Best Motor for a big truck?

Hey there, Im building a 1948 Chevy ton and a half and im making it a period correct car hauler, but trying to keep it usable...
Any one know what the best period correct motor would be? it has a 1956 235 and a 4 speed, but im thinking that the top speed of that would be around 65...
Was thinking about a Dodge diesel, but after more thinking its not that good, its way to new... And i dont know jack squat about diesels (or want to)...

Im planning on going to SEMA this year and want to drive this truck...
Ideas?

 

stick with the ***mins 12V they are dead simple,plus you can get huge power from it

 

But than its not cool... Its just modern...

 

What are your plans for the rear axle?

 

If you want to keep it G.M. find you a bigblock G.M 366,they were mostly used in older trucks and buses. Not overpowered but good workhorse engine. Or you can hit the lottery and throw a 348 or 409 in it. Main thing on getting it to be a good cruiser will depend on what ****** and rear gear you run.

 

235 grannie four speed w/ (maybe) 2-sp rearend .... thats period correct! you cant have it both ways , if you want a powerful hauler go diesel.

 

Period correct? A 292 inline. Useful? A 454 out of a dually or 'burban w/T-400 and tallest rear gear you can find for the old axle. Then there is the issue of stopping it. We had a 50 ton and a half on the farm, it was howling pretty good @ 55 mph. Then there was the 46 Reo, now that would be a find. Gold Comet power on side of the hood or some such ****.

 

2 speed rear ends are geared to low to go much a faster than a normal rear end from the same time... Right?
Thinkin about rearend out of a 90s 3500hd.

It doesnt have to be all gm, just kinda thinkin periodish.

 

ask yorself do you want it cool or functional?

12v ***mins with a overdrive trans for drivabilty

here is a ramp truck that was at the ***** raid

old school looks for cool
with new school drivetrain for go

it was on a ford motorhome ch***is

 

... Both... My dilemma...

 

I'd keep it simple and go Cadillac powered, gobs of torque and plentiful.

 

Which caddy?

 

See my build thread........

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=355535&highlight=1947+ford

 

period correct for a 1948 would be a 216.

 

Thats a cool truck

 

If you want to run a little engine like trucks had back then, you'll discover you need to keep the original rearend gearing to be able to haul any weight at all, and you'll only go 50 mph on the highway.

I recently got my 57 chevy one ton on the road, it's a single wheel model, so I just used the rear from an 80s suburban, with 3.73 gears, and I'm running the normal 80s-90s size tires 235/85R16 which are sort of tall. Engine is a mild 70s 454, trans is the original 4 speed SM420 granny box. It goes down the road ok at 65-70, and stops well enough with rebuilt stock drum brakes up front, and the larger drums that came on the rearend. I haven't really towed with it yet, so I can't say how well it does with that, but I did have the same engine/gearing in another truck years ago, and it did all right.

If mileage is important, then the diesel thing might be the way to go, but the sound/smell won't be period correct for a small truck like that.

Engine size, load, and gearing are all related. What it boils down to is that if you want to haul a load with a small engine, you're not gonna be going very fast.

 

I'd put a 348 W motor in it. Back in the day we called them dump truck motors. I know that will irritate all the W motor lovers but those are the facts. That's what we thought about them then. Lots of stump pulling torque. BBs came along in the mid 60s and quickly surp***ed the W motors for haulers but they are just too new for my antique mind. Pontiac's and Oldsmobile's were pretty good torque monsters too.

 

If you want a gas engine, a 500 Caddy would haul you well. That said, I see you live east, and speak of travel west. Those rocky mountains are big, nothing goes up those hills better than the ***mins turbo with a five speed.

 

In the early '50s my oldest brother drove over the road tractor-trailer rigs. One of his gigs was with Dixie Auto transit where the majority of the tractors were 2 ton (6/60/6000 series) Dodges, Chevies, Studebakers, and the like. One studebaker had an inline six out of a big International transplanted into it. One of the AD Chevies had an Olds v-8. Somebody else else installed a 4-71 Detroit into (I don't remember now) some similar .

 

The engine bay not very wide go with an inline or a 383 sbc.

 

GM built big trucks equipped with Pontiac V8's in the 60's I believe. How about a bigger cube Poncho? Retro style with all the power you would ever need.

 

You are already an OLDS guy 455 /400 combo plenty of torque@ hp for cheap run for ever.

 

GMC used Pontaic V8s in the mid-late 50s. Chevy used the Buick 322 in school buses around that time. There may have been others used in trucks, too.

These engines were all relatively small....not really suited to modern driving conditions.

 

The easy 90% way: take a ***mins, paint everything an old tractor engine colour, paint the valve covers and various ancillaries black, polish the fuel lines, and pay attention to the look of various bits and bobs.

There are aftermarket valve covers for them but the look is all wrong:

One could strip the paint/coating off them and polish them, however, but I'm not sure if there is enough metal there to give the fins a trad-esque curve from front to rear.

 

not to stir the pot here, but I'd argue that just putting a rat fink on the truck doesn't make it "old school." nice truck, but not the least bit traditional IMHO.

 

if you're looking for traditional I say 390. the 331 and 365 are good motors as well, but the 390 is just a better choice if you can lay your hands on it.

if you're willing to go newer on the engine I'd say go for the 472 not the 500.

 

Ok, for Old School AND fucntional, you could go with a 50s era GMC straight 6. They made a 302, and several larger sizes all the way up to I think a 506. They made some hotrod parts for a 302, so you'd be able to get some more juice out of it.

We've already heard comments about the rear end gears...those will have to go if you want something that's highway-worthy.

I don't know the dimensions of your rear, but I have a '59 Apache 3/4 ton...replaced the original Eaton 052 4:56 rear with a Dana 60 from an 87 Dodge 2500. Got 3:54 gears along with limited slip. I had to widen spring perches, but other that that, it was a bolt in. Truck now does 70 with ease.

Chris

 

The 500 c.i. Cadillac is a torque monster that will move it along and still get fair fuel mileage as a stock rebuild. Get the matching Turbo 400 and you're there.

 

X2 I vote for the ***MINS

 

Thanks guys, Giving me alot to think about that i havent thought about till now...