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

I am in the grips of the classic dilemma. I have 1961 2wd swb 1/2 ton. It is all original now, not restored but complete. She has the 235 and SM420 trans. I want to bring her back to her former glory, but I can't decide about powertrain. I have had this truck for almost 15 years now. She runs and drives as is, but is getting too worn and tired for daily driving.

I have a complete 283 sbc torn down in the garage, the correct bellhousing, and some of the engine parts as well. A 283 would be 'matching' in the sense that it was an option in 1961, but would not match my VIN.

The 235 is admirable and hard working, but outclassed for real work by the sbc. If I go 283 it will be a stock rebuild, nothing crazy, and I will keep the SM420 and the truck will remain stock oherwise. If I use the front motor mount and keep my 235 I could theoretically undo my modification and take it back to stock.

I would like some thoughts. There are no more of these being built and a lot of the 235's are being tossed in favor of other drivetrain options. I like original but I also want a capable truck for the long term.

Thank you,

Kyle

The 283 is a classic engine, and period-correct for the truck, but your driving habits are going to have to undergo a pretty dramatic reset. 283's like lots of RPM, and the HP advantage it has over the 235 is going to show up somewhere north of 3,000 RPM. Torque- - - -from a 283- - - -forget about it!

If you're planning on building a weekend cruiser that seldom if ever carries a load, the 283 V8 is a good option. If you plan on doing truck stuff with a V8, adding another 1/2" of stroke in the form of a 350 transplant would be a better choice, and the 350 can be dressed up as a 283 in disguise with a little tinkering so only a purist would notice the difference.
Jerry

As HRL so aptly said, the 283 is period correct. However, it is not original. You have to make a choice. Evaluate your needs and do a bit of soul searching and you will find what is right for you.🛠

If you want the advantages of a torquer engine without feeding the extra cubic inches of a 350, consider dropping a 305 in. It's got the same 3.48" stroke as a 350, but it's got a slightly smaller bore size than a 265. It was built specifically to have lots of low-end torque when smog control, low cruise RPM, and very high-geared rear axle ratios got popular in the late 1970's and early 1980's.
Jerry

I'm glad I stayed inline all these years (had it since 1973) in my '60 2wd swb 1/2 ton.
Take it on long road trips, the T5 transmission helps cruising RPMs & love the surprise I get from people that didn't think it would keep up w/ the pack.

Thanks everybody. For now I will be getting her back to running happily.

Kyle

nothing wrong with a 235. it will get you where ever that you want to go. a 261 would be a nice little uprade in there and is the same engine except fora few more cu in.
ron

Man, I love a 283. Me and dad have had a few of them. I think they are the best motors that Chevy ever made. The 327s are good too. If you have one of those 283s that has the power pack heads on it then you got a little power house. You can put in one of the high energy CAMs and it would be a great motor. Good on gas too. I have never been a fan of a 350 unless you get a 4 bold main and they are hard to come by. All the other ones I ever had seem to be made out of recycled cans and never lasted. Nothing wrong with the 6 either... One of those rebuild and it can take a far amount of abuse..

Going fast is over rated anyway. Drive slow and enjoy the ride.... Going fast you might miss something important.

I have a '59 3/4 Chevy 4x4 with the 235, and with the 4.57 gears, the little six is all it needs, easy to maintain and it'll cruise at 55-60 comfortably
The '66 K20 w/ +.040 but otherwise stock 283 winds up and runs out of steam pretty quickly, with the 4.57's again,but drives just fine
The '66 4x4 Suburban with Goodwrench 350 long block and stock "283" intake and exhaust manifolds w/ 3.73 axles is by far the most "powerful" of the bunch. Those 67 extra inches and easier ratio make a ton of difference.
But, we have a 1963 292 equipped K10 w/ 456 Tony and cannot wait to drive that Big Six and see how it goes...

I think I'd stick with and enjoy the 235 in yours, were it mine...

The 283 is a good motor, correct for your truck. There is nothing better than the sound of a V8 with duals except a Harley.
There is nothing in your VIN that designates motor.

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.

perhaps you had a 235 in there instead of a 230. 235 was the orig eng for a 62
ron

I agree that the 235 is the original motor, however, a previous owner had swapped out the 235 before I bought the truck.

The casting number on the block is 3921968. That corresponds to a 1964-76 230 or 250. I presume that it is a 230 because of the low power and 1 barrel carb, but I could be wrong. It could be the 250. I have not checked the pistons.

Also, the bolt pattern on the bell housing matches the pattern of the 327. That would not be the case for the 235.

I did a bit more research and found I was wrong, it is not a 230, it's actually a 250. I have found that the combination of Engine casting number 3921968, and Stamping F0807CQ (near the distributor) comes back as the following:

Year Model Engine Horsepower Code
1967 Chevelle 250cid, Powerglide. CQ
1968 Camaro 250cid, Powerglide. CQ
1968 Chevelle 250cid, Powerglide. CQ
1968 Chevrolet 250cid, Powerglide. CQ
1968 Nova 250cid, Powerglide. CQ

http://www.thecamaro.com/Decoding/Chevy-Engine-Code-Decoding/enginedecoder.php

Either way, the old I6 motors are good, strong runners. Keep what you've got, just rebuild it.