1955 Belvedere survivor barn find <hr style="color: rgb(229, 229, 229); background-color: rgb(229, 229, 229);" size="1"> 260 poly needs rebuilt...restoration guy is trying to talk me into dropping in a crate engine rather than rebuilding original. I guess my question is how important is keeping the car all original...a 4 door 55 Belvedere isn't exactly as collectible as, say, a 57 Chevy. Has 81000 orig mile and is ridiculously original and complete right down to assembly line markings on firewall and inner fenders...engine still runs but makes lots of unhappy noises. Opinions?
I think original would be cool but be prepared for the expense ... I will cost you a bit more than say rebuilding a SBC but less than a new crate engine .. I imagine. Some parts will also be a challenge to find. You should also think about what kind of power you will be happy with and factor that in .... will less than 200 horses do it for you? Dont forget to factor in the transmission, motor mounts etc... It all really comes down to what you want and the budget you have to work with. Either way good luck with it. Let's see some pictures. Check out this HAMB group too http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=367
regarding originality, resale be damned....if you are restoring to original IE serious with the factory paint daubs and grease pencil marks, etc, then rebuild the poly, the parts are a tad more expensive but you get the factory package.... Then again, if you don;t care all that much about it, then a crate or aftermarket rebuilt is the ticket. Now you realize, it should be a MOPAR engine, they do make OTHER crate engines than SBC's . And the extra bucks spent on re-engineering brackets, mounts, hook=ups etc can be looked at in the orig vs crate debate....if it's an automatic, what were you thinking of for the shifter? etc....all the extras will add up. Unless the engine is completely shot, pistons wore from bad pins/sloppy on bore, etc, a rebuild kit rings bearings gaskets....have the heads and rocker assy's checked for wear, etc....rebuild or replace carb, water pump, fuel pump, oil pump.....same things you would do on a late model used engine anywho. You just knew I was going to say leave it all MOPAR didn't you? my 2 cents worth. Either way, finish it and drive it.... and pics please! PS - is he a "resto" guy or a re builder?....I know of no resto guys, bet they ford, chev, mopar etc that would even suggest a crate engine........Sometimes it's just an easy out, an older engine is alot more leg work, dealing with decent machine shops , etc...but worth it !
Is it your car? Or is it a customer's car who wants you to swap out the engine? That's unclear. If it's for a customer, just do what he wants. A 4 door '55 isn't such an important car that you have to worry about changing it. If it was a convertible or a '56 Fury or something like that then I'd say differently, but just a clean 4 door, I don't see any harm. If it's your car, I'd say rebuild the original engine. It'll cost less than the crate engine and the crate engine won't make the car worth any more than it is with the original motor, so it's not worth the expense. I've heard you can put Dodge Red Ram Hemi heads on a Plymouth poly motor, so you could consider rebuilding the Poly as a Hemi. 241 Hemi Dodge engines are pretty cheap to buy when the bottom end is junk so that would give you everything you need. The pistons are different too but if you're rebuilding the whole motor anyway that won't make a difference.
Watch for my p.m.,I have a rebuilt short block available right here in Omaha at a nice low price. ~sololobo~