It’s up to each individual how they want to customize their ride. I’m not against a “hot rod 6”, had a 81 F150 with the 300ci inline, 390cfm 4 barrel Hooker dual outlet header and Flomasters. Fast.... most definitely not, but stump pulling torque all day long. I also had a 74 Maverick with the 250ci inline that would burn one tire till the cows came home, wouldn’t it be great to be young and stupid again! My Comet project already had the 250 removed when I bought it, so the V8 Comet/Maverick of my dreams it will be.
though this is an older thread I am interested in what you guys have to say on the v8 swap vs straight 6 hot rod>> i have a friend with a 72' 302 thats been redone with gt40 heads, different cam, etc and estimated output 325 hp crank. its a turnkey engine that was built for a fairlane that he never got around to finishing. Long story short, he is offering it to me at a friend price of $2K.. (I feel like its a steal at this price .) that being said, I still need to swap out quite a few things to turn my 72' Maverick into a v8. sooo My 3 questions> 1)Would it be cheaper and/or less of a hassle to just drop $2 to 3k into the straight 6 mods than to do the v8 swap? 2)Could I beef up the straight 6 without having to change much anything else on the car>? 3)Dollar for dollar, would the performance be anywhere comparable? Thanks JJ
Do the V8, you could throw that 2k into the six and still be very limited on what you get out of it. If you want one to run with a V8 you'll spend that 2k on an aluminum head and still have a lot more to spend.
Without a power adder a six won't come close to 325hp. What engine? You can use the 250 transmission but not the 200(at least you'd need a converter & bell housing). In any case with 325 HP, the trans should be rebuilt. Radiator and all pulleys must be v8, also motor mounts. exhaust system etc etc. A '72 six cyl has four lug suspension, with I believe 9" brakes, need to be swapped. A parts car is almost a necessity.
at the end of the day...it's still a six cyl. a friend of mine has a 6 cyl in his mav. he said when he goes to a car show if he opens the hood, people just walk by it. if he leaves the hood closed people stop to talk about the car... oilpan and exhaust manifolds are two things that will have to be Mav/Comet.
at the end of the day...it's still a six cyl. a friend of mine has a 6 cyl in his mav. he said when he goes to a car show if he opens the hood, people just walk by it. if he leaves the hood closed people stop to talk about the car... My $.02: At cruises and shows the performance car builders I see are yawning as they pass unending 350/350 and 302/C4 equipped vintage, rods and customs. As they pass my Small Block Six cars, they often do a double-take , smile and start asking me build questions and I get to meet the most interesting builders and discover information and parts sources from them. Blueprinted D6DE Ford small block 250 Six; Shot Peened and Balanced Rods, Clifford 272H Cam, 1.88 intake valves/1.50 exh with- silicon springs and HD retainers, Ported and Polished chambers and relieved valve shrouds . Fisher custom Harmonic Balancer, Tri-Power / Offy , Modified Holley 1904 glass bowl carbs, Exhaust ¾ siamese port divider, Re-Curved distributor, HEI ignition, Indexed Champion plugs,s, Glyptal sealed block, Detroit gasket set,. SFI 157 neutral balance-lightened flywheel spinning Centerforce Clutch, T5-Z Cobra 5speed, Short throw Hurst shifter, 8”- 3.80:1 TracLoc Posi rear, Fab'd Caltrac clones, Shelby sway bars, Mustang front strut bars, Scarebird Disc front brakes, Shelby Drop UCA's and relocated LCA's, Fabricated subframe connectors / crossmembers, 8 Point roll cage, 5.0 alum. radiator, Perma-Cool fan, Holley fuel pump/pressure regulators, Hooker dual out longtube headers, Smithy silencers, Original tube radio, vacuum wipers and front fender Gunsights… you can't buy cool ...
hopped up 6s in the 60s era cars cool...70s Mav/Comets not cool...JMO his #3 question... 3)Dollar for dollar, would the performance be anywhere comparable? you have any dyno/track #s on your setup?
We were going to build our 250 up with the aluminum head from Ford-Six. But after doing the math both financially and in horsepower, the V8 swap is cheaper horsepower for your dollar. I found a '76 Granada with only 70K miles with a 302 that had an Edelbrock hi-rise manifold and a brand new Holley 4 barrel with a slightly bigger cam. The Granada also had power steering and power disc brakes, neither of which we have on our Comet. At $600 for the Granada, it was a no-brainer. We also have an extra C4 trans and a bunch of other stuff we took out that we can sell to recoup some of that $600. Win - Win !
Greasemonkey like minds think a like, in fact I have the link for the article I was thinking about doing the same when it came to doing the 4.9 liter Ford 300 Straight Six for my Mad Max Wasteland Car build. Link: https://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-1108-1971-ford-maverick/ Mike Robinson I think is the name of the man that built this, and love the specs.
I had considered engines like the 351, but heard about some oil leak issues regarding the nickel used in the build of the engine. It is bigger, and not as expensive bought used, just depends on Clevland, Windsor and so on. 302 I looked into it and find them interesting, but when it comes to the Ford 300 Straight Six? The crank rotation for cylinder fire is about 120 degrees vs most other ford engines with a 90 degrees on other Ford Engines. This is why I think folks including myself are getting interested in the 300 Straight Six. More energy in the crank rotation and cylinder fire per degree. I know also that Mike Robinson that built his through the article on HotRod.com used a Turbo Charger from a International DT466. So that's literally "breathing" monstrous life into that 300 Straight Six. XD