The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk straight six/V8 question

I live in Western NC. I'm not in extreme mountains but mountains none the less. Can anyone tell me whether the 60's C10's with straight sixes would handle the mountain roads well? Whatever I get would be mostly around town and short trips but I may take a 200 mile trip every now and then. I'm on the hunt for a C10 so that's why I'm asking. New at this so any advice would be most appreciated.

Steve

Steve
Welcome to the bolt.
I think it all depends on what you want to do with the truck and what you expect from it. The 6 cyl will handle the mountains just fine. It will be a little slower climbing the mountain, and it will depend on how heavy the trafic is, if you are holding someone up. We all have gotten used to the performance of a V8 and they won't keep up with them. If that is what you expect, I would look for a V8. Myself I prefer the 6 cyl, but they aren't as fast or powerful.
Jim

Some of the sixes are noted for the torque they have, especially the 292. As Jim mentioned, we're all used to the V8s, but I'm quite impressed with my six (261) and how it handles the big hills.

I had a '83 gmc with a 350 in it and a '65 Chevy with a tired old 292. The 292 would pull a hill better than the 350! Like 1953 Panel mentioned, it was the torque that made the difference, I think.

When building my '50, I had the choice of a small block v8, a big block v8 and a 292 inline six. I chose the inline six! For what it's worth.

Craig

Thanks JM and all. What I was looking for was a truck that I could mostly run around the local area mostly but occasionally make a trip through some bigger mountains. Say around the Asheville NC area. There are some 6 to 7% grades to cross along with some 4 thousand foot mountains. Thanks much......the hunt continues.

Steve

If you're going to be traveling in the mountians, maybe a more important question is, how well can I stop, not how fast can I climb. :-)

When I worked at the school, we had two 67 Chevy C-60 48 passenger school buses with 292 six cylinders, and an International 48 passenger bus with the 304 V-8.

The 292 sixes would out pull the International on a hill any day of the week.

We later had an International with the 345 V-8 and the old 292's would work circles around it as well.

Great pulling engines. Should handle a C-10 pickup with no problem. Just make sure stopping is addressed.

a six is all ya need for go power in a pick-up. disc brake update kit would also be nice.

daren

I live in North Carolina and I am very familiar with the mountains around Ashville. I have driven my '51 burb with a 235 all through the mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway, even to the top of Mt. Mitchell. No problems going up. Got to keep your wits about you coming down.

In 1964, my dad bought a new C10 burb with a 230. That summer he and Mom piled all five of us kids into the burb and we took off for Colorado. Spent the summer camping. I remember going over Donner pass and leadville and Aspen among other fun places.

The mountains were there when these trucks were built, and they were designed to go over them, carrying a load.

You may not go as fast as some of the idiots out there, and you do need to use your gears coming down, but really, the six will do you fine.

Kurt

I started to say, for those steep grades (I remember going up the back way to Spruce Pine, and up to Robbinsville) I'd want a V8, but, then I remembered, there was always a big truck half-way up that was going 20 mph, tops! My old truck would do fine. But, it's your truck, and the bigger sixes have gobs of torque, as mentioned. Best of luck!

This one caught my eye. You have to scroll down to see the pics though.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...70&title=1957-chevy-truck&cat=10

I'm trying to find out more info on it.

As a kid my dad had a 54 Chevy BelAir with a 235 and he towed a Shasta trailer behind it through the mountains of New York and Vermont. We were two adults, two kids and a dog and I never recall any problem.
Besides V8s are like belly-buttons. Everyone has one.

Dad bought a ‘burb brand new in ’69 with the 250 and a special order 4 speed auto. We also towed a 20’ ft Shasta trailer all over the Northeast up into Canada and out to Nova Scotia. Then we traded up to a 30’ trailer and that 250 pulled it just fine. Dad didn’t drive much over 50 mph – ever. It was always about seeing the sights more than just getting there. We had almost 300,000 miles on it before Dad dropped the air cleaner wing nut down the carb. Amazing how fast it made it down and broke the valve and piston. There was 5 of us plus the dog and a small motorcycle mounted to the front bumper