I'll give this a whirl just for the academics of it.All prices are a guestimate from memory, market value may fluctuate depending on the weather, salesperson, and shipping.
TCP motor/frame mounts from a vendor (Mustang Plus for example) $199
Disk Brake (knuckles, backing plates, rotors, calipers all new ) $460 (IIRC)
Universal throttle pedal (price varies, you may be able to use the whole thing out of the 'donor') Free-$200
New radiator $200
Fuel line, radiator and heater hoses ($70)
Steering, FalconFanatic just did this, how much did it run you? Or something like a unisteer ($875)
Rearend (price depends on how much you want to spend/scrounge) but I'd guess anywhere from $100-$500
driveline changes (new/shorten/new u-joints) $100 minimum.
New tires and wheels (market value, whatever that means). Figure cheapest ones are $40/rim and $40/tire so $80 each corner = $320. Unless you get lucky and can reuse your tires then only $160 for rims plus $20/tire for mounting and balancing so.. $240.
Depending on your transmission you may be able to keep using it, but if it's a 2.77 or i6 automatic you should consider upgrading. If you have an auto and so does the donor you should be set
It's still doable, even doable in steps if you 'babied it' but nobody would ever recommend that you put a bent8 into a car with i6 spindles and the 4 lug rear. Even a little playing and you'd stress and break those parts, I don't think anybody here or from a shop wants you to die enough to say that it would be OK..
Everything I listed comes to $2424 (I assumed cheap rearend and re-using the 4-lug brakes components with 5 lug drums), and yes you could do the steering for less but I didn't include any bellhousings to convert your current setup or new hardlines if you have an automatic or clutch parts if you have a manual, or even exhaust work..
Sound like its cheap still?
On the flip side, I put a 302/C4 into my '67 Mustang for a lot less, Dad bought bent8 frame mounts for $35 at an auction and the '73 Torino 302/C4 got new headgaskets ($150 for car and headgaskets). The brakes and rearend came from a parts mustang that Dad picked up for $100, I worked at a parts store and rebuilt everything including turning drums (free at the time) for under $70, '1967 used the same steering components including knuckles for both i6 and bent8. The driveline was given to me by an old shop foreman (free) out of a '69 Mustang, it worked perfect, no mods needed. Same with the shift rod because my '67 was bought with no motor/trans/linkage/driveline. I also used the y-pipe from the '73 Torino to make a single side exit exhaust (never finished but would have cost about $70). I made new trans cooler lines out of generic stock 3/8" lines then short stretch of rubber to connect it to a radiator I found in Dad's barn ($20) Radiator hoses ($30), I looped the heater hose back to the motor. Throttle linkage out of the parts car. So I did it for $475.
I'm not saying it can't be done for a resonable price, mostly your end goal, starting point, budget, storage options, and patience all play factor in how much it cost. I sold that motor and the transmission went somewhere else, I never drove it bent. That car was originally a 200/C4 and it will have a 250 as it's next motor.
-ron
I love my 200, I have weber 2bbl carb with header and it runs pretty good now. How much work would I have to do to convert it to a V-8? Has anybody put in a V-6 engine in their cars? I know everybody converts sixes to eights now and that is pretty much the norm but I can get the engine cheap. I want to do something different now. Thanks.
