Has anyone here dropped a SBC into one of these trucks? Got a line on a good running 350/350 combo for dirt cheap here locally and am thinking of getting it to drop into the 58 that's just been sitting. I'm mostly curious as to any obstacle with steering or firewall clearance issues that would be involved in the swap. If anyone here has done the swap and would be willing to tell the story I would be greatly appreciative.
Yuck... On a side note, if the truck has truly been sitting a long time you should focus on making it safe and road worthy before you butcher it. .
By 58 you could buy them with a wide block 318 or the B block. So there should be room for just about anything. It's the pre 55 six cylinder only jobs that have clearance problems.
MOPAR or NO-CAR!!!....or truck in this case. You will get a lot more heads turned if you put a mopar in it. Leave the bowtie for the dinner party!
No, I can't do it cheaper and easier than $500 for a running driving 350/350 combo with Mopar but thanks for all the opinions, they're exactly what I was asking for. Rusty, I'm less curious about the side to side clearance (possible steering issues aside) than I am the front to rear issues, though now that I think of it the 230 that's sitting in there is certainly not a short engine itself. I think it's going to be fine to throw in the truck. The reason for wanting to go Chevy is that the gf drives a truck with a 350/350 and the engine has low oil pressure right now, I'd love to have a spare engine for if/when that thing goes and if I can play with it in a vehicle that is otherwise sitting in the meantime then even better.
One thing to watch for is clearance over the axle. Remember they can move A LOT over bumps. Take your cue from the height of the rubber bumpers on the frame, assume the axle can hit the rubbers and squash them half way and plan accordingly. You should have plenty of room front and back, side to side. Like I said, the engine compartment is big enough for a B block and your Chev is smaller than the A block so should be no problem.
Incidentally to MoPar flathead fans, the 58 motor is a prize especially the head which is the highest compression offered on that motor. Advertise on the P15-D24 board and you should be able to get some coin for it.
Thanks for the heads up, that's excellent to know. It's a good running old 230 but I just want more ready parts availability and the aforementioned backup motor is an added incentive. I went ahead and bought the 350 today and am picking it up tomorrow. Will probably get started on it all tomorrow or turkey day evening. I'll go check out the other board now.
Is there any car/truck left in the world that somebody somewhere hasn't dropped a 350/350 into before?
Too bad you bought the 350 combo today, I may have been able to save the ole truck from a heart(less) transplant by offering to buy it from you.
The truck has been for sale on this very site before and I got not a single bite from anyone on it. Didn't realize I was committing some sort of sin by making the most of my money, will you guys ever forgive me?
Yes, I will forgive you.......and I have. It's your vehicle, do what you want with it. And, as you said, it's been for sale on this site. Nothing wrong w/a 350/350 combo.....and unless you cobble the install, easy to revert to Mopar power, for you or the next owner tempestan
I'm heartbroken. Truck may be up for sale again in the future but as of right now it's a project for me this winter as construction is basically non-existant once the first raindrop falls.
I'm sure. But as mentioned, it is your truck and honestly it is yours to do whatever you want as it should be. It's not like you are starting with a Ferrari anyway. Just do a good, safe job and keep the hood shut and almost anyone short of a true Mopar diehard will know the difference anyway.
Huh?!? How do you tell the diff with the hood closed? Hey man, as stated, its yours, do your thing. Just not a fan of mix n match in ANY mopar.
I've noticed for decades, that the Mopar crowd is the only brand that you get the "no mix-n-match". Not complaining, i just find it odd, considering all the other makes of bodies out there.
Well I'm sure the 3 Mopar folks in Northern CA will be shaking their fists at me for eternity over this but I think I can get over it. I've got to say though, I am getting very excited at the idea of this thing getting on the road in the near future. Just to further piss people off I think I'm going to invest in Scarebird's disc front conversion and throw some Ford on here too. By the end of the project I'm sure it'll be one confused truck.
HOLY FRANKENDODGE! Its gona have a serious WTF itentity crisis. Post some good build pics, a projects a project, I'll follow and whine about my personal preferences once in awhile.
Well it is your money, and for most of us, money is tight. Go with what you want, but I would vote for a 318/727 combo. They just can't be beat, and can be found every where.
Not that hard really. Some people who have been around certain motors long enough, particularly odd ball ones, can tell by the sound. Ahawes, if one of your goals is to piss people off with your build, go for it. Have a blast. But hopefully you get a little more out of it than that other than it's just the easiest and cheapest thing you can manage.
It is not unusual for the bowtie crowd to buy a Mopar because they cannot afford the shiverlay body of their dreams. They then make a feeble attempt to turn the Mope into a frankencar with a gm drivetrain. Down the road they will try to sell the vehicle because 'it really isn't as cool' as what they originally wanted and get pissed off when the Mopar crowd ignores it or offers way less than the advertised price. When I look at morphodites like this I figure out how much it will cost to remove the gm stuff and replace it with proper Mopar and deduct the amount from the asking. Invariably, the owner gets real testy. Bottom line; his money. He can spend it as he likes. .
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