With the 323 cubic inch boat anchor of a Chrysler small-block long gone to the scrappers, the lowest-performing vehicle in the BangShift Mid-West stable is currently the Great Pumpkin, the 1980 Mustang Ghia that is my wife’s first car. We know that the factory rating on the 4.2L V8, that smog-era special that just might be the most unmodifiable V8 ever to grace a car, cranked out a dismal 118 horsepower and 194 ft/lbs of torque. To compare, the 2018 Ford Fiesta ST uses a turbocharged 1.6L three-cylinder that makes 197 horsepower and 214 ft/lbs of torque. Nearly forty years of technology aside, a three-banger getting it done better than the V8 could is just embarassing. Luckily, we’ve got that 302 sitting in the garage, patiently waiting it’s turn to be built.

This 1981 T-top car doesn’t have the V8. It’s got the 3.3L inline-six that dates back to the Ford Falcon. It was never a powerhouse six, instead it filled the role of the economy motor that didn’t suck. Hey, it wasn’t the 144 cubic incher! The Fox body cars were the last to utilize the 3.3L mill, which finally went the way of the dodo in 1983. How much power do you think the buzzin’ dozen is making in this tired four-eye Fox? You know the immediate answer is “not a lot”, but the better question is how tired is the old Falcon six?

This reminds me, I need to get her car onto the dyno to find out where it sits. Not looking forward to that moment…