One thing that you don’t see everyday, is a well-built 60s car with a six cylinder under the hood. Most of us, me included, opt for the more traditional “no replacement for displacement” approach. Do turbocharged six cylinder cars have a place in today’s restomod world? I believe there’s more to them than meets the eye.

There has been more than one car that has proven that sixes, especially those with inline cylinders, produce good torque numbers just as they sit. They have the added benefit of being strong enough to handle a power adder with minimal work to get those numbers even higher.

Some of these capable cars have a turbocharger attached to them to make it down the track in a quick fashion, and this next 1965 Mustang is capable of running low to mid 8’s at the track with nothing more than an engine build, some other go-fast goodies, and an OK paint job.

I know, I know, paint doesn’t do anything to help us get down the track faster. What paint does do, however, is give most people the false sense of whether or not a car is a piece of junk. To the untrained eye, dull paint, okay wheels, and no rough idle must equal a slow car.

As we know, this isn’t always the case, as with this Mustang.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and say that this Mustang is totally finished in the shape that it’s in. I believe that there needs to be some more work done to it, so that it makes more consistent passes. After all, it only makes a successful pass a few different times during the course of this video. But, being that it’s powered by a 3.8L Ford, a 42 PSI turbo, slicks, and lots of other goodies, I think they’re on the right track.

Here’s the video:

See what I’m saying about getting down the track? They need to figure something out there, that enables them to keep the sleeper look. Wheelie bars won’t work, because there’s just something about them that screams Pro-Street.

Have you ever considered a 6-cylinder for your restomod build? Sixes are everywhere and many of them can be found for a lot cheaper than the good old fashioned V-8 we’ve all come to depend on. Then again, hooking that turbo up ain’t gonna be cheap, either. 

And, they have the added benefit of tricking everyone at the track because they’re much quieter until that turbocharger spools up. I had the pleasure of owning a turbo-six once when I lived in Japan during my final year in the Marines.

I drove an early 90s Nissan Skyline, which wasn’t exactly a sleeper because everyone over there knows that the Skyline is one of the quickest cars on the street. And let me tell you, it was really fast. To make it even quicker, only a moderate amount of work was necessary. 

There’s something about the V-8 that draws me to it, but I would also consider building a turbo-six sleeper in a second. 

What about you? Would you ever consider a turbo-six in your restomod? What do you think that Mustang needs to get it down the track better? Let’s discuss it in the comments. Also, make sure you like the Restomods Facebook page so you’re not left behind when the tree flickers green.