The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Keep it stock...or Not?

I had the '63 C10 with the stock 283. I loved it. Those engines are nearly indestructible. I drove that thing all over the Western United States while in the military. I miss that truck

I also have a '62 C10 that had the 230 I6 in it when I bought it. Good running motor. When it died (nylon facing on timing gears gave out) I had a '67 327 sitting in the garage, so I dropped that in. Not truly Period Correct since the C10s didn't get a 327 until 1966, but they did exist in other cars. It's one of the few compromises I have made on authenticity. With the stock 3.90 gears and the SM420 tranny, torque has not been an issue for me. I have trouble keeping the rear end straight on wet roads, but I have plenty of power when I need it. I have been able to break the tires loose in the first 3 gears, just never saw the need to try for fourth. I prefer to just drive it in a straight line and let others wonder why an old truck is still on the road.

In my opinion, I would rebuild what you have and make a great runner out of it. There's nothing wrong with the 235 I6 engine. To change that to a V8, you would need to swap the bell housing ( I see you already have that) and I think you will need to scrounge up the front mounts for the V8. I may be wrong, but I'm not sure if the I6 front mount is the same as the V8. I know others on this forum will correct me if that is wrong.