I've got a 216 in my daily driver. It's a 1950 One ton. I still have the stock gears in the back end, which are 5.14. My truck will cruise at 45-50 mph, with 2000lbs on the deck. Now, I do slow down a little on hills, even wide open. But, parts are cheap and plentiful, I bought a spare engine for $75. I would think that in a half ton, it would be more than adequate. Mine does leak also. But I have yet to replace the rear main seal, and my engine has who knows how many miles on it. If you want more power, you should get a copy of the California Bill's Chevy Speed Manual. Dual carbs and exhaust can make a difference. If you really want to go fast, change out your rear end gears, but the acceleration will suffer. Plus, the mighty 216 looks cool, and the best thing is, its not a 350. But, it will not make 350 power, unless it's burning Nitro, then you'd be up in the 195 hp range. But think that might be tricky on the street.
