All Small Six Goldie is finished!

[Goldie]

Hello to all my Ford Six friends. It’s been months since I shared any updates of our restoration but I promised to share the finished project with you all. So, here is “Goldie” complete from top to bottom! Our performance 200 with Aussie head and intake continues to perform like a charm! The only thing we plan to do yet this year is to swap out the stock 2.83 gears with a set of 3.50’s. With the HP we have with this engine (somewhere in the 200-225 range) and the auto trans with 2500 stall speed converter, we think the gear swap will really wake up our girl!

Many thanks to so many of you who helped us on this journey. Your experience and recommendations have been priceless! We are grateful.

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[tjnavyblue]

Pretty amazing details all around. Do you think you'll get it on a dyno?

 

[Goldie]

Pretty amazing details all around. Do you think you'll get it on a dyno?

Thank you! Haven't planned on Dyno-ing it, but have spoken to many professionals and others involved in similar builds, and they are claiming our HP is most likely equivalent to a stock 2bbl 289. With all of the engine mods, and performance parts in this build, we'd be surprised if it was any less than that. It's not a daily driver, nor one that we intend to "beat" on, so true HP isn't really that significant to us at this time. We do plan on swapping out the 2.83 gears for 3.50 gears though, sometime later this year or next. It's going to be hitting the Woodward Dream Cruise in August with 29 other Mustangs traveling together from the Mustang Owners Museum in NC to MI. The taller gears are much better for traveling, so we will wait until after that trip.

 

[427John]

Thank you! Haven't planned on Dyno-ing it, but have spoken to many professionals and others involved in similar builds, and they are claiming our HP is most likely equivalent to a stock 2bbl 289. With all of the engine mods, and performance parts in this build, we'd be surprised if it was any less than that. It's not a daily driver, nor one that we intend to "beat" on, so true HP isn't really that significant to us at this time. We do plan on swapping out the 2.83 gears for 3.50 gears though, sometime later this year or next. It's going to be hitting the Woodward Dream Cruise in August with 29 other Mustangs traveling together from the Mustang Owners Museum in NC to MI. The taller gears are much better for traveling, so we will wait until after that trip.

You know with the power up grades you've done I would seriously consider swapping to an 8" rear axle, it would give you the extra strength plus with the easily swapped 3rd member you could have 1 set up with 3.50 gears and another set up with 2.80 gears for longer trips. Have you checked to see if 3.50 gears are available for the existing rear? If this is the original 6 cyl. peanut rear I'd be surprised if there is any aftermarket support for it.

 

[Goldie]

427John, we had considered an 8" swap originally, but opted against because we had to customize the exhaust and also add the rear sway bar. The 8" housing is going to cause issues with the placement of those components, and is the reason we opted against. If we had 400+ HP or anything near that, we'd need the upgraded rear and axles, but we just aren't pushing enough HP to warrant spending another couple thousand dollars on it. Never say never though. Perhaps, one day, especially if I want 5 lug axles because I chose to run different 15" wheels vs. the stock 14" wheels we have now.

 

[DON]

It can be done. I wouldn’t go drag racing but it got me into 15’s

 

[Goldie]

View attachment 21240
It can be done. I wouldn’t go drag racing but it got me into 15’s

Well that's interesting Don. Thanks for the share!

 

[DON]

I have a 67, so did that on the rear and found a v8 set of front drums for the front. Spindles are the same in 67. 5 lug all around and 15’s

 

[427John]

427John, we had considered an 8" swap originally, but opted against because we had to customize the exhaust and also add the rear sway bar. The 8" housing is going to cause issues with the placement of those components, and is the reason we opted against. If we had 400+ HP or anything near that, we'd need the upgraded rear and axles, but we just aren't pushing enough HP to warrant spending another couple thousand dollars on it. Never say never though. Perhaps, one day, especially if I want 5 lug axles because I chose to run different 15" wheels vs. the stock 14" wheels we have now.

I don't know if I would agree that a stock 8" is up to 400+ hp but it would be comfortable at the power levels you're at, if you feel that your 200 2V is pretty equal to a 289 then thats double or more the hp and even more torque than the stock peanut rear was meant to handle, any rear will stand up to any engine if its in a light car with lots of tire spin but once you start putting that power to the ground then the clock starts ticking.

 

[Goldie]

I don't know if I would agree that a stock 8" is up to 400+ hp but it would be comfortable at the power levels you're at, if you feel that your 200 2V is pretty equal to a 289 then thats double or more the hp and even more torque than the stock peanut rear was meant to handle, any rear will stand up to any engine if its in a light car with lots of tire spin but once you start putting that power to the ground then the clock starts ticking.

I’m sure you are probably right. Guess I need to think about that for next year’s mod.

 

[Goldie]

You know with the power up grades you've done I would seriously consider swapping to an 8" rear axle, it would give you the extra strength plus with the easily swapped 3rd member you could have 1 set up with 3.50 gears and another set up with 2.80 gears for longer trips. Have you checked to see if 3.50 gears are available for the existing rear? If this is the original 6 cyl. peanut rear I'd be surprised if there is any aftermarket support for it.

I did forget to tell you that I have a set of 3.50 gears for the stock rear end.

 

[427John]

I did forget to tell you that I have a set of 3.50 gears for the stock rear end.

Well thats most of the battle already, bearings and seals should be easier to find.