I just got a 1946 Fleetline two door, it's a full project and I'm really excited about it. I'm finally done with project after another... this car is really my style and I can't wait. It needs EVERYTHING but it's amazingly rot free and it's all there, minus a few little parts. I'm going for a very stock, bomb look but I was wondering what folks thought about the drivetrain. There is no motor but the transmission is on there, missing a bunch of parts unfortunatly. How hard would something like putting a 250 inline, a 350 auto and just shove a '55 Chevy rear end in it and run? MY buddy has all that for cheap in good shape. What's common for folks on these bodystyles? Or would just finding a 216 or 235 and hunting down parts be less of a headache? I'm more for making this thing a daily and drive the **** out of it.
Bomb? full oil 235" is what I'd use, because it's easiest and gets the cruising done fine. If you go anything newer you might as well Camaro clip it and go all modern from there but keep a six in it for the look and split manfold and twice pipe sound.
Langdon's Stovebolt Engine Co makes an adapter to help install the 250 into your ch***is (http://www.stoveboltengineco.com/acartpro/product.asp?productid=138) ch***is engineering inc sells a kit for the engine and transmission mounts for your ch***is :http://www.ch***isengineeringinc.com/page24.html i have no idea if the 55 chevy rear end is the right width, you'll have to measure it and find out. what i've seen common for the 46-49 chevy is pretty much what my wife's uncle has in his 50s belair, a 350 v8 with a th 350 to a 9 in ford rear end. wouldnt mind seeing one with the 250, my T is getting a chevy 250 as well.
Man, stop copying off my paper! '64 Galaxie in your avator and a '46 chevy? You've got good taste in cars (or we've both got bad taste). Anyway, I'm running a '55 235 with an iron powerglide in my '46.
Very cool links, Klemmy, thanks! I'll look through that... wow, I've never done a chevy before but they seem to have about everything you need for the ****ers. Any idea of I'll have any issue with a th-350 hitting the stock master cylender? Yeah, I definatly want the look. Nothing sounds like an old six in those old sleds, with split pipes all the way down. I measured the '55 rear end, and it looks like all I've have to do is get the spring perches moved about 3 inches in, and some new hardware on the leafs.
i think posies makes a 4 inch drop spring kit for the rear of your car also. comes with perches new springs shock mounts the whole deal for putting a new rear end under the car for around 350 bux
55-57 car rearend should be a bolt-in to a 46-48 Chevy the same as 49-51, you just need to drill another hole for the locating pin so the wheels are centered. At least thats what the old magazines claim - and by that I mean '60s, early '70s Rod & Custom mags - Can't imagine the TH350 an issue, unless you install it sideways, that master interchanges with the 49-52 cars also - if you want to keep the stock type, one from a later PG car is a bolt-on and eliminates the clutch pedal. Personally I'd go a step at a time - a full oil 235, then get a T5 and a late rearend and go open drive, and drive the snot out of it. Change out the Huck brakes on the front for some kind of Bendix drums and you'll be fine.
i second rusty's comment. but i personally think its best to upgrade to a dual master cylinder if only just for the safety that if one cylinder goes out in it, there's another one
Well, it's torn apart already, so I figure I'll make big step with the drivetrain first. The '55 rear end I have is out of a truck though, so I'm worried about having too high of gears, but we'll see. With those links I've been giving it looks like there is little fabricating... a lot of bolt on stuff. It's good for me, as this is the biggest project I've done before and I'm not feeling like getting to crazy experimental with the drivetrain.
Using the 250 with a 350 isn't a problem, but that '55 truck rearend is going to have 3:90 gears and 6 lug wheels. If you want to keep the 6 lug wheels, you may want to consider going with a 200-4R instead of the 350 so you have overdrive to deal with that 3:90 gearing. The 250 is a little long, so moving the radiator forward or using a pusher electric fan may be required. Ch***is Engineering makes motor mounts. As for the brakes, if its a daily driver, you might want to consider upgrading to a dual master cylinder setup. You can get setups for this car allready to go, or you can make up your own. Because of the way the master supports the brake and clutch pedals, some guys pull the guts out of the original master and cut off the back end, then mount the new master behind it with a push rod running through the old one to get to the new one. If you wanted to go to 5 lug wheels, it is possible to use the hubs/brakes from a 49-54 car, or there are disc brake kits available. The typical 5 lug rearends to use would be 55-64 car, 70's Camaro or Nova, or 4x4 S10. Keep the rim backspacing in mind when selecting a rearend width to use. The rear leaf springs should be fine, otherwise you could have them de-arched or use lowering blocks for alot less than the cost of those spring kits...
In that case, being a truck rearend, I'd sell it and get one that fits right in and has a more highway friendly gear in it. The same ones that fit the 49-52s should work - 55-57 Chevy, 70-81 Camaro, 75-79 Nova, and S10 4x4. Just redrill the locator hole, or use lowering blocks that relocate the hole. Not a lot of room underhood for a firewall master cylinder but it's not a big deal to get a kit or make a bracket and run a long rod through the stock master and into a dual hung behind it if you want to keep the stock pedal mounting. If you're going to upgrade the brakes to 5-lug, get 51-up Chevy hubs and backing plates and run the Bendix type brakes (used up front 51-58). Easy to get parts for, better brakes than stock, should be fine if you're not planning to use it as a race car.
Very cool.. thanks again everyone for there help. I've had a bunch of cars and projects, and I think I've found one I've really fallen in love with (and it's helped me dealing with the end of a bad relationship) so I want to get into this thing as hard as I can. As for the brakehubs, can I use '55 chevy stuff? My buddy upgraded his to disk and he's got all the **** for the drums, if I could toss those on to the stock spindle that would be perfect. We also have a '57 olds parts car in the back, with drums and the rear end I could use... but that's a totally different setup, isn't it? Looks like this then, I've got the 250 and I'll just hunt me down a cheap th-350 auto and keep it all basic, it sounds like getting those six lugs off there is a good idea.
I got a 48 Fleetmaster 4door,I put a 69 Camaro rear axle in mine,these cars are pretty wide,about 60" between backing plates I think.I put a subframe in mine but it probabaly would be easyer to go with the six.I used the stock crossmember with TH350 just drilled one hole for the mount.I used a 78 Ford pickup mastercylender with homemade pedal.Not too many of these old cars hotrodded,but I always liked old Chevys.
I've never heard of anyone being able to use anything other than the 49-54 car stuff. You could certainly give it a try. As for the Olds rearend, if the gearing, bolt pattern and width are right, then you could certainly use it. You are most likely going to need to have a driveshaft made up anyway... Rearend spring perches are about $15, so don't turn down a rearend just because it came from a coil spring car. 58-64 Chevy is a good example.
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