Hello,
IMHO the 1954-62 235 is one of GM's greatest engines and their best 6cyl of all time. It was the zenith of the 1920s babbit pounder. By 1954 it was modernized and reached near perfection. Reliability is not an issue.
I your case though, you are missing the engine and transmission. Many small componets that do not come to mind may be missing too. To go with a 235 you need access to all those parts. For a stock or near stock restoration I would reccomend a more complete truck.
It sounds like you want a simple old truck to enjoy. Follow the KISS principle. Keep it simple. For a nice old truck this is what I would do. Rebuild the brakes and the stock suspension. Replace the rear axle with a newer unit. Here are some suggestions. 1st choice 1955 1st Series "good Luck" 2nd choice 55-66 Chevy truck, 3rd 67-72 Chevy Truck,4th 57-72 Ford F-100 "9 inch" and a 69-75 Chevy Nova or later model truck like a K 5. If you go with a Nova or Car pattern axle You can change the front Drums and hubs to a 51-53 Chevy car type. They should slip right on to the stock spindle. A v-8 engine and transmission of 60s or 70s vintage. This avoids computer controlled stuff. One advantage of points in a Chevy small block is a smaller distributor to give you more firewall clearence. A tube type front crossmember is easy to install. This allows you to use the side mounts. A V-8 monted on the front is awlful wobly. Install a transmission cooler under the radiator. A long slim shifter like a Gennie or Lockar would be a nice touch. Old style ram horn manifolds or block hugging headers are a must to clear the steering gear. One trick is to notch the firewall a little towards the driver's door where the steering gear comes through and unbolt the gear on the frame and slide it over little. Drill and remount. This will give you some clearence at the manifold. This will make EVERYBODY mad and I mean everybody. A 289-302 Ford are narrow engines and they fit well in early frames. The distibutor is on the front so the firewall clearence is not an issue. The SBF and C-4 will not know its in a Chevy. This is not my first choice but it does kind of make up for all the Flathead V8s pulled and replaced by the 350-350 combo. My first choice would be a SBC 283-327 or a 350 dolled up with early heads and valvecovers. The early short style water pump is a must to clear the radiator.
In summary I have descibed basicly a stock truck with a newer V-8, rear axle, and automatic transmission added. This is 3x the horsepower over stock but on the stock platform. A true old school hot rod. With a 50s-60s truck rear axle You have a low end torque monster that will top out at about 100mph in a short burst. This setup must be driven responsibly and carefully. It has the power to get away from you and with stock brakes and suspension You won't get it back. Be mature. Be careful.
