Hey guys! I am getting ready to prepare for my first shakedown run/cruise in the '50 and wondering what you guys feel is a "safe" and comfortable cruising speed in a car like mine without feeling like you are going to grenade the damn thing. It is ALL factory drivetrain, 216, 3-on-the-tree, factory brakes, and I have new radials on it. 50? 55? 60? What do you feel comfortable at?
I have a 50 Desoto and felt comfortable at 65-70...of course it depends on where that is......city highway or country. I tend to slow down in the city because of all the OT cars that don't seem to realize you are even around.
For that car, 55-65 is enough. A 216 will go faster, but the faster you go, the sooner it's gonna burn a rod (if it's a dipper). Brakes need to be adjusted up good too. Gotta stop straight when that texter pulls out in front of you and you hit the brakes.
I don't think I am in the position to suggest a set speed,,you own the car and should have a good feel for it. The engine can grenade just as easy at 35 as it can at 55,,it's just a matter of when it decides to let go. Go out and enjoy yourself if the worse decides to happens it's time for a small block! HRP
Exactly. Depends on how many other cars around you. I can go 60-65 on the freeway alright, but that is with plenty of room in front to stop with drum brakes. If it's a crowded road, I would drop down to 55 to leave plenty of room.
For a fresh build, I go up and down my driveway (about 800 feet) first, about 5 mph to listen for anything weird, check the brakes, check the operation of the e-brake, etc. If that goes well, a ride around the block at 25 mph. If that goes well, a few rides further down the street and around town at 30-35 mph during off-hours. Once I'm confortable that it's G2G, I'll run it up at highway speeds.
HAHAHA! Thanks guys, it is a dip system/splash set up, so I know you have to be careful. Some people tell me to keep it at 50, some have said you are ok up to 65 ish. Just so hard to know, and obviously I don't want to blow up a motor I just put work into - better safe than sorry!
I would be mostly concerned with the brakes at first that checking the upper limits. Drive around the neighborhood first to get a feel for what the brakes act like at speed. Lots less hazardous to your health too if you have a need to stop in someones driveway and check something out.
You will find where you are comfortable with it but I'd guess in the 55/60 mph range for the 216 is about the limit of it's comfort zone.
THis car is pre-interstate. 45 was considered pretty fast. I'd keep it under 55-60. Remember, too, in this era, you got what you paid for. By that, I mean the more money you paid for a car, the better the car. So, a DeSoto will be able to go faster than a Chevy, A Cadillac faster than the DeSoto. A ford, not so much, though the V8 DID change a lot of this hierarchy. Cosmo
55-60 should be fine in that thing, you never really are safe with all the idiots out there texting and talking on the damn phone anyways, get in, throw on some tunes, stick your right arm out the window and cruise brotha "You know a guy around here with a piss-yellow deuce coupe? Supposed to be hot stuff? You mean John Milner? Ain't nobody can beat him, man. He's got the fastest-- I ain't nobody, dork. "
That is the plan Phil! Was just curious as I am planning a slow cruise from Holland, MI to Hickory Corners, MI for the Relix Riot, which is around 65 miles, and I'll plan 2 hours to get there. Cannot wait! The main reason I was curious is I need to eventually get this thing down to the Western suburbs of Chicago, which will take REAL good amount of time with backroads. Around NE Indiana/SW Michigan, and west of there into Illinois, backroads are not "ideal" for a number of reasons...namely neighborhoods...
I always term it a "Break down", instead of a "Shakedown" cruise. Easy and slow in the neighborhood when the kiddies are put away. Check to see if the brakes pull left or right, general feel. THEN GO,BABY!!!
Remember that these cars were built to move people from one place to another, that the states built roads to accommodate them, and that people actually used them to go to work, on family outings, and to cross the country. Now back in the 50's limited access multi lane super highways were few and and far between but most state highways were posted for 55 to 60 MPH in rural areas. Cars were designed accordingly. So as a rule of thumb, take your factory Peak HP RPM, which for a 1950 216 Chevrolet was 92 at 3400 (235's were rated at 3600 probably because of better bearings and oiling), and use 80% of that for a safe cruising speed which is about 2800 RPM. If you don't have a tach, you can figure this out on some online calculators, by entering your tire diameter, about 27.5 inches for 600/6.50 15's, then your rear end ratio, and your top gear ratio, usually 1 to1 unless you have OD. My Plymouth has a 4.11 rear end and I run a 28 1/4 inch tire. At 62 I am at 3280 RPM which works out to 82% of my cars 3600 Rpm peak HP engine speed. Let's say your car has a 1 to 1 top gear, a 3.89 to 1 rear end, and a 27.5 inch tire, 2800 RPM gives you 59.8 MPH. Taller tires would either give you a couple more mph or lower your rpm for a given speed. We have taken several long trips 400+ miles in our car. I usually take the state highways and cruise around 60. When I get to a city or congested area, I will jump on the Interstate or expressways. I do this because I think it's easier on the car to keep rolling on at speed that to stay on the surface roads with all the stop and go. Once the congestion is behind, I get back on the state roads. I usually break down my long trips into 50 or 100 mile segments. I figure if ti goes 50 miles it will go 100, ad so on. Good luck on your adventures. You will gain confidence in your ride as you put some miles on the clock.
stay with it until you can't stand no more or until the law tells you it just to dam fast. But good luck and hope it is a safe shake down
I grew up in the 50's and 60's. Speed limits on the rural roads in Michigan were 65mph. My dad had a 53 Ford flathead with and then a 57 Ford DelRio 2dr wagon with a 272 Y block. He was a conservative driver, but I remember he always cruised a couple of mph above the speed limit---~67 or 68 mph. Those cars never used oil and still ran well when he traded them at 60-70k miles, which was probably typical for the period. His later cars, a 61 Y block and a 65 Galaxie cruised well at 70-75 after the Interstate system was being constructed, but both of those cars had taller gears.
The Jalopy Journal
