How many drivers "stayed" with their inline six?

You know, this stuff is like potato chips - I guess once you bite off a little, you gotta have more. Now asking question 15 of 437 ...

How many of you guys have kept the six cylinder in your cars? I understand the "motivation" (no pun) to go V8, but it seems to me (as I have been hearing) that there are plenty of options, performance-wise for a six cylinder, not to mention where (some) would want to restore the car stock to preserve it's history....

So again, curious, do many of you guys have sixes? If so, why did you decide to keep the six? Fuel economy? Originality? The desire to be different ? Thanks!

Chris

 

I've kept the 250 I6 in my '77 Maverick.

 

Terry is indeed different.......no desire, just is!

 

well since i have ambitions of going 8 i dont know how valuable my input is going to be but its been in there since i got it 2 years ago and has proved to be a good engine.

but i hoped it up with a bigger carb, threw some chrome on her and painted it a nice ford blue. im definatly not ashamed to pop the hood.

originality and diffrent are really the only reasons to keep a six. definatly not if your intrested in power on a budget. tho they have performance potential be ready to throw some money at it. more so then if it were a 302

 

I'm staying with my licences Plates "6Inline"

 

Drove mine for about 2 years with a 6 before upgrading to the v8.

 

Newtoford:

Yeah, that was one of the "concerns" I had considered - I figure that 302's are CERTAINLY more plentiful and sought after, so finding parts for them (especially aftermarket performance goodies) will be, by scale, cheaper! Anytime you need "specialty parts" for something that is unusual, you'll pay for it!!

Chris

 

...and (without sounding silly), were you glad you opted for the change? Was the difference in performance appreciable? Was there anything in particular you did not like about the six, after the fact, by comparison?

Thanks!

Chris

 

There was nothing wrong with the 200, ran good and got great gas mileage but I was young (this was in the early 80's) and wanted more power. So I upgraded to a big cammed, hi Compression 289. Car went through many transitions, 4speed, automatic, cam changes, tunnel ram and dual 4's etc.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! But I would probably take a different approach.

 

I have kept the 6 cyl in a lot of my cars just for the simple reason: I don't race my cars, I just drive them.

 

as have i. it's all about what YOU want. if u just want to drive it and enjoy it then why not stick with a durable 6 cylinder.... unless you like a good ole american muscle V8. there's several options for both 6 cylinders and SBF's, it just goes back to a personal choice/preference.

 

the power:$ ratio is alot more fovorable when dealing with v8's

the only smart reason to stick with the 6 is the diffrent factor or your after originality. even then v8 swap mavericks seem to be more valuable then original 6 mavericks in most cases. the performance potential is there but you need the budget to back it up

but i will admit i'd much rather have a fast 6 then a fast 8. i just dont have the wallet to be both fast and be a 6 banger and i think im going to enjoy the power more then the diffrent factor

 

I don't have anything to say about the 6, I have an 8 (302).
What I will say is that I think you have plenty of time to think about it.
Seems that with needing an engine, 6 or 8, and the bay is clear, there is cleaning, scrubbing, sanding etc. that will be needed. You have suspension repairs and interior work, all kindsa fun stuff. If your going to go ALL out you might think about a rotesorie rebuild . That would be intresting to see.
I personaly think I went in a mixed up order rebuilding my GT. I shouldn't have started with the engine and trans. Finding this site has been a major find for me. I have learned my faults and have seen pics of some cars that make me feel I need to do some things over . Come here as much as you can stand and have the time for, you'll learn ALOT. I have been a tech for years but when it comes down to the core of things, there's alot to learn.
Is your car going to be a "hot rod" or a "daily driver" or?

 

I still have the 6 in my driver '70, and my 73. going to change to a v-8 in my sprint. And my 71 grabber is a v-8. Not sure how long i'll stay with the 6 in the 70 but it run's good so I'll keep it for a while.

 

Kept Six

I'm with Craig. I was never a big performance fan. As long as the car would maintain 75-80 mph and could at least merge with highway traffic, I was satisfied. Hell, I was perfectly happy with my stock 76 Pinto wagon with the 2.3/4 speed. All my cars (all twelve) have their stock drivetranes.