Lets talk Small block chevies! Some history from say 1955 to 1963

Ok Fella's Yep another Small block chevy thread. I knwo grab some pop corn and let the hazing begin.

On a serious note since this Engine is the most controversial engine on the board, and I happen to love them dearly. I have really been intrigued lately by the real early speed parts that made these things go real fast when these motors were just hot off the press and guy's not unlike us were experimenting with them.

I really want to know some dates of parts and when certain manifolds were released and who had the hot set ups and when.

I am focusing on this for my 49 Chevy fleetline that is gonna have a very "Traditional" small block. I am shooting for around a 1957 to 59 time frame.

What distributors were avail??? what were some cams and specs??? what exhaust setups were guys runnin???

I really like the old Fenton stuff especially the exhaust manifolds.

I think this can be a great thread about early smallblocks and a chance to hear some great stories and learn some really deep history about the Traditional days of this incredible little engine that could!!!!!

Thanks is advance guys for keeping this post on topic and really documenting some great history.

Eric

 

And to start off here is an Engine I love.

 

Cool, let the haters hate. While your at it, check out JeffreyJames' thread called "Lets build a 265 Chevy V8"

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=416175&highlight=265

Or his other thread (I think he's got a thing for small blocks???) "Proof is in the Pudding"

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=430018&highlight=pudding

 

Yes Exactly what I am talking about. I love that thread. there is so much cool stuff that was happening around these angines in that time period. I love it!

 

My father in law has a 1956 Chevy Convertible that he bought in 1959. He drove the car to High School and raced it all over santa clara from around 1959 to 1964. In late 1962 as he recalls he had crashed the car and was having front end work done at a local body shop. He was at the Chevrolet dealer picking up parts for his car when one of the parts guys rolls in this big box. curious as were all the other guys there they want to know what is in this "Box". they pop it open and here is a "327" "what the hell is that" he says. proceeded by "I'll take that too" they tell him no way they just got it. Well being the stubborn Italian that he is, he buys that damn motor takes it back to the body shop and drops it in the 56. Says not many cars could beat him after that but he couldnt keep a tranny together behind it. so one night in 1964 after a street race he is involved in a police chase that ends up with him flying off the road says " I heard a loud bang" and the car quit." he goes off the road out of sight cops dont find him. he tows the car home tranny blown up. the cops show up at this door and tell him "Dont let us see that god damn car on these streets again."
The car is sitting still with that very low mileage motor between the rails.
There are plans for a very correct restoration of that car back to a 1961 or 62 ish mild custom hot rod 56 convertible.

 

I'll be watching this thread. My '62 327 is at the machine shop now being bored .60 over, align bored and decked. Soon as the pistons come in i'll be balanced. I'm going for a little later era, around the mid '60's.

 

not really seeing how SBC's are controversial.

the hatred of small block Chevrolets is directly proportional to the length of the cuffs on your jeans and how cool you look with your greasy hair.

 

Hahahahaha!!!!!!


Well if any of you are interested, I might if the planets and stars align should be getting my former 265 now 283 in my '35 this weekend. Who knows though. I am trying to modify the Hurst mount tonight perhaps so everything will be ready before I set it in.

 

WTF is a " chevies"

 

Seriously!!!!!

Thanks for the bump to the top!

 

Hell yeah I am interested. You seem to be the guy who comes up when it comes to the Early chevy V8. Cant wait to see it.

 

There are now chunks of chocolate chip cookie all over my screen. thanks!!!!!!!
hahahahaha.

 

For looks it is hard to beat a Spalding Flamethrower Ignition. Or the coolness factor of a Vette Tach drive dist.

 

Agreed! do you know approx what year those were released???

Sorry for all the specifics but for some reason I am really into the history on this. shit the only history I like, wish this is what they taught in high school! i'd have payed attention.

 

That's more then likely because I ask so many questions and have no idea what I am doing. It also might have something to do with me being a nerd and scanning in issues of old magazines because I know my way around a flatbed scanner.


Anyhow, the 265 that I built or had built should be a nice warmed up engine. The builder said on the low side we should be looking at 225 and 250 on the high side. It's allready to be dropped in and for the first few runs I'll be using a '59 Corvette 4bbl intake just so I am not fucking with the 4 carbs that'll be on my WCFD Weiand intake. Cross your fingers!!!

 

A little History about our beloved small block Chevy ;;,,in '53 ,,Zora Arkus Duntov ,,who invented the ARDUN OHV conversion for the Ford Flathead motors for London England's under powered garbage trucks ,,when he came to the U S ,,he took his new engine design to Ford ,,they turned it down ,,said " that Mickey Mouse valve train won't last " ,,So,,,Duntov took his new design to G M ,,,they not only bought it ,,hook line & sinker ,,they hired Mr Duntov as Chief Engineer to make it all werk right ,,Thus ,,in '55 the "Mickey Mouse" Motor was born ,,

 

I'm running a Mallory Dual point. I think besides a magneto they are super clean looking dizzys.

 

Yeah me too! I have one ready for my small block as well!!!!

 

Way back when ,,i had my 265 bored to 283 ,,Jahns 12.5 to 1 cast pistons ,,Duntov 30-30 cam ,,'Vette intake with dual AFB carbs ,,'57 Vette dual point tach drive dist with Mallory Points/ Condenser/Cap and a Buick Rotor ,,of coarse ,,you couldn't run a SB Chevy motor without those great 'Vette finned aluminum valve covers ,,
oh ,,and that was put in a '54 Ford F-100 pick Up ,,

 

Yeah I have a set of the staggered hole vette covers. cant decide on those or I also have a set of steel script covers that I want to chrome. my motor is going into a late fifties custom 49 chevy Fleetline. kinda so cal watson style. Like a well off high school kid would have driven in say 1958 or 1959

 

I really like that truck too by the way. What year was that picture taken???

The Diamond tuck is great!!!

 

Mallory distributors rule. Kool lookin and the right era. If you scour the swap meets you can find the early black caps that held the wires by rubber compression. Look for the fat condensor on the side too. Working or not they look like they belong. Yes on the Fenton stuff. Corvette valve covers are always welcome but any finned aluminum VCs will do. Well, not the new milled shit. The Edelbrock repops aren't too hateful if you find an early Eddy manifold, 3, 4 or 6 carbs. Not too hard to dress em up. Insides can be anything. Do a 355 with a small damper and call it a 327. Or if you get really lucky find a 327 and do a 331. The big outlet rams horn manifolds were the hot ticket but at the prices they get nowadays, woah. If I were racing, as in race only, I'd build a BBC because you can't beat them dollar per HP. Sure you can build a SBC to make equal power but way more dough. For looks and reliability and as a respectful nod to tradition (if you care) nothing beats a SBC.

Haters? Cuffs? I like it.

 

Yep, that's the dizzy top that I have for my mallory. I have clear red wires with black boots soon to be popping out.

I also found an old set of Offy staggered bolt VC's for my engine on ebay for $75!!! I'm stoked to see them back from the polisher.

 

The mouse motor is the best motor ever designed to date. Sure there are motors that are bigger, nastier, faster but only the small block Chevrolet can do it all whether it's a street machine, custom, rod, drag car, boat,stock car, whatever, it gets the job done. CHEVROLET USA-1

 

Agreed on BBC. I have a 73 454 punched .030 with flat tops and some 396 closed chamber heads and a bowtie aluminum highrise. runnin a mild crane cam.

I am gonna sell the engine so that I can fund my insanely expensive small block build. cool old stuff isnt cheap. and yeah I am most likely gonna run a 350. I have one already with a forged bottom end and some 11to1 domed standard bore pistons from an og LT1 outta my in laws flat bottom.
I just gotta figure out the best way to get the most out of some older looking heads. I want this thing to pump out some serious power but have a very early feel and sound to it as well.

This is like baking vs cooking. cooking you can improvise and it turns out good baking you improvise and it fails. I am definately baking here!!!!!

 

I'll share some pics of the LT1 boat motor later tonight. its obviously an early 70's feeling motor but is perfect in the 1970 torino Flatbottom it is in.

 

I know, it's a 283 but it's just holding the front end down till I get my 265 built...







OG Hurst mount, Offy 3-speed adapter, Weiand 4x2, Those are the original 265 valve covers, chromed in the late 50's/early 60's but I have a good set I'm getting chromed, I'll hang these on the wall.

 

I built that truck when i was in the Air Force in Anchorage Alaska ,,'63/'64,,i took an Alaska discharge in '65 ,,those pics were takin' at a car show up there in winter of '65/'66 ,,in '67 ,,i striped it ,,and made a drag truck out of it ,,with a full tilt 396 big block ,,ran it in C/Gas at the Polar dragway ,,sold it in '69 when i moved back to Iowa ,,

 

Yeah that is very close to what I have in mind for dressing out mine. I like the look of the power pack heads but I dont think that they would work well for what I have in mind. The chromed script covers are so cool. and 4x2's are great. I am thinking either 4x2's or 2x4's. I am going to step away from the 3x2 setup.

 

You know my other concern is gonna be the fan???? A 4 blade stoker has the look but not the cooling performance I am after HHHHMMMMMMM!!!!!!!