Recommend a modern SBC/transmission for a 51 Chevy coupe

Thinking about a 51 Chevy coupe as a retirement project. What engine/transmission do you recommend? I'm thinking SBC with some kind of a modern automatic transmission.

 

Hopped up multi-carbed 235 with a T-5 and a 4.10 geared 10 bolt!

 

Had a 283/th350 combo in mine...worked well. I'd have sprung for a 327 if I could have found one, though. I've surprisingly seen a lot of my friend's parents using 305s (I know ppl here hate them) because of ease of finding parts and pretty good gas mileage.

 

We pulled a 2001+ LQ4 from a wrecked Chevy 3/4 ton truck. Low mileage and a good buy at $350. Complete from intake to oil pan. Also got a T56 for the build. Going in our 62 Nova. Could be a sweet combo for an early 50's Chevy...

 

I like the idea of a modern power plant and transmission, any recommendation of what to look for? I'm thinking of buying the engine, trans, computer, and wiring together.

 

why not try a V6 from a newer Chevy truck? You could find one in the wreck yards.

 

4.3
balance shaft
keep it

 

x 2

 

I was looking at building a '53 or '54 a while ago and had concluded a 283 / 327 / 350 with a TH-200-4R was a good setup. Good engines, good trans (though overlooked), and good aftermarket support for putting them in '49-'54 cars.

 

A 350/700R4 TBI is cheap and fairly easy to transfer over complete. If you get one that runs a cable speedometer, you can keep the stock speedometer with the addition of one sensor. As a bonus, you can make your own trans mount on the remains of the original one out of straight stock with a pad on the front to catch the rearmost trans case mount.

Manifolds are tough, I was going to use mid-80s Caprice 305 manifolds on mine, but someone made me an offer and I sold it first. Another good option is anything that comes upward from the exhaust ports and dumps at the rear on both sides.

 

Don't overlook the 250.

 

Retirement project, so you will probably hit a lot
Of shows with it....
350/700r4
Drive the hell outta it!!
Plenty of stock power, easy to find parts and inexpensive.

 

The '55-'56 265 manifolds are supposed to be a good fit, although they're not exactly a junkyard item these days.

 

I'm all for the SBC and overdrive auto or standard transmission swap, but you'll have to change to an open driveshaft and modern rear axle too, and slightly modify the rear axle to spring mount. That's not so hard to do, but if you wanna keep it simple and old-style, a 235/261 is a bolt-in deal, and you can run a split exhaust manifold and duals for a nice exhaust note. You can keep your original trans, torque tube and rear axle. If the car has a 3spd trans, you can install a differential from a powerglide-equipped car with a lower gear ratio for better gas mileage and better highway speeds and avoid over-revving the engine. Patrick's has new ones available.

 

Btw...regardless of what engine you go with, make every effort to hear it run before you buy.

 

230 straight 6 backed by a 700r and s10 rear.

 

Would a 6.0 fit in a 51? Is a 6.0 considered a small block? Seems like it would be a painful endeavor.

 

what is the application of the car. Street, street/strip, Highway cruiser, track car, Street/track ? Want it old school or newer tech ?

 

I want a reliable daily driver that hauls ass!

 

Yes.

Sort-of.

No harder to install than any other engine, save for the ancillary systems.

 

I'm a Sailor, what the hell does ancillary mean?

 

an·cil·lar·y

/ˈansəˌlerē/
Adjective
Providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization, institution, industry, or system.

In this case, a system.

In other words, the other stuff, that keeps the engine running. The 6.0 is an EFI engine, with a transmission that is shifted by the engine management computer. You have to put all that in, and an electric fuel pump.

Don't let this scare you off. Engine wiring harness that are free of the vehicle specific stuff that is in the donor car/truck, are available. They are fairly plug-and-play. I do these installs, as a regular part of my job. When you begin, you'll be wondering what you got yourself into. When you are done, you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about.

 

G'day, LT1 and 4l60e out of a 94-96 Caprice or Impala SS. Use all the harness, injection, and computer. Those cars got 25 mpg and up, had tons of power, and were easy to work on. The stock exhaust went up and back and the first two years were still OBD1 systems. The only real issue was the opti spark ignition and that has been well covered by the aftermarket. And the donor cars are cheap.

ms

 

Yup, just gutted two of them. One breathed new life into a '72 Nova. The other is waiting for a home. It was too good a deal to pass-up.

I may put one in my Model A (oh the horror!)

 

283-327-350 sbc with a 4 speed a fun to drive

 

Agreed, my favorite donors are the 94-95 caprice 9C1 or wagons. 9C1s are well maintained and wagons normally live simple lives and not beat on. Just put one in my caddy and have another dozen on the shelf. Stay away from the aftermarket optis, stick with genuine GM vented units and you will be in good shape. You can buy these cars so cheap that normally the engine and all other parts you take end up free after selling the spare parts and scrapping the shell.

Here is a link to the caddy build with pics

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=639761&showall=1

 

This. These are almost free.

 

Here are some questions you need to ask your self.

How deep do you want to go moneywise? Simple is usually cheaper. But simple usually involves older motors and transmissions that may or may not require rebuilding. Same for suspension, brakes and steering.

Do you want a pretty motor? The old motors dress up nice. The newer stuff is a challenge.

Do you want a carbureted or a fuel injected motor. Carbureted is simpler and cheaper. Fuel injection is more expensive to wire up and supply with fuel but offers better starting, and improved mileage.

What chassis modifications do you want to make? Art Morrison will make you a completely new chassis set up for the motor of your choice. Chassis Engineering (Iowa) make bolt in front crossmembers that take disc brakes and power rack and pinion steering. Or you can rebuild and update what you have. You will need to replace your rear end with an open drive.

Here are some drivetrain recipes;

86 or later Chevy 305 or 350 with aftermarket intake manifold and carburetor. TH200-R4 or TH700-4R transmission. Chevy S10 rear end. (this combination has a roller camshaft and it does not need a computer). Nice traditional look under the hood. Old parts that will likely require rebuilding.

Late Chevy pickup truck 5.3 fuel injected V8 with stock transmission and computer wired up with an aftermarket wiring harness. Functional look under the hood. Again, Chevy S10 rear end. Low mileage packages are available in most wrecking yards.

Concerning the chassis. Make sure you are starting with a good frame. Postwar Chevy frames through 1954 are notorious for rusting out.

Good luck!!

http://www.waltonfabrication.com/prov.html

http://www.chassisengineeringinc.com/page28.html Pages 28-31

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ssb-a148-14/applications/make/chevrolet/year/1951

 

Some great suggestions. But let's keep it simple. Bib Overalls above says all ya need to know.

 

My biggest concern is steering column/header clearance. Small detail, but tends to be a big pain in the rear.