car but it is pretty cool and that whole proccess would be made much easier with a versailles rear. The other thing to consider is a limited slip unit. If you are doing gears anyway that is the time to do it. I went with an open rear on my last build and was not happy with it and had to go back and put a Currie TSD in it. It cost more to go back and do it after. That unit cost me about $400. Axle bearings are something to consider doing while the rear end is apart. The cost is minimal but something that is worth doing. If you are try to get by on the cheap you might consider an 8 inch. They are much more available, cheaper and you have a better chance of finding something that you can just bolt in and start using.