Am I going to feel a difference between the two engines? I understand one is a v8 and the other is an i6, but from comparing specs.... not much to brag about with a 289, especially if its stock.

What is going to change for after I swap these engines? make me feel good about this process again, thanks!

 

Why not a 302 or 351w?

 

I already have the 289 sitting in my backyard waiting to be put in, cant find a decent 302/351 in my area, and don't wanna dish out cash for a crate motor.

not to mention the difference between the 289/302 is minuscule

 

i think you can stroke a 200 to 250?

 

I would imagine you would feel a torque difference?

 

It depends on what you are expecting out of it. If you just want a street driver and not a racer, the 289, even a 2 barrel 289 will give you torque that will push the seat against your back.

Back in the day, I had two 66's. The first one I drove everyday for several years with a 100 mile round trip commute. It had a three speed 200 that I ported, RV cammed, big carb and tri-y headers with dual exhaust. In a drag race it would stay REALLY close to a base model 289 car. After that one saw a couple of hundred thousand miles I ended up with another 66 for the same use. It was a 2 barrel 289 three speed. Although these two cars were very close in a drag race, the 289 was WAAAaaay more fun to drive because of the low speed torque.

All that said, are you aware that changing engines from a 200 to a 289 is only part of the project? There are differences in suspension, rear axle, brakes, hubs and on and on and on......

Unfortunately, I don't currently have an early Mustang, but if I did I would probably have more fun souping up another 200 than having another stock 289. It was so much fun to have to open the hood of that car to PROVE that it was a six.

Just food for thought.

 

One thing you can do with the 200 is use a 3.25 rear, which was common with manual transmission cars, and a T5 5-speed transmission. That'll give you low-speed torque out the wazoo.

And yeah, a 200 can easily be built up to 289 2V power or better, and with dual headers and 2" GT exhaust, you will have to open the hood to prove it's a six.

 

If you go the 250 rout you will have hood clearance problems. Everything clears but the air filter. You can run no filter or a hood scoop. If you want to go nuts you can run an Australian head with side drafts on a 250 block. But it sounds like you are on a budget.

 

If you're interested in warming over the six, I would be happy to go into details about how to do it.

 

Everybody has a 289. A warmed 6 is more interesting and fun IMHO. What would you suggest, in a nutshell, MBDiagMan? (not trying to hijack LOL)