Interesting.. I have a 1950 3600 that came from a farm in Illinois. My 216 ran, but had a few problems. After weighing the alternitives, I choose to replace it with a 235 (58-62 block) Pretty easy swap and I'm glad I did it. I still have the orginal 216 and will keep it. While mine is not a daily driver, I do drive it frequently. Going from 92 HP to over 145 HP helps where I live also. I kept the 'original' look to it.
I also believe the VIN number of your truck is on the engine. Anyway, something to think about.
Good luck and keep us posted..
PS, there should be some pics of mine if you click under my sig..
