47-55.1 Need some wisdom from those who have already been there

[dmax1989]

So after what seems like an eternity, the major cab repairs are done on my 53. To be honest I was so involved with it I never really paid much attention to the next steps after the panel replacement was done.

That being said, my original plan was to swap in a T5 (which I have), transplant a camaro rear end and then rebuild a 235 with dual carbs and fenton headers. The original engine must have had water in it when it got parked because the head cracked (and god knows what else). I did find another engine but have not torn into it so who knows if its good either.


SOOOOO

Those that have went this route, were you happy with the outcome of the drivetrain? Not too many people around here keep the 235 going so I was hoping to do something different. But maybe thats why nobody has one anymore.


Should I give up on that idea and put in a 350, 383 or LS? I want to keep the solid axle for nostalgia purposes but again, maybe thats pointless.


Please share what you have learned. Im definitely interested in hearing other views. Might save me from spending tons of money on the wrong stuff.

[MiraclePieCo]

A six ultimately will be cooler and get more attention because it's different - especially with some vintage speed equipment. It's also more befitting of the straight axle. Plus you have an OD trans so it will keep up fine on the highway. If you need some inspiration just go through some of the build threads on this forum and view the cool six-holes like mick53 is installing:

[mr48chev]

It's all in what you plan do do with the truck when it is done and how and where you plan to drive it.

A well built 235 is just about as reliable as anything else. There are enough of them around that you don't run into the rare and unobtainable parts issues you do with some other engines the same age. They don't require a degree in advanced engine rebuilding to work on them either.

The main issue for a lot of us is that we want to be to take off in our trucks and hit the big roads and Go somewhere running at the speed limit without straining the
the engine. Most of the events I go to are around 150 to 200 miles away. Quite often it is over and back the same day and for me a 235 would add about three or four hours of travel time and most likely turn a one day event into a two day trip. I've also got several long, as in over 1000 miles one way, road trips planned when the truck is done. I know that isn't what every one has planned for their rigs and there are guys on here who will never venture more than 50 miles from the house in the truck under it's own power and trailer if they go further.

The main thing is build it the way you figure that you can enjoy it the most and for how you intend to use it. There is nothing at all wrong with wheeling along at 55/60 with the T-5 in 5th gear and the engine purring and maybe seeing more than those who are running 80 in the fast lane. We were talking the other day and our days of having to make XX miles a day to get to the destination in YY days is over we hope. I'd rather do 350/400 mile days than 700 mile days now.

[joedoh]

all your options take time or money, the 6 will need rebuilt and fenton and duals parts, as well as fitting and making the T5 work. a carbed small block will need mounts and linkages and peripherals like a new cooling system. an LS variant will need fuel pump and wiring. I hope you are planning a brake upgrade in there somewhere with the overdrive capability.

take mr48s advice and figure out what you WANT, not whats "different" not whats "cooler". for me, what everyone else thinks is really ancillary, I do what I like. figure ouut what you will be doing, daily driving, weekend driving, hardly driving, and plan for THAT. with the end goal in mind its easy to assign schedule and costs by thinking about the done truck and working backwards to where you are now.

[1project2many]

I think you're likely to wish you'd done something different no matter how you build the truck. There are a number of folks here that are in one stage or another of rebuilding, re-rebuilding, or re-re-rebuilding a truck they've owned for years.

My truck is relatively low powered (under 300 hp) and has a mostly stock drivetrain and brakes. There's minimal chrome, no fat tires, no loud exhaust. I can hang out with the guys that have original cars and it looks fine. But it looks very much out of place with the hot rod trucks, and the guys that own those trucks seem to think it's important to tell me what I should do to make mine better. I like my truck. I've driven all over New England on Sunday drives and cruises. I can get on the highway and drive comfortably even in traffic. I've been to truck and car shows and I can take it down to the store or out for ice cream at a moment's notice. Folks who stop to look at the truck and talk with me seem to enjoy looking at it and learning what's inside. These days I'd like power steering and power brakes, and I'm still hoping I can get my NV4500 installed some day but I'm generally happy with the build.

I'd start my powertrain build by considering final drive ratio and engine torque and hp. I think the Camaro rear with numerically lower gears and the T5 is a good addition to reduce engine rpm but I'd probably opt for more torque. Using today's standards the 235 probably produced 180 ft/lbs tq. Compare that to the 3800 V6 in the '95 Camaro which produced 225 ft/lbs and there's a pretty good argument for using a newer engine.
But you can build a pretty strong I6 if you do some planning.

A great example imo of a mild AD that was useful and probably very fun was Newfisher's '50 Suburban. It was equipped with a nice 250, 700R4, and a 3.73 rear. He had posted it for sale once and the ad is still up: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/c...p?product=8430

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

Compare that to the 3800 V6 in the '95 Camaro which produced 280 ft/lbs and there's a pretty good argument for using a newer engine.

the 3800 only had that much torque as a supercharged engine, the camaro 3800 was 225 ft/lb if I remember.

[1project2many]

Originally Posted by joedoh

the 3800 only had that much torque as a supercharged engine, the camaro 3800 was 225 ft/lb if I remember.

Thanks for catching that. You're right... the RWD L36 N/A was 203 hp / 225 lb⋅ft (312 N⋅m). Previous post edited to reflect correct rating.

S/C engines are neat but swapping the S/C 3800 into rear drive application is not practical. But... grafting a FWD series II 3800 S/C plus 4T60E into an AD truck would definitely get some attention...

[dmax1989]

Thanks for the input everyone. Plans for this are going to be a sunday cruiser, top speed will be around 55-60mph.

Definitely doing disc brakes, plus the upgraded wheel bearings. For what I plan on doing, a 235 with the t5 and a 10 bolt should work well for my needs. The only thing that may change that plan is if the 235 I am going to use is seized or not. It's still sitting in the donor truck right now and it's a brisk -40 c today so I'm not in a big rush to see.


I think I'll start a build thread once I find all my pictures and then everyone can see where I'm at.

[dsraven]

yup, like said above, figure out what it is YOU want in a truck and go down that road.
My suggestions, to start with, would be a good look at what you have. look at it like a restoration shop would look at it. try not to overlook areas where you think you could get away with not fixing something or you know the problem could run deep and you don't wanna look because it could be more than you wanna find. try not to spend money in your mind dreaming about the cool stuff until you have a good set of bones under the truck. yeah, the cool stuff is nice to have but the bones are more important. no use having the whizzy paint job if you can't stop. count the whizzy stuff into the cost equation but don't skip on the basics in order to have the whizzie stuff.
if you have the room completely remove the body off the frame and see what you have left. if stuff is breaking or distorting (taken apart with care) then those parts needed to be fixed anyway. once apart check everything out with a fine toothed comb. check the frame for square and sag, deeply rusted spots behind shock mount brackets, cross members etc. write stuff down as you go and take pics as you take it apart as well. it will help you in the assembly stage. bag and tag parts so you know what went with what. THEN decide how/if you want to go ahead with the rebuild and what you want it to look like. a redo on the cab with doors could be costly and thats not including other stuff related like shop heat and power, welding supplies etc. if I were to do it again I would really consider a completely new cab, with doors. mine was really badly rusted and after a sandblast there were lots of spots to fix. cab corners, floor fronts, steps, rockers, door pillars, cab mounts, hinges, door skins, roof eyebrow, firewall, fender lowers, headlight eyebrows, and the list goes on. get a list and make a feasability report for yourself then decide how far in you wanna go. compare that to buying new stuff instead of fixing old stuff. go from there. start the list with the suspension type you want, IFS or solid axle front? power front disc brakes would be a must for me. sure, lots of guys drive the old drums up front but they tend to pull under hard application and need adjustments periodically etc. they don't stop as well as discs in my opinion so why take the chance when the disc upgrades are readily available. discs are "put them on and forget them" kinda. you would need to spend money on fixing the drum set up anyway. power steering is also a must for me. I live in the city and parking spots were made for a Honda Civic. I want to enjoy the ride, not fight the truck.
anyway, you get the drift. since it is freaking cold out you could do some research on what it is you would like to have. be that IFS or 4 link rear or air bag suspension, whatever. I would suggest, however, that if you are looking at IFS, weld in or bolt in, to look at a cross member that is a one piece with upper and lower control arm mounts built in. that takes a lot of guess work out and you end up with something that can be aligned properly. some kits bolt in as well so less chance the frame gets tweaked from the heat of welding. if looking for a good strong diff you might consider a ford 8.8 as they are pretty strong and are plentiful. an explorer would come with large diameter axles, posi, 3.73 ratio and disc brakes with easy to connect park brakes. a mustang could come with the same but the pumkin would be centered instead of offset like an explorer is. an S10 rear axle is pretty common as well however possibly not as strong. some of these also have posi and disc brakes. as far as engines go, personally, I like a fuel injected unit because that is so easy to get in, turn the key and go. no messing around with a carb at different altitudes and stinky exhaust systems that everybody shuns these days. if you don't plan on a tire roast every time you drive then a stock fuel injected v8 would be more than ample. the truck is pretty light with most of the weight over the front axle.
post up some pics when you can, along with some ideas of what your plan might be. lots of guys on here have redone that style of truck so lots of knowledge on what to look for.
stay warm man.

[Jemezcrusher]

I decided to stick with the 235 that was in my truck when I got it. It had good compression and only had about 4000 miles on a rebuild. I wanted to be able to cruise at highway speed so did the same thing you are contemplating I have an Offy dual carb manifold with two carter weber carbs that I got from Langdon’s. Williams headers from the same place. T5 that I rebuilt. You have to change the input shaft and enlarge the mounting hole just a smidge but no real problem. 8.8 rear out of a Ford Exploder. I am going with kind of an old school look and I think it is coming along fine. I’m not sure I understand Mr48’s comment about a 6 cylinder turning a one day trip in to two. I am just about to get mine together so I can not speak for the performance just yet, but with the overdrive gearing and 3.73 rear end, I should be able to cruise down the road at 70 mph without much difficulty. Big hills will slow me down some but won’t add a significant amount of time to the trip overall Back in the day I could cover 600 miles a day in a 40 hp VW and they topped out at 70. A buddy of mine has the same set up and is getting 25 mpg out of his 6. He takes long trips all the time. Build what you want. If you want lots of power you will burn the tires off and AD truck. My .02