Help me understand...
 

Ok, so I've been lurking on the forums here since I bought my car back in February, and I've recently started posting. For the most part the forums are great. Lot's of information, and very knowledgable people on here. That's the main reason I haven't needed to post much, because if I search, I can find 99% of the information I'm looking for already. But there is one thing that bothers me, and I see it in like a third of the posts I read in the v6 forums. It's that the answer to every question about making someone's v6 faster is to sell it and by a GT.....

Now, I do understand that the GT is a better platform to work with, undoubtedly....but for some, the v6 was the better option, whether it be pricewise, or availability, or both. Is there some place where v8's are magically closer in price to the v6's, so much so that selling one for the other is plausible? I mean, for example: I paid 4k for my v6.....and I did want a v8, but they were all going for 10k and up around here... So, hypothetically, if I were to add a supercharger, gears, lsd, tune, hell even a shot of nitrous, I figure that'd be approx another 5k right? So for about 1k less than the v8, wouldn't the v6 be faster? Or is my math way off? I mean, I'm just tired of seeing everyone bash the v6's, even in our own section of the forum. I mean, aren't the RB26's a great platform to work with too? What's to bad about a 6 cylinder engine that would make it worthless to work on?

So the question is this....is this car really as crappy as everyone makes it seem? I mean, I hate the handling, but it does beat the hell out of my neon or eclipse in every other area....eventually I'd like to go the FI route, but if you all can show me that it wouldn't be worth it, then maybe I'll just wait to graduate college and buy my dream car instead.Oh, and please no ricer comments because of the RB26 mention, I've seen that word thrown around a bit too freely as well.....anyways, thanks for reading my little rant, and I hope to hear some good responses.

RE: Help me understand...
 

The V6 is worth it with the right amount of money and knowledge. It's just that if you take a V6 and a GT, dump say, $3000 into both, which will be faster?

Here's the question: Do you like your V6? If so, then it's worth it.

RE: Help me understand...
 

In all honesty, a GT vs my v6 in auto-x, with the same amount of mods as me, is going to have a very difficult time keeping up on a tight course. The V6 is superior in a slight few ways over the V8, and the main one is weight balance. With a better balance, the car is able to handle better in the corners. This is what I mainly use mine for.

Now forthe price, I paid a mere $7500 for my '02, the closest GT in similar shape was going for $18,000. And I could only find a handful of decent ones in all of Houston.

Ryan

RE: Help me understand...
 

Auto-X a V6 will have an advantage. But in straight line racing, which most of us here are concerned with, the GT with the same mods as the V6 will beat the V6. Hell, a stock GT could beat a pretty modded V6 in a straight line race.

RE: Help me understand...
 

of course a modded GT will be a modded 6, assuming equal mods. however the GT starts out at a higher price so your comparison isn't really that valid. for comparable miles and comparable wear the 6 will be cheaper than the V8. i like my 6 and it's easy to work on and fun to mod. when i get out of college i might get a GT, but then again with gas at $3 a gallon I might keep the six as my toy and get something more practical for daily driving.

RE: Help me understand...
 

bet ur stock gt wont beat my v6 [sm=nxsmile.gif][8D]

RE: Help me understand...
 

I understand that given the same mods, of course a GT will beat a 6. I was just wondering why everyone was always suggesting that the first mod should be to replace the v6 with a GT....I mean for the price the v6 seems like a pretty nice car. And the money spent to make up for the difference in getting a GT could be used to mod the hell out of it and ultimately make it faster than a GT. So why then, do people always suggest going with the GT? I know it sounds a hell of a lot better, but that can't be it? Surely that wouldn't justify another 6 or 7 grand.....

RE: Help me understand...
 

Life is not just stoplight to stoplight or 1/4 mile flat-out (unless you like attention from the man). Life is balance. I put a couple grand worth of parts & my own sweat into my '99 V6 to make it this: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2660672
Weight balance & handling was one of your points of concern, right? Adding some GT-beating handling parts (springs/shocks/swaybar/rims/tires/brakes) still won't make any V6 equal the entry-price of a GT. I agree that the accelleration still isn't that of a same-year GT, but the power & handling of my '99 are greater than the previous-generation GT's. I can enjoy crisp accelleration, but still get 30 MPG on any stretch of highway. When the road gets twisty, the handling istight & has less front-end plow than a GT. The feel isn't like any front-wheel-drive, but that's part of the allure of a Mustang.
I know the 4.6 is always ahead in stock HP, but there are areas where the 3.8 is superior ... the timing gear teeth are synthetic on the 4.6while the 3.8 ones are metal. The Ford service bulletin wants you to replace these (on the GT)every 50K, while they only state that you should check the 3.8 ones after 100K. How many GT's are out there with over 100K with the stock timing gears (worn/waiting to break) and being raced today?
Power-adders are nice, but I still believe in bang-for-the-buck. You can't beat the overall package of a V6 Mustang ... good accelleration, moderate handling (some front-end plow, but that's a 'safety feature' to scare you into slowing down) and good brakes.
A V6 still will never sound like a V8 ... and you can't beat the growl of an American V8. That's the allure of the ponycar & if it's what really matters in your heart, don't even try to make a V6 pony up to a V8.

RE: Help me understand...
 

It's not even that the GT is a good platform, because quite frankly it's not. The 2v engine doesn't respond very well to mods, so if you are planning on doing anything to your car you should probably go 4v (assuming money isn't an option). It all depends on what you want from your car.

RE: Help me understand...
 

I love when V6 owners say "It's only a 2v GT" or "The 2v isn't that great", when the 3.8 is a 2v engine also.