Trying To avoid a Mustang II Saga circa 1974.. (V6 vs V8 2006+)

As ya'll know I am trying to decide between the 2006 V6 with ragtop or V8
coupe.

There is a little more behind the story and I would like to share this
part of my life with the group.

I have a close friend who was the original owner of a 1974 Mustang II V6
(the German Motor) and around 1981 or so he wanted to *improve it*.

Well just about every speed shop we went in to at the time asking for
parts laughed at us because the car, quite frankly was a POS. He finally
ended up going with a full rebuild, Holly Carb, Crane cam, Headers etc and
spent 6 months (along with me as grunt work) rebuilding the thing.

The euphoria lasted up until my 1979 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe with a
conservatively worked 318 V8 destroyed him.

For the record he still owns and loves the car.

So my fear is ending up with a motor that can't be *worked* even to a
minor degree.

Question is:

Does Summit etc sell performance upgrades for the current V6's or is it
strictly for the V8 crowd?

What about aftermarket suspension parts?

Is there a *smart way* to buy a 'stang?

I remember back in the 80's you could buy an LX, and essentially make it a
GT with the proper options but the insurance was less because technically
it was an LX.

Is there anyway to do this now?

What options are "must haves" and what are wastes of money, or can be
bought aftermarket for less?

Sorry for all the questions but I would like to make a reasonably
intelligent decision.

FWIW right now I am leaning toward a used / dealer demo etc of a GT ragtop
because that is really the only way I can afford both the V8 and ragtop.

If I learn that the V6 can be tweaked and a decent amount of aftermarket
stuff is around, I will go V6 ragtop, new......

There is just something about driving with the top down that makes me feel
young again (46yo).....

On Tue, 06 Jun 2006 17:15:12 -0500, Tomas > wrote:

>As ya'll know I am trying to decide between the 2006 V6 with ragtop or V8
>coupe.
>
>There is a little more behind the story and I would like to share this
>part of my life with the group.
>
>I have a close friend who was the original owner of a 1974 Mustang II V6
>(the German Motor) and around 1981 or so he wanted to *improve it*.
>
>Well just about every speed shop we went in to at the time asking for
>parts laughed at us because the car, quite frankly was a POS. He finally
>ended up going with a full rebuild, Holly Carb, Crane cam, Headers etc and
>spent 6 months (along with me as grunt work) rebuilding the thing.
>
>The euphoria lasted up until my 1979 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe with a
>conservatively worked 318 V8 destroyed him.
>
>For the record he still owns and loves the car.
>
>So my fear is ending up with a motor that can't be *worked* even to a
>minor degree.
>
>Question is:
>
>Does Summit etc sell performance upgrades for the current V6's or is it
>strictly for the V8 crowd?
>
>What about aftermarket suspension parts?
>
>Is there a *smart way* to buy a 'stang?
>
>I remember back in the 80's you could buy an LX, and essentially make it a
>GT with the proper options but the insurance was less because technically
>it was an LX.
>
>Is there anyway to do this now?
>
>What options are "must haves" and what are wastes of money, or can be
>bought aftermarket for less?
>
>Sorry for all the questions but I would like to make a reasonably
>intelligent decision.
>
>FWIW right now I am leaning toward a used / dealer demo etc of a GT ragtop
>because that is really the only way I can afford both the V8 and ragtop.
>
>If I learn that the V6 can be tweaked and a decent amount of aftermarket
>stuff is around, I will go V6 ragtop, new......
>
>There is just something about driving with the top down that makes me feel
>young again (46yo).....
>
To see just how carried away you can get with a V6 you can check out
another posters ride at:
http://www.tammyandjohn.com/Mustang/...ng/Mustang.htm
--
For choosing to fight, one gets the horrors of war,stress,and possibly
death.

For choosing not to fight, one gets subjugation,humiliation,and
possibly death.

Choose your fights carefully.

"Tomas" > wrote in message
news
> As ya'll know I am trying to decide between the 2006 V6 with ragtop or V8
> coupe.
>
> There is a little more behind the story and I would like to share this
> part of my life with the group.
>
> I have a close friend who was the original owner of a 1974 Mustang II V6
> (the German Motor) and around 1981 or so he wanted to *improve it*.
>
> Well just about every speed shop we went in to at the time asking for
> parts laughed at us because the car, quite frankly was a POS. He finally
> ended up going with a full rebuild, Holly Carb, Crane cam, Headers etc and
> spent 6 months (along with me as grunt work) rebuilding the thing.
>
> The euphoria lasted up until my 1979 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe with a
> conservatively worked 318 V8 destroyed him.
>
> For the record he still owns and loves the car.
>
> So my fear is ending up with a motor that can't be *worked* even to a
> minor degree.
>
> Question is:
>
> Does Summit etc sell performance upgrades for the current V6's or is it
> strictly for the V8 crowd?
>
> What about aftermarket suspension parts?
>
> Is there a *smart way* to buy a 'stang?
>
> I remember back in the 80's you could buy an LX, and essentially make it a
> GT with the proper options but the insurance was less because technically
> it was an LX.
>
> Is there anyway to do this now?
>
> What options are "must haves" and what are wastes of money, or can be
> bought aftermarket for less?
>
> Sorry for all the questions but I would like to make a reasonably
> intelligent decision.
>
> FWIW right now I am leaning toward a used / dealer demo etc of a GT ragtop
> because that is really the only way I can afford both the V8 and ragtop.
>
> If I learn that the V6 can be tweaked and a decent amount of aftermarket
> stuff is around, I will go V6 ragtop, new......
>
> There is just something about driving with the top down that makes me feel
> young again (46yo).....

If you want the ragtop so bad go for it! Now your decision between the newer
design with a v6 or older with a v8. IMO there will be allot of aftermarket
for the 6 cylinder. If you take a look at the what Shelby is doing with his
CS6 you will be in awe. I hear allot of nice things that this 6 with the
dual exhaust sounds pretty awesome like an 8's rumble. Check out this link
and just remember if you dont mind doing these upgrades over time you will
be fine otherwise you might as well get a newer Stang vert with an 8 as the
cost of modding your 6 will add up. Best of luck!

http://www.muscularmustangs.com/2005...2shelbycs6.php

Shelbys parts list
http://www.shopshelby.com/cs6parts1.html

Nick

"Tomas" > wrote in message
news
> As ya'll know I am trying to decide between the 2006 V6 with ragtop or V8
> coupe.
>
> There is a little more behind the story and I would like to share this
> part of my life with the group.
>
> I have a close friend who was the original owner of a 1974 Mustang II V6
> (the German Motor) and around 1981 or so he wanted to *improve it*.

You and I are in a similar quandary... But here, it was ME that owned a '74
Mustang II with the German six, not a friend. That was my first Mustang, a
dark brown metallic coupe with tan vinyl roof, and that little six was
quick! It helped that I also had the stick, since my next was a 1978
hatchback with the six/automatic combo, and the coupe was just much faster.
That '74 was a great little car, for a POS...

> Well just about every speed shop we went in to at the time asking for
> parts laughed at us because the car, quite frankly was a POS. He finally
> ended up going with a full rebuild, Holly Carb, Crane cam, Headers etc and
> spent 6 months (along with me as grunt work) rebuilding the thing.
>
> The euphoria lasted up until my 1979 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe with a
> conservatively worked 318 V8 destroyed him.
>
> For the record he still owns and loves the car.
>
> So my fear is ending up with a motor that can't be *worked* even to a
> minor degree.
>
> Question is:
>
> Does Summit etc sell performance upgrades for the current V6's or is it
> strictly for the V8 crowd?
>
> What about aftermarket suspension parts?

You saw John S.' website... Yeah, I'd say that a six can be worked up.

> Is there a *smart way* to buy a 'stang?

0% financing, but good luck.

> I remember back in the 80's you could buy an LX, and essentially make it a
> GT with the proper options but the insurance was less because technically
> it was an LX.

Huh? Why would you want to turn an LX into a GT? All that extra plastic just
slows it down. Unless you're assuming that all LX models were non-V8...?

> Is there anyway to do this now?
>
> What options are "must haves" and what are wastes of money, or can be
> bought aftermarket for less?
>
> Sorry for all the questions but I would like to make a reasonably
> intelligent decision.
>
> FWIW right now I am leaning toward a used / dealer demo etc of a GT ragtop
> because that is really the only way I can afford both the V8 and ragtop.
>
> If I learn that the V6 can be tweaked and a decent amount of aftermarket
> stuff is around, I will go V6 ragtop, new......
>
> There is just something about driving with the top down that makes me feel
> young again (46yo).....

I still think you'd be disappointed if you went six while wanting eight...
Have you looked into a longer financing term?

dwight

Tomas wrote:
> If I learn that the V6 can be tweaked and a decent amount of aftermarket
> stuff is around, I will go V6 ragtop, new......
>
> There is just something about driving with the top down that makes me feel
> young again (46yo).....

Performance add-ons for the V8 are relatively plentiful and relatively
cheap. Add-ons for the V6 are not as plentiful and probably not as
cheap (I haven't really checked).

The only way you'll get any real power out of that V6 and have it
continue to be a well behaved daily driver is to supercharge it. I'm
not a fan of nitrous...

So the V6 would initially be cheaper to buy and probably cheaper to
insure, but would cost you more to get equivalent amounts of power. If
it was me, I'd go for the V8.

Cheers,

On Tue, 06 Jun 2006 17:15:12 -0500, Tomas > wrote:

>FWIW right now I am leaning toward a used / dealer demo etc of a GT ragtop
>because that is really the only way I can afford both the V8 and ragtop.

Have you driven a V8 from 05/06 yet? Everything about the V8 is
addictive, from the engine power to the exhaust note. When I went
looking for a Mustang back in 1999 I too thought I'd be happy with a
V6. Then I drove one and immediately knew I had to get a V8. Two
weeks later I bought my '97 GT. Spent 5 years tweaking, tuning,
chipping, and modding the heck out of it and I was happy as a clam
until I spotted a 2004 Mach 1. The '97 went to a son and I have the
Mach 1. If you even have an inkling you might want a V8, go take one
for a test drive. Then make your decision on what you have to do to
get the car *you* want.

Best of luck and keep us informed.

>If I learn that the V6 can be tweaked and a decent amount of aftermarket
>stuff is around, I will go V6 ragtop, new......
>
>There is just something about driving with the top down that makes me feel
>young again (46yo).....

On Tue, 06 Jun 2006 19:22:39 -0400, Zombywoof wrote:


> To see just how carried away you can get with a V6 you can check out
> another posters ride at:
> http://www.tammyandjohn.com/Mustang/...ng/Mustang.htm

Yes!!!!
That is a wonderful site.
Thanks "Tammyandjohn" for all the good info!
Tomas

On Tue, 06 Jun 2006 19:29:43 -0400, Nicholas Anthony wrote:

>
> If you want the ragtop so bad go for it! Now your decision between the newer
> design with a v6 or older with a v8. IMO there will be allot of aftermarket
> for the 6 cylinder. If you take a look at the what Shelby is doing with his
> CS6 you will be in awe. I hear allot of nice things that this 6 with the
> dual exhaust sounds pretty awesome like an 8's rumble. Check out this link
> and just remember if you dont mind doing these upgrades over time you will
> be fine otherwise you might as well get a newer Stang vert with an 8 as the
> cost of modding your 6 will add up. Best of luck!
>
> http://www.muscularmustangs.com/2005...2shelbycs6.php
>
> Shelbys parts list
> http://www.shopshelby.com/cs6parts1.html
>
> Nick

Hey thanks for the great links Nick!

I had no idea the Shelby was based on the V6 nor did I realize that the V8
was the same design that has been in these cars and the Crown Vics (I
think?) for years.

Looks promising.

FWIW I just had a ragtop rental (see my other rambling thread) and the V6
makes a surprisingly nice exhaust tone.
To my ears it's mellow, let's you know it's there and when called upon
let's others on the street know you are there as well

On Tue, 06 Jun 2006 19:31:21 -0400, dwight wrote:


> You and I are in a similar quandary... But here, it was ME that owned a '74
> Mustang II with the German six, not a friend. That was my first Mustang, a
> dark brown metallic coupe with tan vinyl roof, and that little six was
> quick! It helped that I also had the stick, since my next was a 1978
> hatchback with the six/automatic combo, and the coupe was just much faster.
> That '74 was a great little car, for a POS...

Oooops..............
Open mouth and insert foot

My friends is a dark brown with tan interior/vinyl roof and is a stick as
well.


>
> You saw John S.' website... Yeah, I'd say that a six can be worked up.

Yea, I would say so


> 0% financing, but good luck.

Tell me about it


> Huh? Why would you want to turn an LX into a GT? All that extra plastic just
> slows it down. Unless you're assuming that all LX models were non-V8...?

The basic gist was to order the LX, with the V8 and whatever options you
wanted and you basically had a GT, but since the VIN showed it as being an
LX, you got the speed/power/suspension but didn't pay the GT premium on
insurance.



> I still think you'd be disappointed if you went six while wanting eight...
> Have you looked into a longer financing term?
>
> dwight

Yea, I'm looking into all that now.
The dealers near me have an awful lot of these things on their lots so
they can't be selling all that well, at least not where I live.

If you want performance get the V-8 PERIOD. If you really can't afford the
V-8, then there is no point in discussing it which to get, because you are
stuck getting the V-6.
Besides, if you can't afford the V-8 what makes you think it would be
cheaper to buy a V-6 and buy all the parts and labor to try and get V-8
performance out of it, all while screwing yourself out of your warranty???



"Tomas" > wrote in message
news
> As ya'll know I am trying to decide between the 2006 V6 with ragtop or V8
> coupe.
>
> There is a little more behind the story and I would like to share this
> part of my life with the group.
>
> I have a close friend who was the original owner of a 1974 Mustang II V6
> (the German Motor) and around 1981 or so he wanted to *improve it*.
>
> Well just about every speed shop we went in to at the time asking for
> parts laughed at us because the car, quite frankly was a POS. He finally
> ended up going with a full rebuild, Holly Carb, Crane cam, Headers etc and
> spent 6 months (along with me as grunt work) rebuilding the thing.
>
> The euphoria lasted up until my 1979 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe with a
> conservatively worked 318 V8 destroyed him.
>
> For the record he still owns and loves the car.
>
> So my fear is ending up with a motor that can't be *worked* even to a
> minor degree.
>
> Question is:
>
> Does Summit etc sell performance upgrades for the current V6's or is it
> strictly for the V8 crowd?
>
> What about aftermarket suspension parts?
>
> Is there a *smart way* to buy a 'stang?
>
> I remember back in the 80's you could buy an LX, and essentially make it a
> GT with the proper options but the insurance was less because technically
> it was an LX.
>
> Is there anyway to do this now?
>
> What options are "must haves" and what are wastes of money, or can be
> bought aftermarket for less?
>
> Sorry for all the questions but I would like to make a reasonably
> intelligent decision.
>
> FWIW right now I am leaning toward a used / dealer demo etc of a GT ragtop
> because that is really the only way I can afford both the V8 and ragtop.
>
> If I learn that the V6 can be tweaked and a decent amount of aftermarket
> stuff is around, I will go V6 ragtop, new......
>
> There is just something about driving with the top down that makes me feel
> young again (46yo).....
>