Conflicted

[64to66]

Hello. I have posted before but I am bringing up the same question. 6 or 8? i had made up my mind to go 8 but now i am liking the look of the six. not to mention all the trouble it is to get what i need for the swap.
here's the deal. i don't want a race car. i don't pllan to go to the strip.
i want what i've dubbed an "onramp racer". something that has pep and goes quick from stop light to stop light but is not a monster... any thoughts? will a stock rebuild provide this?

 

[Bort62]

Stock rebuild? nope.

Non-stock rebuild? yes.

Do what you want... I've done the V8 thing before, and it was fun then. This is more fun now (and for the foreseeable future).

 

[60s Refugee]

Well, If you wanna be a hotrodder then you better do the 8 cyl thing. It will actually cost less, and after you do all that six stuff you'd still want an 8. After all, when a pistonheader thinks Mustang, he thinks 289! I'm doing a six cuz it's different, not faster.

Harry

 

[64to66]

Thanks. good advice. i really think the sixes are cool. So you think that getting that kind of performance would be the same cost as going the 8 route?

 

[250mav]

building a performance I6 costs alot of money and by the time your done you might be on par with with a stock 302. of course the potential is much higher then that but like i said, youll pay for it.

i dont think anyone here is building up there 6's because theyre the best choice for a performance engine. you build a 6 to be diffrent. my 250 gets going pretty good, peels out a lil and even chirps shifting into 2nd and i have no prob smoking all these late 80's early 90's ricers around town stop light to stop light. she moves pretty damn good and i dont have too much $ wraped up in 'er.

from what youve said your looking for i think you wont be disapointed with a mild 6 and a few hi-po items bolted up

 

[Asa]

slap a turbo on it, get a 2bbl adapter, and go

built right, and if you're careful about searching out the right parts, you'd be able to get 'er done for pretty cheap

 

[rbohm]

8) building a V8 is easy, been there, done that, destroyed the "T" shirt. building a six on the other hand takes some serious thinking, and compromise. while it would be very easy to swap a V8 into my 64 falcon, it wouldnt be as much fun as a modified 200.

 

[JackFish]

I've done a few cheap mods to mine, and my friend who had a stock 302 in the same car says mine is definitely more peppy.
The things that showed improved performance for me were the distributor advance mod and a double roller-timing chain advanced 4*.

 

[BUZZ]

I've built alot of v8's mostly 460's and fe 390's and had alot of fun but it's a pain to work on them not to mention the amount of gas they burn, my last 460 got about 4mpg's and it loved eating c6 trannys and 9" rears, after awhile it just starts to cost to much. When I bought my capri I had a 460 built, fuel injected, and ready to drop in but I just couldn't do. That little six in there wouldn't die and after playing with it and seeing how big of a pain it would be just to change the sparkplugs I've decided to keep it and all I can say is sofar it's been alot of fun not to mention the looks I get from my coworkers when we start talkin cars and I tell them my plans

 

[Bort62]

Truth is, SBF or SBC are mail order engines.

You don't need to understand crap about how engines work to get good performance. Just open up summit or jegs and whip out the credit card.

For those of us who have been there... that seems pretty boring. It's a lot more fun and rewarding to have to use your brain a little to come up with what mods are worth it, and what makes sense for your application.

So that's why I prefer it. And honestly, in some ways - it's cheaper. I'm the sorta guy that doesnt like to do things half-assed... and because with your common V8's the sky is the limit on parts you can buy (and money you can spend) it's pretty expensive to build a motor "right".

With our 6's, while new stuff is coming out all the time thanks to the efforts of people on this board, there is only so much stuff you can spend your money on. If you want to take it past that, you've got to come up with parts yourself.

So it sort of limits the cost... if that makes any sense.

 

[wsa111]

If you want plain raw power go with the V-8.
But with todays fuel prices & the latest parts available for the six cylinder, you can build a peppy engine & still pass a gas station.
Just my opinion, Bill

 

[BUZZ]

I totally agree, these days car rags like hot rod and carcraft make a 600hp smallblock look like nothing, and you can even buy a crate motor with that kinda hp or more. Wheres the fun in that? I wont talk bad about a v8, inline four, or a v6 they all have there place, but these little sixes are just plan fun. I've never had a stock motor hold up as well as my the one in my capri. I'm glad I didn't pull it

 

[Bort62]

If you want plain raw power go with the V-8.
But with todays fuel prices & the latest parts available for the six cylinder, you can build a peppy engine & still pass a gas station.
Just my opinion, Bill

Also remember that building a motor is the easiest and least expensive part of a fast car.

If you build a big or moderate hp V8, be ready to replace everything else on the car - suspension, brakes, transmission, rear end, and do significant major structural upgrades to make it safe & fun. These car's didn't make much HP from the factory (even V8 models) and in stock setup, can't handle much at all. (Ever wonder why your buddy w/ the hot 302 can't get his doors to close right?)

It's no fun to have a 450 hp small block in a unibody car that twists like a pretzel w/ a plastic transmission, "unlimited" slip rear end, and worn out & inadequate suspension & brakes.

And just remember, no matter what you do, there is always going to be some guy from the other side of town faster than you. So if that's your motivation... you are destined to fail (or sell it all and buy a LS1, lol).

But don't take the above to mean that some of us I6 guys aren't about power, plenty of cars here would make your jaw drop... we are hotrodders just as much as any other group. But we just go about it a slightly different way.

The best thing to do is sit down and try to figure out a goal for your car. If you are familiar w/ drag racing, pick an ET... if you like to drop numbers over a few beers, pick a hp #... if you like cruising on weekends in a car that makes you feel alive and generates conversation, figure out what's important to you (sound, feel, etc) and go for that... but have a goal from the start. Once you've got that, we can help you get there.

For example, my goal is to build a turbocharged car that is completely streetable, runs in the 14's, can weekend cruise all day, and has a 60's look - and I still need to be able to throw 2 surfboards in the back and hit the beach.

So far I've got the first one...

 

[BIGREDRASA]

You don't need a lot of HP for ramp racing. You need chassis mods. Those chassis mods will cost the same for a 6 or 8. With equal suspensions, the 6 will outhandle the 8, because the front is lighter. You can make the front even lighter, and better balance the car, by installing the battery in the trunk. Do the disc brake conversions, add an export brace, and hook up a 1" sway bar for starters. You'll be amazed, and you can still afford to fill the gas tank occasionally.

 

[jamyers]

Truth is, SBF or SBC are mail order engines.

You don't need to understand crap about how engines work to get good performance. Just open up summit or jegs and whip out the credit card.

For those of us who have been there... that seems pretty boring.
...

Preach it, Brother!!! 8)
Which is why my speed-machine is a Buick.

In highschool, my bud had a '70 Mustang with a 250. From stoplight to stoplight he'd outrun my Buick Skylark 350 every time, and get much better mileage. (now, if we went farther than the next stoplight I'd blow past him, but off the line his was quicker.)

Stick with the 6. There'll always be somebody faster, but not any cooler.