65 with 210 cubic inch and 3 speed ? Opinions?

[Grizz1963]

I started a thread earlier with this truck in the question, possibly badly worded.

I found a badly worded ad in a magazine last night, and was wondering just how "bad" this combo in a 65 long Fleet would be.

210 cubic inch 6 cylinder and a 3 speed gearbox.

I am thinking of things like towing my teardrop trailer and the occasiona load to be lugged.

What would this engine and box combo be like to live with on modern roads?

What sort of performance and speeds are they able to deliver?

The price in UK terms is what would be called reasonable at £5000 which is about $7600
BEFORE YOU GET HAPPY..... remember there is about $3800 actually involved in importing, shipping and customs etc costs to bring a truck to the UK, so a USA truck has to still be landed at a price that makes sense for a Brit to be interested.

My question is around the engine and gearbox combo, and what they will be like towing a Teardrop caravan,


Thanks for any replies and help.

[Lawrence]

No experience, but a Rover V8 is 215ci to put it into perspective. If you hate it put a 350 in. I've seen V8 ones already over here for that sort of money tho.
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[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by Lawrence

No experience, but a Rover V8 is 215ci to put it into perspective. If you hate it put a 350 in. I've seen V8 ones already over here for that sort of money tho.
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Hey Lawrence, Dark skies overhead, getting darker as I type here.

Just cut my lawn for the fist time this year, not much to cut, but typically tatty after winter, and I will be away for 3 weeks.

I know of a V8 stashed away elsewhere in the country.

What I am trying to find out is if these 210ci engines are worth keeping in the truck to do the stuff I want to do, I love a V8 but will never race or drag etc, so it is about understanding if they are good enough to just leave alone, or would it need replacing to run with modern traffic.

Ideally I want to cruise at 70mph or 120km/h and be able to still overtake the guy doing 65 in the slow lane

Thanks for the reply.

If you hear of any sensibly priced trucks, please dromp me a PM.

[Lawrence]

I'm sticking a 2005 5.3 ally truck motor in mine once I get round to it. Better weld a floor in it first tho! I'd be more concerned about the 3 speed than the engine, can't see that being fun at motorway speeds.
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[Clyde65]

I would go with the 230/250 motor and put an NV3500 or a t5 behind it. that way you could cruise at 70+ and get reasonable fuel mileage with out breaking the bank.

[1963c-10]

Never heard of a chevy or GMC 210 engine, possibly they mean the 230 or the 250?

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by 1963c-10

Never heard of a chevy or GMC 210 engine, possibly they mean the 230 or the 250?

The "old" guy I spoke to on the phone, has hearing aids and was 70 in January, sounded like a real enthusiast, bought the truck in the Netherlands in 2007 on a whim when out there on a classic American car rally.

I could not get a lot of clear answers out of him.

Seems the truck has whitewalls on, but he turned them inside out as he feels its a "commercial" truck and should not have whitewalls.

he seems to be under the impression that it was a retired Airforce truck from a German US base.

He said 210, but I guess it could be anything.

[1963c-10]

If its original or at least period correct, its a 230 or a 250. There was also a larger 292 inline six that was used also, and its much easier to tell from the 230 or 250. Probably came from Ramstein AFB in Germany, would be my guess.

[markeb01]

I’m not sure you can obtain any real meaningful input about how well the engine/trans combination will perform until you find out for sure what it is. It might not even be a Chevy six.

I’d be more concerned about “it has some rust but has been resprayed”. No matter where you live, rebuilding or replacing an engine/transmission is always less work and less expensive that repairing rust. Extensive rust can gobble up a budget faster than anything else, and ultimately kill enthusiasm for the entire project.

The bad part about fresh paint is that you have no idea what is under it. Sometimes it’s a better bargain to buy a vehicle that needs a new paint job, so you can be certain of the underlying condition. It also helps to check the usual rust areas with a refrigerator type vinyl magnet to see if extensive body filler has been slathered on. Those magnets aren’t very strong and won’t scratch the paint (possibly irritating the owner). If they won’t stick at all there’s probably a lot of filler underneath, indicating a cheap poorly done repair. Spend as much as you can afford to obtain a truck that's as rust free as possible, and you'll avoid years of annoyance and repairs.

Good luck on your search.

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by markeb01

I’m not sure you can obtain any real meaningful input about how well the engine/trans combination will perform until you find out for sure what it is. It might not even be a Chevy six.

I’d be more concerned about “it has some rust but has been resprayed”. No matter where you live, rebuilding or replacing an engine/transmission is always less work and less expensive that repairing rust. Extensive rust can gobble up a budget faster than anything else, and ultimately kill enthusiasm for the entire project. I get you.

The bad part about fresh paint is that you have no idea what is under it. Sometimes it’s a better bargain to buy a vehicle that needs a new paint job, so you can be certain of the underlying condition. It also helps to check the usual rust areas with a refrigerator type vinyl magnet to see if extensive body filler has been slathered on. Those magnets aren’t very strong and won’t scratch the paint (possibly irritating the owner). But then, when you are spending years worth of savings in one go, why not be sure If they won’t stick at all there’s probably a lot of filler underneath, indicating a cheap poorly done repair. Spend as much as you can afford to obtain a truck that's as rust free as possible, and you'll avoid years of annoyance and repairs. That is very much the plan, which is why I am now only learning about the mechanical side of things. I love thundering V8's but can have a great love affair with an old purring 6, as long as it is up to the job of towing the trailer at sensible speeds

Good luck on your search.

Thank you, fortunately I have a few people helping keep me on the straight and narrow, so that I do not just jump at the first truck.


Thanks for the reply Mark, much appreciated.