My '55 1st Suburban has 3.08 gears in the rear. With the original 4-speed and a GMC 270 it starts out easily in 2nd gear and runs down the highway easily.

I also have 3.08 gears in another car with a V-8 and 4-speed with a 30% overdrive. Its fun to run at 70 mph at about 2000 rpm.

An interesting difference between the two is that I never stall the 270 starting it out. When I switch to the V-8 powered one it always takes me a while to adjust and spin the motor fast enough to start it out in first with out stalling it.

While your long-stroke 235 should tolerate it better than my V-8, it is possible to choose gears that make starting out a bigger challenge.

1955 1st GMC Suburban | 1954 GMC 250 trailer puller project | 1954 GMC 250 Hydra-Matic | 1954 Chevy 3100 . 1947 Chevy COE | and more...
It's true. I really don't do anything but browse the Internet looking for trouble...