went to a get together in conway ar yesterday and had the oppurtunity to meet som ar hambers and even enjoyed a sweet ride in Dr.Daves chevy ..went home and had to drive my 52 down the old road. my 216 doesnt seem to want to go past 50 mph is this all i can expect with her?
its probably the differential (ring& pinion). 52's with standard transmissions were equiped with 4.11:1 gears. get a rearend out of a car with an automatic transmission, i believe these to be 3.55:1 should be able to cruise 65-70 with no problem.
With the stock gears and a 216 in the 52 Chevy, 50mph is pretty much the speed they were intended for. An old timer mechanic once told me that he had ALL kinds of engine rebuilding to do when they first opened up the NYS Thruway in 1955 and set the speed limit at 65mph. Said those old 216's would run all day at 50-55mph, but just didn't live at 65mph. Get some 3.55 gears and/or a 235" 6-cylinder and fahgeddabotit !!
I drove a 52 Chev in high school in 1965. On a 2 mile stretch, held right to the boards, the best speed I ever got out of it was an even 80 miles per hour.---and it was worn out when I got it.
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