1967coupeon101

I guess I just want a V8, a mustang is a muscle car and a i6 is not a muscle car engine. the appearance, sound, power are all different from a 6 cyl engine...

Also @ MBDiagMan of course I know its a huge project, I've started the suspension last week. and have TONS of parts that will be replacing old parts on my mustang.

2+2GT

Not quite. The first time I saw a 200 with dual headers and GT exhaust, I couldn't tell it was a six until he stopped and I saw it had 4-bolt wheels.

MBDiagMan

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Absolutely! With my tri y headers and dual exhaust, the sound of it was part of the reason that I had to open the hood so much to PROVE that it was a six.

The car was a real hoot! If I could afford a nice car for a base to build another 200 hot rod from, I would do it. I have a lot more engine savvy now than I did then, so I feel quite sure I could build one that would give a four barrel 289 a really good race.

You can build a 200 with a power band a mile wide. I would use one of the later top loader overdrive four speeds that they used in trucks and vans in the sixties.

Most people never think of it, but the 200 six is a seven main bearing engine. It has more bearing area and crankshaft throw support than ANY V8. Normally aspirated without a bottle the engine would be more bullet proof than most any V8 you can think of.

In fact, if I found the right car for the right money I would do a conversion opposite of what most peopler are doing. That is, I would use a stick shift V8 car and then put a souped up 200 in it. Actually, now that my mind is on this track, a 300 six will bolt into an early V8 Mustang. The bellhousing pattern and motor mounts are the same. Back in the late sixties, early seventies, there was a hot rodder named Ak Miller that put a 240 in a Mustang. He used side draft Webers and all sorts of other exotica, and there were very few V8's that could stay with it.

64.5stanger

I was looking at building an I6 for Our 64.5 170. However looking at performance parts looks like it would cost as much if not more than a 289 or 302. Of corse i didnt acually do a build sheet comparison, or factor in the cost of the rest of the drivetrain/suspension costs. but 1200-1700 for one head seems kina steep.

MBDiagMan

Today, you can't rebuild much of anything below that budget unless it is lightly worn such that a ring and valve job will suffice.

Give me that 170 car and I'll make a GREAT running 200 powered car for that $1,700 and won't have to spend another $1,700 making all the changes necessary for a properly converted V8.

With a 170 to start with, you already have a cylinder head and all the supporting pieces. You find a junk yard 200 short block to rebuild, port the head including boring out of the carb opening, add the exhaust and a mild cam and a junk yard carb from an old 300 six and you will be able to run with stock 289's.

Of course for many, all these excuses about why NOT to run a 200 is probably justification for putting in a V8. Trust me, you make a six cylinder car that runs and sounds like a V8, and you'll have more fun with it. Been there, done that.

64.5stanger

MBDiagMan_ You may have talked me into it, now Ill just have to work on the wife. Another good point to mention is with all the V8 conversions going on in the years to come most orignal I6 cars left will be concors trailer queens. Again Im proly 2summers away from having to make this decision final, but that would cut my resto costs significantly. + my father knows someone who builds motors for a living and for his bro's stock car, maby can get a deal on the work.

MBDiagMan

64.5,

Is your car a stick or automatic? My car was a stick. The 6 cylinder three speed was weak. I got a three speed from a 67 model along with the bell housing and driveshaft. This is a bolt up to a 66 and earlier and you end up with a bullet proof top loader, all synchro three speed. I never had any trouble with the rear axle and I banged it around a good bit for a long time.

There are some good sites for six cylinder parts. Clifford 6=8 is a company that's been selling six cylinder performance parts for over forty years. There are others. Google up 200 Ford Six or something and see what you get.

Don't get too crazy on the cam. The combination I described will work best in the mid RPM range. The Comp Cams 260H would be a good street grind. Other grinders will make something wilder if you're looking for a car for the strip only.

The integral intake manifold limits some of the porting you can do, but pocket port from the chamber side and then knock out the freeze plugs in the ends of the manifold. Use an extra long ball shaped burr to round off the transition turns from the log to the individual ports. Clean it out thoroughly before replacing the freeze plugs. Find out the throttle bore diameter of the 300 six carburetor and grind the carb port to that diameter even if you have to do it with a hand grinder. Once it's to the proper diameter, use that ball shaped burr to got to the bottom of that bore and smooth the corner so that there is a smooth transition for the turns fore and aft down the log portion of the manifold.

Use a set of tri y headers. Clifford offers them and there should be other suppliers. Shop around. Use 2 inch exhaust from the headers back and use some free flowing mufflers. If you wish, you can just bolt in a Mustang GT exhaust system and then get the muffler shop to adapt the front portion to the headers.

Do some research on pistons and the combustion chamber volume of the 170 head. If memory serves me correctly, the 170 head has smaller chambers, so that might be enough to get the compression where it needs to be with stock pistons. The early engines were pretty high compression anyway. Make sure the 170 head has valves the same size as the 200. Do lots of research on this point. It might be that you could up the valve sizes in the 170 head to something from the 250. I don't remember these details. I think I have some very old books at home. I will see if I can find them.

Oh yeah, find a duraspark ignition from a later model 200. They built the 200 for the Fairmont and Mustang on into the eighties, so it should be easy to find. An electronic ignition is something that I didn't have back in the day. It will be a great mod.

I have my hands full of projects, but I would really enjoy doing another car like this. With the parts available now and my increased engine savvy from the last 40 years or so, I could build a killer car.

Good luck and keep us posted.

2+2GT

The 170 has the smaller bell pattern, the 66-up bell won't attach. BUT, Glazier Nolan can provide an adapter plate intended to attach a 3.03 3-speed or toploader 4-speed to the 170.

The car I referred to had the 65-66 2" GT dual exhaust, with dual headers. All you need is a couple of S tubes bent to attach the headers to the exhaust, don't forget to have them do a crosstube in it, the H tube is good for 10-15 hp all by itself. Any muffler shop can do this.

The GT exhaust is widely avaialble in very good repro, if you get the one made by Motive, and you can use stock hangers. Don't forget you need to change the rear brake hose to clear the LH tailpipe.

64.5stanger

Hey guys thankx for all the imput. Our car has the c4 auto trans. if I do stick w/I6 id prolly just look for a complete 200, off of craigslist. Im pretty sure all the suspension and steering components need to be replaced too. So far the only rims we've agreed on are torque thrusts, can you get them in the 4 bolt pattern?

MBDiagMan

The 67 200 3 speed bellhousing will fit the 170/200. That's what I did with mine. The 67 driveshaft will also bolt up to this setup with the six cyl. rear axle. With that bellhousing, you can use a 3.03 three speed or a four speed. If you use a three speed find one from a 289 car. It will have a lower ratio low gear. I made the mistake of using one from a 3.90 car which has more like a 2.62 low instead of a 2.79 or something like that.

The exhaust info sounds like great information. Mine used GT mufflers but used custom pipes. Yes the H-pipe will help, but it will probably not be good for as many HP on the little six.

When you do this project, do it in detail. Use every little trick you can use. The H Pipe is a good example of that. When building a big V8 you have more lee way. With this little motor every detail will count. If you do everything right you will be pleasantly surprised while spoiling some V8 drivers days and their surprise will not be so pleasant.