My club is picking up a '47 Chevy Delivery pretty soon as a club project. Our goal is to get it running as safely, yet inexpensively as possible and sell it as a fund raiser. Anyhooooo.....It has the original three-speed ****** and a locked up engine. Anyone know if we can mate a later 250 six banger to the old bell housing? I can find 250's in a bubble pack at 7-11 around here. Thought that might be a neat yet affordable way to go. Whatcha think? It's either that or find a clapped out old mid 70's Nova four door and use the whole drive train and front clip. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
If you're going for inexpensive, you'd best look for a running 235 that will be able to mate up to the existing drivetrain, or be prepared to do a complete engine/trans/rear end swap. If you had a complete and running six banger Nova, you could probably pull it off, but there's no sense in trying to adapt a 250 to the stock torque tube three speed. It can be done, but there's not much point to it.
I have a little 250 with offy intake and the stock 3 speed ****** and it's a helluva motor...I agree with 55 dude and say run the whole drivetrain and trash the torque tube
if the plan is to do this as a project for resale both ideas are bad. the market is not for 6 cyl powered cars or cars that have been cliped when they should not have been.like i said think about resale value. l have nothing against 6 cyls i have a 292 and a 261 in the shop just sold a nice 235. still that being said go to any hot rod show or general cruise and look around.you wont see many 6,s a running car will sell better than a project and shine will out sell tech.yes on this site i would say put a 235 in and keep the stock drive train, question is will the general public buy it.
Wake up a little, the six-bangers are really on the run everywhere the last years! Check up some of the parts companys, private websites,forums & car shows & meetings, and some 6´s always could be spotted!
You could also use the earlier "truck" torque tube 3 speed column shift transmission that has a mounting face the same as the more modern 3 and 4 speed transmissions. Then use the more modern 194-230-250-292 six and its' stick shift bellhousing. May have to fab up or modify the clutch linkage for newer to fit older. I'm using an old Speed Gems adapter to do essentially the same thing with a 51' Chevrolet Business coupe. I'm keeping the bolt action 3 speed/enclosed driveline, and using a 250 for more dependability, and to get away from the babbited rods of the 216, and loose some weight in the swap.
Six bangers are the big thing. I was getting more people looking at my ratty *** truck than the shiny new ones at the shows....Just sold this 235 out of my 50 pickup, did a T5 5 speed conversion on it. Couldn't p*** up the cash I got for it. With that said, I agree, go with a later model I6, manual or auto trans (your flavor) and open driveline. I used a 90's firebird rear end, a Chevy astro van driveshaft (no cutting, crossover u-joint) to make my setup work. Can be done on the cheap! I got tired of the straight axle and the frame had weak spots in it, plus I wanted to get the truck down in the weeds....Sold the frame and currently doing the s-10 frame swap that's posted on here in the tech section by Clark.... http://www.hotrodders.com/journal_photos/00022733/12204111330.jpg
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