No shame at all. I had a 216 in my 52 panel just couldn't kill the thing. Not that I tried. They are a mechanic's dream. One of the things I was going to do to mine was dump the road draft tube and put in a PCV system. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I really appreciate the offer, I'll take you up on it one of these days. Right now I really shouldn't even think if the mechanicals, the body and rust are a tale of horrors. I need to get the floors and rockers replaced before I do anything. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I had a stock 216, 3 speed and original rear end in my 51 and drove it flat out all the time. About 2 years straight I drove it every day 65mph for about half an hour each way to work and back and on the highway or a straight bit of road it would get up to 85..... I like to rev things out and mine never gave up. Only pulled it to put a v8 and 4 speed so it would be cheaper to run and a little more power but yeah, no shame at all in running a 216
Sondre Kvipt of Norway is running a 216 with some goodies in his old Custom (Tom Carroll's 1949 Chevrolet) built by the Barris. Also a friend of mine is running a stock 216 in hos Chevy 51 and that thing purrs along the highway like a kitten. So try and go for it! Nothing wrong with a good running inline six! Tom Carroll's Chevy displayed on the Kustomrama website: http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Tom_Carroll%27s_1949_Chevrolet
Devin, You have a nice coupe there. I agree with R POPE, a 261 and powerglide gears is the easiest and cheapest way to go. A fresh 261 with dual carbs and fentons will make for fun and zippy little coupe. From your pictures it looks like you may have some floor and rocker work to do as well so getting bogged down with an engine swap and the requisite complete drivetrain change will mean your coupe won't see the road 'til bout a year from now. Get a 261, rebuild it internally with the best parts you can afford. Like Ross (Jahns popup) pistons for more compression, A Delta 264* cam, good bearings and oil pump. Have your radiator cleaned out, pressure tested and given a clean bill of health. Get a powerglide gear set installed while the 261 is being rebuilt. When the new engine is ready, just stick it back in and go. You can add the Fentons and multicarbs as you can afford them. This way, You will have a running/driving car in short order. Most everything else can be weekend projects. Best Regards and Good Luck with all your endeavors, KB.
Thanks for the advice. To say that the rockers and floor pans need work is the understatement of the century! This car is RUSTY! I really didn't pay anything for it, but it will wind up being more expensive in the long run than if I had bought something something solid to begin with. That being said, I'm looking at this car as a very long term project where I will learn new skills in areas of metal forming and bodywork. I've gutted the interior and assessed the situation and created a list breaking the car down into small projects. At this juncture, I'm going to,tackle the floors and body first. Then separate the body from the chassis. I will redo all suspension, brake and driveline stuff then have the body dipped and epoxy primed before marrying them together again. Either that or back out now but I think I'm too dumb to quit Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Like the rest all said, a 216 can work for years, just get used to going a bit slower. My mostly original 37 Chevy Ute has a 216 converted to insert bearings, but otherwise near stock. Runs fine around 60-65 max. Driving around town it is floored at stop lights to keep up with normal flow of traffic. Freeway is fine, just stick to right lane. The funny thing is at hot idle the oil pressure is zero on the gage, and will go up once revs come up. But at idle there is no load and it is pumping, but get used to 15 psi as normal at cruising speeds.
If you're going to be grinding rust for a few months anyway, just keep the feelers and ads out for a 302 Jimmy.... cubes are always the cheapest power and these were dependable motors. If you're changing motors anyway, go big.... in fact, if you are converting to an open driveshaft anyway, you really aren't looking at a lot more to go SBC.
What's a fair price to pay for a jimmy? There's a few on Craigslist right now Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I am running a 216 in my 41 and it's slow but it starts right up in 20 degree weather.it gets me everywhere ,was thinking of early v8 but as long as the six runs good I will stick with it.
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