Primary reason for building a six?

Primary reason for building a six?

  • Economy-mileage

    Votes: 4 13.8%
  • Performance

    Votes: 2 6.9%
  • Appearance

    Votes: 2 6.9%
  • To be Different

    Votes: 16 55.2%
  • Other

    Votes: 5 17.2%

  • Total voters
    29
I'm in favor of a Paxton kit... especially a retro-styled one that uses V-belts like they did on the old T-birds and Studes 8)

I am building my six because I am hoping for more economy and easier maintainance than a V8. My car originally came with a six I also wanted a V8 for a while, even had plans to but a V8 donor car and swap everything over.

But the way gas prices are going I know I would regret going V8. I already have one V8 car ('89 Grand Marquis) and gassing that beast up once a week was enough to turn me away from the V8 idea.

So I decided on a 6 because I could do a full rebuild on a 6 for the price of just preparing the car for an 8, still get a performance improvement over what I was in the car originally, and have something unique that I will be able to demonstrate the thought and work I put into it.

Anyone can make more power from a V8 in just a couple of phone calls to Summit. It takes far more effort and thought to get a 20% increase in power out of an engine most people wouldn't think twice about :LOL:
 
There are many reasons.

The strongest one came to me while I was standing there, with the hood off. First start after I had gotten it. It was hooked up to an external tank, and my friend was in it, ready to turn the key. I told him to go for it, and the car cranked, and cranked, and cranked until this giant hunk of iron, made in 1965, and nothing mechanically changed since then, breathed life for the first time in 20 years.

I had thought about a V8 swap. But I watched this car struggle to life, and I couldn't entertain the thought of tossing the motor aside. It was telling me that it had seen 43 years of service, and still had stories to tell.

The Beatles and the Stones were the newest, coolest things when it was made. The Moon was still 4 years away. The Vietnam war was just starting in earnest. Gas was still less than 50 cents a gallon.

That kind of nostaliga just doesn't come to me out of a cookie cutter, freshly remanufactured 5.0.
 
I ended up daily driving the donor car I bought for the V8 swap :LOL:

I remember the first time I drove my Falcon... the previous owner had installed a cable throttle but the cable was too long and it couldn't rev all the way. I remember thinking "I know I've been told these motors don't rev very high, but good night... this thing is a DOG and it's got to go". Then when I found the problem with the cable throttle and fixed it I remember thinking "not too bad". Because I literally started at zero, every little bit more I can get out of my motor makes me happy. :D
 
bought the 66 stang aqua convertible in CA, I'm from MN, and planned to put a V8 in it. Then realized what a beautiful original it was and decided to stay close to original, complete with that goofy smog setup. It's real unique here and a riot to take to the local shows, because it's not "just another V8 hotrod". The hotrod will have to wait.

Mild street performance is my vote. Would like to see an economical turbo setup,
 
I got my mustang first only looking for v8 cars I really like camaros (sorry guys I like chevys a bit too) I finally settled on my straight six coupe with my dad who thought it wouldn't be too crazy and he could help me work on it. I soon started looking for stuff to do to the car and found this forum and all of you guys and realized I had no desire to swap the 6 out for a v8. Though she might not how the power she is a great car. And it's not like they changed the lookes of the car just because it was 6! It is a fantastic looking car though I still have A LOT of thing that I want to do. Well I'm getting a little off topic now but the straight six is a great engine to work on and since I am new to a lot of the restoration it is a great starting point for a new guy like me. One final thing like everyone else, it is great being different and telling people I have no desire to swap for a v8.
 
the best car I ever had was an I6 and I never felt the need to have anything else when a i6 is so good, not to mention anything at all that saves me gas means I can keep driveing
 
Me? I like it because I can fix it myself and nobody who has a lick of sense would steal it.

For me, that's the not so dirty little secret, being able to get down in the engine compartment with it. Plugs, distributors, even cylinder heads and all the other removals that take a matter of minutes.

Although I chose gas mileage, cause I'm going to get twice the bang for my buck over my 2001 bent eight.
Robert
 
CobraSix":1os98u70 said:
I can't believe I missed this historic thread.

Why did I stay with the six?

Well, to be completely honest I almost didn't. My original plan for the 6 cylinder was to rip it out and drop a V-8 into the convertible. The best laid plans.

What really convinced me to stay six was one day, after I had owned the car for about 2 months I went to a local show and shine. At the time, my engine bay looked like this:

200ka1.jpg


Nothing fancy. In fact, I was kind of ashamed. So when I pulled into the parking lot, I kept the hood closed. Then people started asking what I had under the hood and I kept answering "Just a Six". Out of the 40 cars there, I was the only car with less then 8 cylinders. Finally, a few of them really wanted to see it and convinced me to pop the hood up. I had more people coming to check out my 200 then any of the other engine bays there...and that's with it looking like crap. That's when I realized that maybe people were tired of see V-8s.

Also, about that time is when I finally found fordsix.com. I had been hanging out on VMF and in fact my first post was how to go about pulling the 6 out and putting in an 8.

So finally I was convinced to stay six. It was only compounded when I installed and showed my Offy set up.

Cobra6-7.jpg


I went to another local show and shine and popped my hood and the crowd that gathered made my engine the envy of all the V-8 owners. Everyone was checking out my little tri-power six and ignoring the run of the mill V-8s and even the built ones.

Then I met a friend who owned a 68 GT500 at another local show and shine. We parked beside each other so we could BS and keep an eye on his car at the same time, thinking mine would be skipped sitting beside a GOURGEOUS 68 GT500. I mean, this car was beautiful. Then amazingly, people walked by his car...would pear into my engine back and then do a head snap at mine engine bay and just stop and stare. My friend said that had never happened to him before with that car.

It's a great conversation piece.

"Oh, what do you have in there"

"Just a six"

"You should put a V-8 in there"

"Nah...too plain"

Then I show them why I stay six.

Recently talking to a new mechanic I found who helped me with my rear end problems. I asked what I had done to the car, which at this point is to make everything a V-8 except the actual engine. He asked why I didn't have a V-8 in there...and I just shrugged. He laughed because he said "You've done all the hard work of the V-8 swap, why stop now?" Then I took him for a ride and he understood.

So when I finished all my work this winter I did have to take a step back and laugh at myself. When I originally wanted to put a V-8 in, the one thing that stopped me was all the other work I was going to have to do to make it done right. Rear end, Transmission, front end, steering, brakes. Now, 6 years later I've done all of the required V-8 upgrades...except for the V-8 part. I could literally do an engine swap and my car would be perfectly ready for it in a day. Everything is done...

Yet somehow I've stayed six and intend to stay inline (at least on this car). I'm so into the six's that I fully intend to buy a 6 cylinder fastback or a cheap V-8 coupe (which will be swapped to a 6) and go a little crazier on the engine then I am comfortable with in the convertible.

Please get a v-8 coupe/fastback(somebody%anybody)-swap in that hopped up six then send it to Mustangs and Fords(even better Car Craft Wussies for swapping out that six/67 they have going) and blow everyones doors off. I cant wait to see the headlines for that one. LOL
 
Straight Six":118kv02s said:
Please get a v-8 coupe/fastback(somebody%anybody)-swap in that hopped up six then send it to Mustangs and Fords(even better Car Craft Wussies for swapping out that six/67 they have going) and blow everyones doors off. I cant wait to see the headlines for that one. LOL

Mike (AZCoupe) already did that with M&F, and got a three-month feature. Which is odd for a Primedia magazine.
http://www.mustangandfords.com/techarticles/mufp_0710_turbocharged_six_cylinder_mustang/index.html
http://www.mustangandfords.com/techarticles/mufp_0711_turbo_charged_six_cylinder_mustang/index.html
http://www.mustangandfords.com/tech...ocharged_six_cylinder_ford_mustang/index.html
 
I wanted to be different too (with performance a close second).

That wasn't how it started out however. I bought the 67 mustang because it seemed cheap (could have gotten cheaper :( ) and it was a manual (little tired of automatics). The engine was out and rusting, which was fine because I had BIG PLANS!

Late model 5.0 (or 351) EFI, T5, disc brakes all around, modernized steering, IRS rear end, 3 point belts, upgraded seats with headreasts, you name it, that was the plan. I had owned a 65 mustang with a 6 and an auto and it was a dog, and i didn't really want anything to do with that this time around.

Then the strangest thing, I realized everything I wanted to do to the car was handleing oriented, and I started to get concerned with how that extra weight and power would affect drivability. I remembered an old magazine my boss lent me in 1990, HRM's mustang magazine number 3.

http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/Cover.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg

I started looking around for that kind of information, and ran across Mustangs and Fords november issue (sammie hagar on the cover), and that lead me here.

I became convinced that I could get all the power I need out of a six and a stick, and still am. The mustang unfortunatly will have to go, since I bought a convertible 64 falcon, and I can only have one 'junk' car at a time (and yes, a perfectly restored and operating 60's ford is still considered a junk car to my girl, so when i get it going and painted, it'll head off to someone elses pasture).
 
Invectivus":km9g3e81 said:
I wanted to be different too (with performance a close second).

That wasn't how it started out however. I bought the 67 mustang because it seemed cheap (could have gotten cheaper :( ) and it was a manual (little tired of automatics). The engine was out and rusting, which was fine because I had BIG PLANS!

Late model 5.0 (or 351) EFI, T5, disc brakes all around, modernized steering, IRS rear end, 3 point belts, upgraded seats with headreasts, you name it, that was the plan. I had owned a 65 mustang with a 6 and an auto and it was a dog, and i didn't really want anything to do with that this time around.

Then the strangest thing, I realized everything I wanted to do to the car was handleing oriented, and I started to get concerned with how that extra weight and power would affect drivability. I remembered an old magazine my boss lent me in 1990, HRM's mustang magazine number 3.

http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/Cover.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg
http://www.invectivus.com/hrm_mustang3/ ... 20copy.jpg

I started looking around for that kind of information, and ran across Mustangs and Fords november issue (sammie hagar on the cover), and that lead me here.

I became convinced that I could get all the power I need out of a six and a stick, and still am. The mustang unfortunatly will have to go, since I bought a convertible 64 falcon, and I can only have one 'junk' car at a time (and yes, a perfectly restored and operating 60's ford is still considered a junk car to my girl, so when i get it going and painted, it'll head off to someone elses pasture).


Thats too funny I just got that issue off of Ebay earlier this month.:):):):)
 
I bought my car for the 6 cyl. I am a eng builder and if i did any thing significant it would be to up grade my cubes to a 250. My fairmont is a 4 speed factory car, that still has the factory hose clamps. I will be adding a 2 bbl carb, changing the exhaust manifold, :) and a rear gear. I would think the eng folks would most would be a 250. I can get around the height problem. In my opinion the alum head is too expensive for a daily driver.It would be the best power improvement. this is my first 6 cyl, being a drag racer most of my cars have been sbf.
 
i voted for economy but performance is a close second but being different is always been part of my MO.i've always liked the odd rods of course some on here have scoffed at my intention of doing a v-6 swap but its more about availability of parts in my area.200's and 250's are pretty scarce around here but 3.0,3.8,and 4.0s are plentiful.if i can keep it inline i most certainly will but im not going out of my way to do so iwant to get this done by summer so im going with what i can get.
 
I also voted economy but would have liked to pick several reasons.

I grew up with my '61 Falcon (I'm two years older than the car!). My parents got the car in '65 and it was the family car thru the mid '70s. I learned to drive in the Falcon. When it was time for my first car the Falcon became mine. Back then I disliked the 3-on-the-tree. I was so envious of people with "modern" cars such as Pintos, Vegas, muscle & foreign cars w/ 4 spd on the floor.

Growing up in a less than well to do household and learning not to spend my money frivously, the Falcon remained mostly stock. While it now has bucket seats the engine compartment looks stock. I am about to aquire a '78 200 engine for the Falcon and I intend to keep my orange valve cover and air cleaner cover (with the "170 CID Special" decal) on the new engine. I realize that a DSII would be much better than points but I just don't want to see a module in the engine compartment (I am thinking of hiding the module on the other side of the firewall, under the dash) so I'll probably stay with points. Down the road I intend to add a Weber 32/36 DGV, but it will overshadowed by the stock air cleaner cover.
 
If you are worried about the Duraspark II module being seen, theres a way you can out a smaller GM module on that will mount below the distributor where it's harder to see. [/quote]
 
I got my `66 Mustang coupe when my dad died in `03. It sat in my back yard until a month ago. I'm having fun fixing stuff my dad Mikey Moused.

What I'd like to try is making or buying an adapter to mount this carb:
http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50417 page down.

I have a machine shop in my family room with two lathes, a milling machine, grinder, 12 ton press, sander and drill press. In my garage, I have MIG, TIG, ARC and Acetylene welders

About 6 months before my dad unexpectly died, I asked if I could have his Mustang when he was gone. He said yes. The day we buried him, my money absess brother brought up the Mustang. He was pissed to say the least when I told him Dad said I could have it. Nothing in writing, but he felt he should get something equalivant. Haven't talked to him in over 3 years.

We both wanted it because 66 and earlier do not need to be emission
tested. I can turbo, cam, exhaust, carb it to my liking without worrying about the smog cops. I'm restomoding it as grocery getter.
 
Resurrecting this Thread.... :oops:

I voted to be different. When i needed a car, cause my dad took his back, I didn't want to get introuble with a v8 and cops. so i looked for a i6 for economy, I really enjoyed my dads 23mpg and knew a v8 would give half that, i also wanted a 3speed manual but my car was a good deal for it's condition.

I've kept the six for a year before i found this site, thinking and trying to find way's to improve the performance and reliability of the car. then i found this forum, changed everything. within 3 month's I swapped my slippery c4 for a fresh t-5, and now after 18 months I've just dropped in my fresh i6 with stock look (except the header). before I didn't even change my own oil, i've learned so much about cars and engines that it even amazes me. this is my hobby, and some day i'll have a garage to work in instead of out in the street.

I think most ppl have a good idea for crate engines, altho i like the idea best of stock look, I think that's very viable. with of course 120-140 hp. that's my current goal.
 
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