i am currently looking at buying a '66 Mustang. the only problem is it has a 6 cyl [:@]. how hard would it be, what all do i have to replace, and how much will it cost me (assuming i do all the work) to put in a v8?

The cost will vary,, I think it could be pulled off for less than $5,000 to "the skys the limit".... Our swap was somewhere in the middle, but it was not a "basic swap"....

There are for sure different opinions on this subject, but my opinion is that if you have a car with a good body, and little rust, it is a viable swap. Not somthing I would do on a car with a lot of rust though.

Everything that needs to be changed is strictly bolt in or bolt on....

<<and of course the cost of the I-6 car is a factor as well...>>

I6 to V8 swap:
http://www.geocities.com/a65ragtop/VM_FAQ/mechanical/i6_to_v8.html (http://www.geocities.com/a65ragtop/VM_FAQ/mechanical/i6_to_v8.html)

351C and 351W swap into a 64-66:
http://www.mustangsandmore.com/ubb/DanJonesEngineSwap.html (http://www.mustangsandmore.com/ubb/DanJonesEngineSwap.html)

ican geta rebuilt motor for about $1100, but what i am worried about is i don't know what everything else is gonna cost me.

ORIGINAL: Mustang.

ican geta rebuilt motor for about $1100, but what i am worried about is i don't know what everything else is gonna cost me.
Well you will need the engine and everything that bolts to it,,,, thus the cost.... If you are a good junkyard shopper, or if you can find a reasonably priced parts vehicle, the costs can be not so bad, if you buy new, it will cost more,,,, My son and I will have about 20Ktied up in his 66 when it is done not counting our labor, but everything that is even related to power-train, steering, or suspension is new andin most cases a significant upgradefrom a stock V-8 of the same vintage... (except for rear springs)

But on the bright side, we will have basically a new car, and we will spend -0- on rust repair and replacing body panels,, zero...

See my "might as well" thread,,,, see how costs can escalate....

Flux capacitor






Okay, really. The best bet I've found is a parts car. Maybe something that the @ss end swung around and nailed a tree - that way everything, from radiator to trans, is there and complete. Also, you can get yourself a nice V8 car cheaper...whether it be fastback, coupe, vert. Finding a 66 with a nice body and then a wrecked V8 is really a cost effective way of doing it...as long as the labor is cheap (your own).

Here's a good example.

http://auto-rv.com/browse.aspx?AdName=BM2260409

For $2500 you've got yourself a V8, lots of extra parts, etc. He's even got a 429 :D

if i decide to keep the strait 6 what is the best way to beef it up? i guess what i am asking is the strait 6 powerful enough-with a few upgrades-for a teenager. can i get it to sound beefy?

Stay 6 for now and then when you get slightly older and have some $$$ saved you can convert to V-8. In the meantime your can research the swap process and answer some of your original questions????

There is another site that discusses the straight 6's a lot, and those guys know their stuff. It's http://www.fordsix.com You will never get that 6 banger to sound like a V8 though.

Yea, in your instance I would stay I-6,,,, when my son and I started converting his car, we started with disk brakes and more to the point of your post 4.11 rear end gears,,,,, those gears really woke that 6 up,,, it was just plain fun to drive with those low gears, and it was still plenty streetable... at 75 thatotherwise stocksix was wound up pretty tight,,, but it was doing fine, and it was fun.... It was like a whole different car. If I were going to stay "6" I would drop those that ratio, you can get a big bang for the buck...

I think you would probably need to change the whole rear end though, as I doubt that 4.11 gears are available for the stock 6 axle... a used 8" would be ok though...

if i said that after i buy the car i have $2500ish to work with, would you say that it would be imposible to put in a v8? cause iREALY want av8.

Do some shopping. The link I gave you above gives you a list of all the parts you are going to need. If you can find a donor V8 car for that price or less that will be your best bet, so start your search. Craigslist, Ebay, AutoTrader, Hemmings, etc. You just might get lucky.

ORIGINAL: Mustang.

if i said that after i buy the car i have $2500ish to work with, would you say that it would be imposible to put in a v8? cause iREALY want av8.


In a word,,,, yes,,, impossible....

There are too many issues that need to be delt with to compliment the swap, first among these considerations is V-8 brakes.....

But that $2,500 could get a different axle with 4.10 gears..... and maybe a few minor engine upgrades for the 6....

i bought my car with a v8 already in it for $2500

i suggest you keep looking for something your actually going to be happy with instead of jumping on the first "deal" that presents itself.

just my $.02

id rebuild the inline 6 drive it that way save up and do the v8 swap the right way and sell the inline 6.

How much do they want for the V6, and what kind of shape is it in?