The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Original stovebolt 216 worth anything?

I'm traveling to look at a truck to buy about 300 miles from home. The owner said the truck has a later 235 full pressure installed but still has the original 216 that goes with the deal--it needs to be rebabbited.
The situation is I might not be able to get the original engine back because it would mean it would have to go into the bed of the truck being towed. I'm fearing it would be a tail wagging mess pulling a truck on a trailer with a 700 lb stovebolt in the bed. So I'm thinking of not taking the original engine but thinking it is almost sacrilegious to separate a truck and engine that has been together for over 60 years. I just cant see any reason to change out the incorrect full pressure stovebolt for the original 216 . What is your thoughts?

If I had a full pressure 235 installed already, there's no way I would put the older 216 back in. Besides, no one knows for sure if that was the original engine or not.

The parts are worth more than the engine. Go with the 235 unless you are a stock guy. Almost all the guys put 235's in them if they could.

I'd leave the 235 in the truck, but if the other engine came with it, I'd certainly bring it along. If you can't get any parts off it, either resell it or sell it for scrap. Whatever money you made off it would be more than you have now. Why give that to somebody else?
I shouldn't think it would make that much difference in towing.

If its the original motor the numbers would probably match the title, it may be handy to have it around?

I know on my truck the engine number is the only number on the registration, so if it's that way in your state you might need that engine to show the motor vehicles folks.

Thanks for all the heads up stovebolters, and engine # to check on the registration and title, something for me to look for.

How come you can't put it in the towing vehicle ?

NEVER SCRAP A STOVEBOLT ENGINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Id hold onto the 216, because if you decide to sell the truck, a collector might want the original motor to go with the truck, when i switched my 216 for the 235 i was told that with the original motor the truck is worth more, than with the 235, i still have mine in the garage,

no the 216 is worthless, you should probably just give it to me.

Because so many people are getting rid of the original engines in old vehicles those left with the original power train are becoming more valuable. I'm constantly being praised for keeping the original 216 in my '38. I recently paid more for a rebuild of my 216 than I could have bought a crate engine for but I still consider it a good value. Go to a car show and nearly everyone has a V8 in their car, a dime a dozen. I like being different.

I particularly like the 216 as people tend to just want to throw them away for a 235 which is only 19 cubic inch difference. And to convert them to full pressure is actually quite easy and only cost me an extra $300 for the crank drilling including shipping.

Put the 216 in the bed up close to the cab & you'll be fine. I agree you should keep it.

Put the engine in the bed on an old tire (off the wheel) and strap to the bed.

They didnt have matching serial number like you think of with muscle cars just casting,plant location and date stamps. So its tricky to determine if it was the actual engine. Im not shure you can.

I dont see it being a big deal to toss it in the bed on a tire like he said, unless you have to travel up/down serious steep dirt roads. ( i brought home a sububan on a flat bed coming down the top on a 13,000 ft peak, dirt road, no trailer brakes, almost drove off the mountain. i could have died if i had any more weight behind me)

if its a good drive there and back, id take it home, start tearing it down, and you will familiarize your self with the 235 workings (except the difference like full pressure oil. Ect.)
you can then 1.rebuild it,2. keep it to go with the truck if you plan on selling it some day, or ,3.sell it cheap as a builder,

Drive safe!!

As it turned out, I did go back for the original engine. Mainly because the engine number is on the title not the body serial number, good thing now at least I can prove this truck and its title is authentic. Thanks for the responses.

Ya know guy's, there might come a day when a 216 Chevy six is as
hard to come by as Ford four cylinder Model A engine. there's
only about 20 years separating them and less in many cases.
"NEVER SCRAP A STOVEBOLT ENGINE", exactly my sentiments.

taint gona make a whole heck of a lot of difference in the way
the vehicle tows if you drop the 216 in the back seat. You can
drop it on an old tire and it will ride nice and solid all the
way home.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I was thinking about what you said Mr. Graham, makes me feel a little remorseful on how many 235 engines I've thrown away since the early 70s, if it didn't have a high winding small block in it, it got yanked in all the many vehicles I have owned over the years. As we get older, we get wiser and learn to appreciate things we didn't in our youth. Don't know if I'll ever do anything with the 216 but it will always be there for the next owner if and when the time comes, for right now the 235 hydraulic motor is working really well and I'll be starting my Korean war era truck redo shortly.

Steve

In Utah if you can get your hands on the original title (see picture) the engine number and the serial plate number were both used.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/9035376513/in/set-72157631867396207
I was so pleased to find the original instead of relinquishing it for new I applied for a replacement title and kept it! My 216 had a 3' long crack in the block so it was not salvageable now running a 54' 235.

That is the way it should be done Brad, usually it is the body vin but using a engine number makes no sense, but I know back then that was the way they did it in Oregon and many other states. I did keep the Oregon title for record when they issued the new title to me though. I talked to a cop friend about taking my truck down to the state patrol to get the title changed to reflect the body number and not the engine, he said not to do that, they might assign their own number to it and remove the body tag altogether. I've never heard of that one before.