I just bought a 61 Belair bubbletop.It has a worn out 350 in it.The original 6 cyl. numbers matching engine & transmission are included in the sale.What do you think,Should I put another 350 in it or return it to original #s matching?Is # matching that big of a deal?
some kind of big block, or a 327..... # matching is NOT a big deal with a 6, only with a high perf engine
It's a tough decision but the traditionalist in me would say: 'Make mine a nicely detailed Stovebolt, please'.
Fairly large car for a 6 in my worthless opinion. But a trick six will turn far more heads if that's what you want. A 348 or 409 BB would be period correct and different (well now a days).
Whadda ya wanna do with it? Go fast, cruise, just get there, squeeze MPG out of it? I think what your end desire is will dictate whay you'll put in it. Me, I'd put a Mopar 360 in there just to piss people off. That and I like Mopar stuff, but it'd be fun to see the looks on their faces.
Go 60's style drag racing, get the biggest set of cubes you can throw in it and make the out side of the motor look stock, no cheesy braided lines or huge wing style valve cover bolts, just stock looks with like 400+ inches, get some station wagon springs in the front for that period correct leap off the line, steels with slicks on the back,bench seat with a stick shift. Can you tell Ive been thinking of this type of project for a while ha ha
Another 350 dressed up all old-school if ya like... ...tell people it's a 283 or a 327 and they won't know the difference... ...until you pass 'em!! Push the Stovebolt into a swamp somewhere and run!!!
hahahaha I have a pair of complete 318s, just waiting to go in my 53. esp. after the article in hotrod on a 400hp stock bottom end 318. not only cause they're free, but "to see the looks on their faces"
The faces won't show too much surprise I reckon...most dorks will think your 318 is a small block Chevy!!
numbers matching is what our cars were before we got ahold of them and jammed the biggest engine we could find in them
The stovebolt is crap send it to me and don't forget the trans SBC is an easy motor to get and install as well as fix...dress it up like a 283-327 and most won't know the dif ( I know I wouldn't). go basic
I've got a '61 348/4 speed just waiting for me to come across a nice '61 hardtop. If I had to choose between a 6 and a 350, I'd take the 6, just to be different. At a car show I was at this summer, there was a guy with a '60 Belair with a mega-built 235 in it and it got so much attention, you couldn't match it with any SBC. Probably wasn't real fast compared to a V8, but....
I vote for a V8 Chevy.........a 350, a 409, a 454..........your choice. A 6 cylinder is not the way I would do that car, numbers match or not. As a kid in high school I remember a 59 Chevy convertible on a used car lot. We all drowled over that car for weeks till we found out it was a 6 cylinder, the dealer had that car "forever", till it disappeared one day.........it didn't sell in our town.
why build another belly button car ? why dont you find a pontiac ohc six out of a 66 - 67 lemans sprint? they came with 4 bbls , hotter cams and higher comp.it wouldnt take much to slip her in and you would have yourself a deffinate head turner.besides i dont think anyone really wants to see ANOTHER early 60s chevy with either a small block or 348-409 engine. my 2 cents!
Well do you wanna look cool or go fast? From what some of these guys are saying...you cant have both...(says under breath BIG BLOCK). If'n you want a straight 6 get something smaller than a tank.
Hell, build the 6...headers, duals, and glasspacks...Edelbrock AFB or an old Carter AFB...bore it out, put 283 pistons in it....
The Jalopy Journal
