totally torn

[mantix33]

just purchased yesterday a very nice completely stock 83 glx hatchback with 87,000 original miles has a 3.8L auto that runs and drives great. the body and interior are amazing on this thing, i have been looking it over for several days before i bought it and i have found extreamly minimal rust on the body and only a few extreamly small imperfections with the interior (its a little dirty carpet by the pedals, a little dirty at one spot about an inch long and a quarter inch thick on the passenger seat by the center console, and a 1/16 of an inch cut barely noticeable on the passenger door pannel, so i hope that can tell u how clean this thing is for an 83)

i also have an 84 with a 302 and 5-speed that is basically a complete rat rod but the drive train is strong!

so do i turn the new one into the car i want and get rid of the 84 as a rolling chassis (the reason i told the gf) or keep it stock (i will have to still have to sell the 84 as a rolling chassis, ill die before i give away a motor and trans that i can put in another fox down the road)

 

[tca7291]

Swap the drivetrains between the two, and sell the 84 as a running/driving project.

 

[mantix33]

well would actually just rather keep the v6 and trans just to make sure i can have a numbers matching car if i choose to put it back in if nothing else, the 84 body with a v6 auto i dont think would fetch me that much more that just the rolling chassis

 

[mantix33]

might get me a couple hundred bucks more but its not going to be an exorbitant amount of money, at least as not much to me as actually still having the original motor and trans out of a now 30 year old car

 

[Mustang5L5]

well would actually just rather keep the v6 and trans just to make sure i can have a numbers matching car if i choose to put it back in if nothing else, the 84 body with a v6 auto i dont think would fetch me that much more that just the rolling chassis

I really don't think an '84 V6 is going to be high on anyone's list of classic cars to own. Most Mustang enthusiasts aren't even aware there's a partial VIN stamped on a 5.0 block let alone where to find it. It might make a difference to someone 20 years from now, but right now most Mustang buyers don't check for those obscure numbers.

I have the original AOD out of my car (swapped to 5-spd) and I can't even find the VIN stamp on that. I've looked...but no luck.

 

[stykthyn]

neither 83 or 84 were desireable years. You wouldnt hurt value by swapping. hell it might even improve it.

 

[91TwighlightGT]

I wouldn't worry about "numbers matching" on an 83 v6. No one will ever care, and you might as well turn it into something enjoyable by using the other motor/trans. Stykthyn is right, you probably increase the value by doing the swap.

 

[Husky44]

Do the swap. Part out the other car, along with the V6 drivetrain. That'll make you more than the assembled V6 in your rat rod chassis.

 

[billison]

I'd get a roller block and do the swap. Just do it as clean as possible to keep the glx as clean as you can.

Take the v6 drive train and toss it in the other one and sell it.

A v6 won't keep value..

 

[billison]

Also.. Pics or it didn't happen

 

[ratio411]

That car is never going to be sought after with a 3.8... You are not hurting the value by doing an engine swap.

 

[mikestang63]

Just do what you want to and enjoy the car. Too many people are afraid to do anything because they think 20 years down the road the car may be worth something. The truth is neither of those cars are going to be high dollar collector cars so have fun.

Is the 302 pre 86 - non roller cam and crappy heads?

 

[mantix33]

here are the pics that i have on this computer of the 83 v6, my old computer took a crap on me with the pics of the 84, need to take some new ones... and yes the 302 is pre 86 with the non roller, it has a 480 lift cam in it now that was the biggest i could go without switching to rollers

 

[mantix33]

o and i have made up my mind, i will be swapping it over to the 302 and the t-5, i will however be keeping the motor and trans out of the 83 just in case something really bad happens i can put it back together and still have a car that i can drive, while i rebuild the 302/and or the t-5. this is not a daily driver but its nice to have a backup drivetrain

 

[RsStanG1987]

It's pretty clean but has been painted

 

[mantix33]

yea, but what 30 year old car hasn't? i've went over it pretty closely and had it on a lift, there is virtually no rust on it, little bit here and there on the underside but soo clean its crazy, all just surface rust and this is an ohio car from day one.... this is really unheard of up here

 

[Mintsick]

o and i have made up my mind, i will be swapping it over to the 302 and the t-5, i will however be keeping the motor and trans out of the 83 just in case something really bad happens i can put it back together and still have a car that i can drive, while i rebuild the 302/and or the t-5. this is not a daily driver but its nice to have a backup drivetrain

There is not a chance I would ever reinstall a 3.8V6 that was removed for a V8, I'd just assume not drive the car! I like that you are doing the swap though.

 

[mantix33]

o trust me the v6 will not be in long if i do happen to have to put it back in but just to be a backup (in the summer ONLY) if absolutely need be while i fix the 302 or the t-5, which i do not see being even worth the time to actually put it in in the first place as long as i dont throw a bearing and am completely broke at the time

 

[elarm1]

What a clean car!