The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 1950 Panel engine choices

Hi,
I'm Mike and i'm getting really close to buying a 1950 Chevy 3100 Panel truck. Current owner was in middle of engine swap and developed medical problems. Panel has original 216 and trans and he also has a 'rebuilt' 350 with 350 auto trans. The 350 is a carburated engine. Now, here's my want list (this is to be my shop truck)-
Dependable
Easy starting
Towing ability - 16-18ft trailer loaded with weight of, say, a 48-53 Panel truck.
Confortable to drive; power steering/power brakes.

This would end up being my everyday vehicle. And, yes i know i will have to swap out the rear axle if going to a newer v8 engine. If i swap in a 3/4 ton rear axle, what would be required to convert the front axle to a 3/4 ton rating?
Yes, a lot of questions in this post and i'm sure there will be more to come.
Thanks,
Mike
If the deal goes thru, i'll try and post some pics of the new panel.

Personally, I don't like the 350 Tranny. I had one in my 37 to begin with and then to a 700R4. Now I have a 350 tranny in my panel and I'm unhappy with it. A 700 is being built for it.

I have basically the same tranny in my 2000 Silverado and I pull 16 ft trailer with concrete blocks to trucks and cars no problem and for long distances.
This is just my opinion.

Define "comfortable"!

3/4ton front axle (8-lug) is a bolt in. Both use the same leaf springs.
1953+ has Bendix brakes

Thanks for all the replys...

Achipmunk - Didn't think about a 700r4. Thanks!

Coffeeman - Comfortable - PS/PB/AC/seats with good support, lumbar adjustable, maybe even heated, -center console with cup holders, lots of insulation and sound deading materials, and of course a good sound system.

68ironhead-are you talking about a 3/4 ton front axle from a 48-54 chevy truck/suburban/panel? Are they all the same width as i don't want the wheels sticking outside the fenders?

Thanks,
Mike

If you stay with the 1/2 ton front axle there are 5lug and 6 lug disc brake kits available for it. Not sure that there are any for the 3/4 ton 8 lug front axle.

for some reason everything I typed didn't show up.

For driveability it is 700R4---my 2 cents

If you're planning on towing the TH350 or the TH700R4 aren't the best choice. You would be best to try to find a 4L80E, or if you want to stick with a 3 speed use a TH400. TH350 is a great tranny but you might want something a bit more robust for towing.

If you're wanting to have something with all the creature comforts, why not try finding a wrote-off 2000-UP suburban that you can take the drivetrain, interior, etc. out of? I've seen them up here with leather and all, 5.3, OD., you could use the factory fuel injection and all. I've seen some for decent prices.

I agree with 46! Sell the 350/350 combo and pick up a salvage late model donor. To do the LS swap you are going to need quite a bit of the electronic stuff from the donor, but the end result will be better than what you have going in. Word to the wise, make sure you check all the stuff you might need for the swap, i.e. oil pans, crossmembers, etc. As with any swap, these are the items that start getting into your wallet. The good thing is you get respectable performance, reliability and, hopefully, decent mileage.

Look at OldAir for your AC needs.

Alvin has a great thread on installing seats in his panel. I'm using the stock seats in my burb but replacing the springs with more comfortable foam.

The brakes can be upgraded fairly inexpensively, 6 lug kits are common. I don't know about 8 lug. The 1/2 ton front axle is sufficient for your usage, I believe. Once you swap the tranny, your options for the rearend become fairly wide open. You can source almost any rearend that will fit. If you are persistent enough, you can make anything fit!

My suggestion is this; outline exactly what you want(you've already done this), pick the mods that you want/need, write them down and then, stick to the plan. It's just like writing a business plan. Make it as clear and concise as possible. You know what you want, what you have to buy and APPROXIMATELY how much it is going to cost. It is so easy to get sidetracked and wind up doing something way different than what you started out to do. so, make a plan and follow it!

Hope this helps, good luck!

Mitch

46gmcpu & Coffeeman - thanks for both your replys.
And i've already been thinking about finding a fairly complete donor vehicle and doing a LS swap. Only thing i fear is the troubleshooting aspect. But, i's sure there are some relatively inexpensive diag tools on the market. Lot's of food for thought here.

Here's one route i've been considering; go ahead with the 350/350 swap for the time being and try and find a rear axle assembly with a ratio that would work well with the 350/350 and a future LS/4l60 and save money and study everything i can find about an LS swap.

This way, i should have a better understanding of what will be involved with the LS swap and can keep my eyes open for the right doner vehicle, and i can 'enjoy' my panel and can be working on the interior and be repairing/replacing any of the body parts that need updating.

And while we are here, what rear axles will fit inside the rear fenders of a 1950 3100 Chevy panel truck? And what rear axle ratio would be a good compromise for towing and normal highway driving?

Thanks,
Mike

With the TH350, I would look for a gear ratio of around 3.55:1. I think that would be a good compromise between towing and cruising. The rear end width is somewhere around 62" measured from the outer edge of the brake drum. It's hard to offer an opinion on the rear end. I have used a 1958 Biscayne R/E and a late 80's Lincoln MK7 disc brake R/E. Both worked well, but, each have their own sets of issues! An S10 rear end works well, but I don't know about using it to tow with. Grab a tape measure and head down to the Local U-Pull-It and spend some quality time getting to know your rear end. Wow! That didn't sound right! Haha!

Thanks Coffeeman!
And i'm already familiar with my rear end and don't need any measurements. Ha!

Getting back on course now, i was reading several other threads about rear axle conversions and one of them said you can use the center section from a 1955 thru 1962 1/2 ton and it will swap right in a 1949 torque tube axle housing and everything will just slid/bole right into place. Said standard ratio was 3.90/1 but other ratios were an option and might take more time to find.

Have you or others done a swap like this? Does it work?

Thanks,
Mike