Here's an engine weight chart, not much difference...... http://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/engineweights.html
Or if you want a bolt-in replacement with a bit more hp and a lot more low-end and mid-range torque and that visually still looks the same as your current 235, find a 261 core to rebuild. You're in California, right? Besides the U.S-spec solid-lifter Chevy 261 truck engine, if you can get one shipped to you for a reasonable price, stout hydraulic-cammed 261's were used as the base engine in all Canadian-built Pontiacs from '55 through'62 and are still relatively common and cheaply obtainable, up here, north of the border. Mart3406 ===========
Build the 235... and that's coming from a guy with a nice 327. Nothing in the world sounds like a well built and planned out I6 (and you already have the exhaust setup you need). I miss the sound of the 235 in my old '52 Business Coupe.
Keep the six, everybody has got a small block, boring. Keeping the flathead in my 51 merc, slow and low is the way to go!
Yep! Also keeping the GMC 305 V6 in my truck. Sure it's heavy, sure it's slow but it sounds bitchin' and looks bitchin'! Cast my vote to keep your 235.
------------------- Yep! And about those 305 V6 Jimmys too. A nice thing about them...for the terminally torque addicted ...you can swap the completely adequate but somewhat sedate and sedated 305 out for one of their virtually identical looking 'big truck' 478 or '478 Magnum' V6 big sisters! (Assuming you want to use your truck to actually move mountains, instead of merely climbing them and /or also, to pull skyscrapers and other humongous structures, etc,., off of their foundations!!!!) Mart3406 ==============
i just built a 261 inline 6 for my 50 fleet line. fully rebuilt with a lumpier solid lifter cam,"848" cylinder head and some other internal work. all egge machine parts balanced etc. offey valve and side covers offey 3 carb intake, old school fenton exhaust manifolds with integral heat riser, hildebrrant oil filter canister and mallory "black cap " dizzy with petronix installed, t5 tranny open rear end with 373 posi rear outta a camaro. there is more that i am forgetting. i bought the car with teh original 216 splash oiler 3 speed tranny and 411 rear end. even with that combo it did ok in city traffic, could not keep up on the hyw thou. every one who see's my six loves it and loves the fact that im keeping it period correct. in 54 the original 6 is what would have been built and souped up not a abc. see if you can find a 261 or a 302 inline.
I appreciate all the replys, and it definitely looks like the 235 is the more popular choice. However. I've called a few different machine shops out here in Norcal, and they are all quoting around $3-4k for a total rebuild with a new cam, machine work, etc. I can get a brand spankin new 350 crate for under $3k. I'm mainly looking for reliability and ease of maintenance.
Since you have all the speed parts already there I'd lean that way. My 58 wagon had a 265 though I've never heard it run. A 58 is a big car and I plan on hauling kiddos, and stuff (junk) so I went sbc route. Rick(lonestarmopar) on here travels 65mph in a 52 on interstate with his 216pg. My ultimate decision was how it was going to be driven. Lots of hwy miles then cruise it comfortably
Just remember that the Mouse Motor isn't a direct swap. You will a transmission, driveshaft, rear end, in short, you will spend more money to swap in the 350 then if you would just have the 235 rebuilt. Stovebolts are reliable and don't need anymore maintenance then the 350. The only difference is the power.
i swapped out my 250 inline for a SBC in my previous truck and regretted not building the 6 in the end. I love going to shows and being pleasantly surprised by a car or truck that has a nicely done up inline. Having said that, in my opinion, you just can't beat that sound of a well tuned small block Chevy. Which is the reason I put one in my 56 pickup. BUT if the truck had come with an inline in it, I would have built it and ran that instead
6. I bore easily when I see a sbc with chinese chrome valve covers and air cleaners. The 235 is traditional.
It sounds like all the stuff that comes with the swap should close any gap in the cost between sbc and l6 pretty quickly. Sure it might not ad up to a grand but that stuff is pricey. I have a slant six in my '63 Dodge pickup, it doesn't make that much power but you feel it pull when you hit the rpm where it makes it's peak horse power. I've thought about a 318/360 swap since it would just bolt in, but I just dropped some cash on a 2x1 intake and headers so I'm gonna keep it. I would rebuild your 235 or find another 6. Just my opinion. I love the sound of any healthy v8 and I've had my share but I'm stuck on sixes since my brother came driving up the street in a '65 c10 292, with no muffler at all on the day he bought it.
Keep it. Here what I put in my 56 Chevy. Everyone loves it. I always get best engine at the shows....
Haha not planning on moving mountains, but I want to do a performance build on my V6 in the future. IIRC the 351 Magnum engine heads have the better flowing exhaust ports. I'll be doing a build thread here when I get to that point! Can't wait... Sure it's fun to go fast, but you also can't beat the "cool" factor and the ooh's and aah's you get when people check out your [non-bellybutton] engine. Well, you can get a bit of oomph out of a 235: http://www.cliffordperformance.net/ Maybe not as much potential for HP as a SBC, but again, the "cool" factor.
Or you could have the machine work done and build the engine yourself, save some $$$. Plus you get to say that you built your engine!
back 50 years ago when I was a kid I had a great time in the old mans ' '63 (I think) chev p/u with the 292, one powerful 6, often thought if I were going to do a 6 cyl. car that would be the motor to find, D.