Is it smart???

The time-honored tradition of yanking that /6 out and replacing it with a V8 may be on its way out.

There are some slant six cars with turbos on them that give serious rise to the idea that a turbo'd /6 might be a better and/or cheaper way to achieve lower e.t's than is possible with a V8, for the same money.

Tom Wolfe had stock /6 1970 Dart Swinger (3,300-pounds), and all he did was to install a junkyard turbo off a Buick V6 and his car ran a 12.95, with no changes to the engine other than a 2bbl intake and a blow-thru modified 2bbl carb.

If he'd swapped in a V8, and it had enough beans to run that quick, he'd probably have spent more money... it's not that easy to put a small block, 3,300 pound car into the 12's without some aftermarket parts.

The people who swap a V8 into grandma's a-body when they inherit it, usually spend money on a rear end, to replace the fragile 7.25" unit that comes in /6 cars, and because they like the convenience of a drop out 3rd member for occasions when they may need ratio flexibility (hiway gears vs. drag strip gears,) they usually opt for the more expensive 8.75" unit. The turbocharged '6 can get by nicely with a 2.93:1 for all use because the turbo/6 works well with low numerical ratios on the drag strip.

Because of that, and that they won't be changing ratios, the cheaper alternative (8.25") is attractive to the /6 crowd.

The stock cam also works well in a turbocharged /6, wherein virtually any V8 you drop in, will need a new (more radical) cam, unless you are installing an already "hot" cammed engine, like a 340.

More money saved with the six.

The performance of these inline engines can be enhanced, just like a V8 car can, with big valves, a ported head, and improved fuel delivery, but now you're talking money, and that is not the gist of this topic.

High 10s in a
n A body turbo /6 car are a reality.

I just am contending that if you come into a /6-powered A-body, you should examine the alternatives thoroughly before you ditch the /6; a turbocharged version of it may be a better choice than a V8.

Just sayin'....