yea bro theres nothing wrong with keeping a 216 there tough engines, had it in my 50 for years with no problems. even took it to vegas from LA once. 216 powerglide trans, split headers and pipes all stock then. i was going to rebuild the 216 and put it back in but someone offered me $400 for it and i bit. i ended up finding a '67 327 block machined .040 over and sitting in pieces with crank and pistons for $450. so i basically got it for $50! lol also came with a set of 305 heads and a set of camel humps too. that was my reason for change but the 216 is a tough engine. nothing wrong with keepin it. the split pipes sound great too!
Congratulations, 49! And being a 4 door will make it easy and fun for your friends to pile in and out of it.
how hard was it to put your 327 in your car? because we looked at the 216 further and its shot and we have a 305 with heads and some other goodies that came out of my uncles camaro that needs to be overhauled.
Who said "junkyard motor"? I NEVER recommend a "junkyard motor", PERIOD. I warn against it. The purpose for the swap is to have an engine that you can depend on! And a bit more reliability & power
yeah I'll keep the old man thing in mind i didn't think anything of it i wouldn't want to show any disrespect to my dad
The guys are right, we Fathers like to be called Dad or even Pop, but "the old man" would hurt me if my Son's referred to me that way. It is bad enough getting old, but worse to have people you love remind you of it. Nice looking Chevy btw. Don
Well one things for sure, in this day and age there won't be anything else like it in the high school parking lot. As for the motor, the 216 is from an era where everything was hand built by highly skilled craftsmen. Unfortunately those days and most of those craftsmen are gone. So unless the motor is in pristine condition junk it and go with a nice 350sbc/th350 combo. The 216, if it needs any kind of serious work, is going to be just to hard to find parts for or people who really know how to work on them. The SBC and TH 350 are easy to find, comparatively cheap/easy to work on and any reputable garage can help you with them. Scott
well we went threw the engine and its junk and we have a nice upgraded 305 but it needs to be over hauled so do you know how hard would it be to put that in? and would i have to put a different front end in?
Definitely give thought to what curbfeeler said! I pulled a perfectly good running 6 cyl from my car a year ago to swap a v8 in. I thought I had everything to do it, a year later my car is now being used to store stuff in cuz it doesn't run. If yours runs good, get the stance you want, maybe some disc brakes, upgrade small stuff and just cruise it! Whatever you do, have fun with it! Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Hey welcome! Lots of good opinions and info for you here. I did not read every post, but have to agree with either keep the 216 or upgrade to a full pressure "bolt in" 235...etc. One thing I did not see was what transmission you have. I assume it would be the 3 on the tree and if so, do you have an overdrive? Reason I ask is that a 216 running at highway speeds today with lower gears tends to rev way too high and the old dip oiling systems just splash the oil instead of providing any lubrication to your crank bearings. Chevrolet started full pressure systems in 1953 (automatic trans cars only, the manuals still had the old oil system) and in 54 they went full pressure on everything. That said, get a good vintage "Motors" manual. Fortunately there is plenty of superb help on this site to keep either the 216 running, or upgrade to a later model full pressure six. MOST importantly have fun, enjoy the time with your ol' Dad and check in often.
yes it is a three on the tree and that's one thing the previous owner had a problem with the oiling system on the high way. and they claimedd that's all that was wrong with it, well the engines completely shot so what year did they have the more advanced oiling system in a three speed?
HA! That was the same as my first car - 4 door 49! That was back in 1967! Wow...soooo long ago. It got me into this hobby instantly. I put on an Offy 2 - 1 barrel intake, shaved hood, decked the trunk and drove the heck out of it. Lettered the trunk "Two Doors Twice". Most of my "pals" were into V-8's but this car with the never ending running 6 was a thrill of a lifetime. It will bring you memories for a lifetime with your POPS. It did for me. Please listen to curbfeeler...he's got some good sense going on there.
Hey, just want to wish you good luck with your new ride. My dad helped my build my first car. I was always in a hurry and made a bunch of mistakes. Dad bailed my out a number of times. Listen and learn from him.
There are reproduction Fenton dual headers available for the 216. It would also fit the 235 if you go that route later on.
I think It might make a difference you say "ol man" rather than OLD man , but dad always works. I can't believe no one has suggested a GMC 6 cyl truck motor , tho one guy did say a 292 motor , he might have been referring to a jimmie. They fit in pretty good and are a good strong engine and can take quite nicely to a bit of hop up.
I guess no one wants to listen, when it comes to the fact that the 216 is history. Try a search for the v-8 install. you'll be happy with the 305. I believe there are kits to install the v-8 also. Take your time and enjoy your journey.
since the 216 is toast, I would look for a later six to put in. The 194, 230, and 250 are all good engines and are usually inexpensive in good condition. As somebody else mentioned, the 292 will work fine too and have more power to boot in stock condition (considering it's pre smog)
Very cool car I have had many a ride in one. I liked to fall asleep in the back seat when I was a kid. On long drives the sound of the rearend and the tires on the road would sing me to sleep
The direct bolt in is going to be a 235 to my knowledge. Nothing wrong with going to a bigger engine like the iconic straight six GMC 292, but you start overpowering the rest of your drive train. If you want to go with a V8 then go for it. The thing I'm trying to tell you is that a 54 or later 235 is a direct bolt in, I think you might have to use the motor mounts off of the 216....... Once you start changing things too much then you won't have the coolest car in the parking lot, you'll have the coolest picture of a car hanging in your locker because your cars going to be in pieces in your garage. Bust your wrenching cherry on a simple engine swap with some nice Fenton bolt on goodies. Add a 12volt and an Pertronix to the dizzy and have fun. If that gets you going then start a V8 build over the summer if your in to it. Working on these cars is one of the best feelings in the world, but driving them is what it's all about. Have fun, best of luck to you.
LOL, sounds like curby knows his inlines. I stand corrected, or at least censored. I do stand by what seems to be a trend now on this thread though, keep it as simple as you can to start and work from there! A good engine stand is mandatory! Lower the car? Absofreakinlutely!
If the 305 needs a rebuild and the 216 is shot.. Hmmm.. I'd personally look for another inline 6. I had a 235 ina n old Chebbie once and it was awesome. I'm partial to them, and there are lots of great speed parts for stovebolt chev motors. However it's your car mate. If 2 extra cylinders makes you happy, you have the time to make it happen. I'd be different though, nothing sounds as cool as a split manifold inline 6 with glasspacks
its not really hard as much as it becomes a lot of little other things you have to do. if you have a parts camaro then maybe it will be easier for you. there are bolt in mounts from waltons fab. also bolt in trans cross members. you will have to remove the old trans cross member rivets and install new bolt in to old holes, just have to drill them a bit bigger. you need a 35o trans and driveshaft. a new rear end and camaro will do. you can prob grab the power brake system and master from it also. like i said its not that its hard it just ends up being a lot of other things to change. but you already have the parts probably so it might not be to bad for you.. my $.02
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