Thread: going from a 200 to a 351 windsor

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i just bought a 1965 ford mustand about a year ago and it runs great and it has alot of power for the little engine it gots in there. i was thinking about puttin like a 351 winsor in it or somthing like it.so i was wondering if there was anyone who knew if there was a way to fit that big of an engine under the hood of my car, if there isnt a way what would you suggest? i need more power.....

There are aftermarket parts redially available. Your gonna need a new master cyl, 5 lug spindals, a 9" rear and motor and tranny mounts for your new drivetrain and at least frame stiffeners, possibly 6 point roll bar so you don't twist the unibody out of shape.

so do u think i could drop the engine in or do you think it will be not worth it? i was thinking about getting a 289 and just boring it to a 302 but then i heard how good the 351 windsor is so i decided on that, but i am sure you know more about it then i do so if you can help me out that would be cool.

It's gonna be a lot of work, the engine will fit in the compartment without spreading the shock towers I think, might need spread a little. I think that the swap could be worth it but, you have to weigh the cost of doing the swap, then consider finding a '65 with a 260 or a 289 arleady in it, then adding a 302 or 351 to that if you wanted., I'd go the second route if it were me, enjoy your 6cyl '65 but, still look for a V8 car, and if you find it, sell yours and buy the other, it will be cheaper in the long run, unless you can find good Ford 9" rearends at a junkyard, otherwise they'll run up a bill alone if you have to buy 1 from couurie or moser.

The 351 will be a little tight around the exhaust but can fit but I would look for a complete V8 parts car to get all the needed parts to convert to a 8 as if you buy everything seperate,it could get costly. Check on ebay as I have seen parts mustangs on there and look in hemmings and other magazines for parts suppliers,you could also find one in a junkyard and make a deal to get all the parts you need for one price too. Jeff

Switching a 6 cylinder Mustang to a v8 is more time ,trouble, and expense than it's worth. All of the front suspension should be changed including upper and lower control arms. As was stated previously, sell the 6 banger car and buy a v8 car.

Personally if I was swapping a 6 banger Mustang to a V-8, I would lose the entier front suspension and swap in a Mustang II style from suspension.Get rid of the shock towers and you have a ton of room. Put in an 8.8" rear end. Disk brakes front and rear. Then I would go with either a 5.0 fuel injected with a T5, or a carbed 351 Windsor.

There are a few aftermarket parts available for the 200 6-cyl. Comp cams has a few cams to choose from and there are headers as well as intakes I believe. You should be able to get close to 1 horse per cube with a built six from different buildups I have seen. I've been searching it out a bit for my '66 Mustang with the 200. But, I'm trying to finish another project before I start up that one. Do a search online and see what you come up with. I'm a V8 fan, but I was getting more interested in building up the 6-cyl instead....there aren't too many that are built up.

Here's a couple links:

http://www.fordsix.com/

http://fordsixparts.com/FSPP%20Home%20Page.htm