Making a new 350 look like a 57 small block? TECH QUESTION

I've been wondering about this for a while...

how is it pulled off... what do you need to look for or change to pass a 350 for a early small block?

I'm curious... Say you start out with a 350 short block all NEW, Flat top pistons, RV cam, Double roller chain etc... and want to make it LOOK early.

I would run a 4 or 6 carb intake...

I don't know any of the tell tail things to look for, how do you set them apart?... School me.

Tuck

 

I'm not an expert but i think you'd have to fill the holes in the heads that are used to mount the alternator and other brackets. Also mount the generator off the exhaust manifold, ramshorns were first in 57 I think. You've got the intake covered. Short waterpump with screws holding the plate on the back, not bolts, if you want to get technical. I don't know how you can get away with using staggered bolt valve covers on late heads, maybe an adapter plate? Points distributor. I also don't think they had spin on oil filters. Thats all i can think of right now off the top of my head.

Billly

 

Shooting for a '57 look? Gotta get rid of the engine mounts on the side of the block and mount it from the front. Valve cover bolt pattern will need to be staggered. Gonna need a road draft tube (probably tough to fake). Oil fill tube in front of the intake. "Hollow" harmonic balancer.

Screws behind the waterpump and on the timing chain cover. '57 did have a screw on oil filter.

Just a few to get us started....

JH

 

You'll want an intake with the oil filler tube on the front.

No PCV valve or at least hidden in the back.

Short water pump accesories on the front.

Small distributor, HEI is out.

Plain valve covers without any holes.

Maybe even a thin type harmonic balancer off like a 307 or something if you really want to get serious about it.

A bolt together type fuel pump, not one of the later crimped together ones.

Ramshorn exhaust manifolds if you're not going to run headers.

Chevy orange.

 

Oh yea, flat head screws to hold the vale covers & timing chain cover.

Billy

 

doubt you could use the new heads cause the new valve covers (post 1986) bolt on from the top. Also the old heads had triangles or squares or humps on the end, some had double hump or "camel" humps (off of 327's I believe). There were "Power Pack" heads in 1957 too. Any 57 that came with a 283 & 4 barrel would have those I believe so it might be easiest to get a set of those and the valve covers if it has to look THAT original.......Briggs

oh yeah, the 57's had oil fill tubes from the manifold so youd either have to get the multi-carbed intake with the fill tube or use non period-correct valve covers with a hole and a cap for oil fill. I think id suggest a trailer queen so you dont have to change the oil cheaper too

 

The early engines also had a canister oil filter. It was a heavy metal cylinder with a long bolt up through the center and contained a replacable cardboard/paper cartridge inside.

Frank

 

I'm sorta doing this halfass'd with my late 60's 327... adding the draft tube of my own concoction, using script valve covers, with nuthin drilled into 'em, got an intake with a filler, and I've already got the smoov camel hump heads and ramshorns. Of course, I'm using a bran spankin new edelbrock 4bbl, and I could care less about my side motormounts... but hey, anything is better than my cheesy chrome valvecovers!

 

Why not make it look like a '59 small block? That way you can use side motor mounts and non-staggered pattern valve-covers.

 

Cheese, that's where I'm going with mine. Not a far trip though. It is a stock 283 from a '60. Still had all its original goodies on it.

JH

 

Don't forget ram-horn exhaust manifolds.

 

I have several pair of "power pack" heads, and I've thought about modifying them heavily for some serious flow numbers (larger valves [including chamber work necessary to unshroud them], MAJOR porting, possibly even using some epoxy,etc...)I figuer for the most part I'll I'd be out is a Helluva lot of time, so what the hell!?
BUT, I'm lazy, so they're still sittin on the shelf. The only thing I couldn't figure out was a good way to get any decent flow out of those gay ass air filter assemblies...

 

Here is my attempt. Early Valve covers, ram horn exhaust manifolds. I have a 57 water pump to add later. You'll never fool every one. You need to decide how far you need to go to satisfy yourself. I'd like to run a generator, but the canister oil filters are too much of a PITA for me. I'm using the side motor mounts too. If you get too fanatical you might as well get the real thing. I'm shooting for the 50's flavor. If that makes me a poser...oh well.

 

Tuck,

I don't know how much they'd cost to ship, but I have a set of early staggered bolt pattern heads... Lemme know if you're interested...



Ed

 

I have a real 57 vette motor outside sitting in the truck. Tomorrow after I get home from jury duty, Ill try to snap a couple pics... But yeah, staggerd valve covers, no side motor mounts, and an intake oil filler tube are the things most will notice right off the bat. Not to mention you have to run a generator. What is it going in? -J.

 

hey tuck, if you get those staggered valve cover bolt heads i think i could line you up with some cal custom finned covers!!!, anothe thing you will have to do is put the pcv valve in the oil fill/breather tube because the late model blocks aint got the hole behind the back of the intake, i did it on my p/u when i switched out that knock"en 283

 

Look in the new issue of Kar Kulture Deluxe. My coupe is featured in there and I made my 350 look like a 283. all I did was transfer all the 283 stuff to my 350. Some people see what I did and others are fooled. Not a big deal just getting all the parts. You can by a new harmonic blance so you do not have to use an old one unless its good.

 

And here's my attempt...

It's a 79' 4 bolt out of a pickup. She was covered in ugly brackets. Anyone who knows what there lookin for would know it's a later motor. She runs great and looks good enough for me. I used rams manifolds off a 57' Chevy. Edelbrock C362 intake (little later than your after). This picture shows the Barnett Engineering red rag. Drove it to Austin and couldn't find a filler tube before the trip. Edelbrock valve covers, later vintage pattern of course. Ditched the alternator. Used a Mallory YC 310 HP distributor. Distributor was a pain to set up, but I love the way it looks and works. Short water pump, means you have to change the upper and lower pulleys. I didn't do the front mount on this one and didn't fill any holes. Some day, I'll rig up a draft tube, strictly for functional purposes. Not precise, but it's on the road!!!

 

If you're not too worried about getting the stagered valve cover bolt pattern try to find a set of mid to late '60s "Camel Back" heads. I have a set of '67 "Camel Backs" that do not have any of the accessory holes drilled in the heads. I've been told that the heads I have are the '60s equivilant to the new Vortec heads.

 

I have a '66 327. I replaced the stock heads with 265s, early 'Vette valve covers (staggered bolt pattern), I changed to a spin-on oil filter but added an alum. finned cover and used a generator. Unfortunetly, I forgot about NOT using side mounts when putting the frame together. Oh well, it fools a few people.

 

57 definitely did not have a screw on oil filter.

Shoe

 

Does anyone have any more pics~

Jkustom that would rule~
The visuals really help! I can tell the diff between every flathead with my eyes closed but a small block chevy I've been closeing my eyes at them for years... ha!

Thanks for all the info~ edmurder and titus ill get ahold of ya, thanks for the shop tour yesterday! You guys have some kick ass projects underway~

Thanks for all the info guys~
Tuck

 

I knew you would come around someday.

 

I know root... this "idea" is slotted for my first car...(my chopped '49 ford) just to show how hard I've been thinking about this.

 

This is just about perfect...

JH

 

this last pic is what i'm after.... anymore info on how to make a 350 look older? and BTTT for a good post

 

My buddy did this with his Deuce. It's got Trick-Flo aluminum haeds on it that he welded bungs into the spot where staggered bolt valve covers would be then drilled and tapped the hole for them. He put the offset vette covers on it, painted and ground the heads so they look like steel. He runs an Edelbrock 2-4 manifold that he tapped in the rear for PCV. It isn't completely old style, but it sure make guy's walk away scratching there heads wondering if it's an early motor. Oh yeah, he runs solid lifters too. That gets them wondering right away if it's an early motor. It's the blue 5w that was in GSTA this year, you may have seen it there.
Shawn

 

There is/was a factory adaptor for the '58-67 type screw on filter for later engines--the cartridge filter was bigger and finer than the spin on one, and was kept in production for various HD Police-Taxi-Truck applications.
Balancer is a problem--switching from a big modern balancer to a boltless flange like an early 283 would probably take you right back to the early 350's broken crank days...
Multi-media factors: Any early SBC in a hotrod would have a solid lifter cam, an 097 Duntov with sewing machine clatter or a 30-30 Vette with cement mixer clatter perhaps--hydraulics were nowheresville in the fifties.
Flange where serial number goes was narrower in the past--grinding that down and maybe stamping in a fictitious HP Vette code would be a good detail.

 

Do you mean "new" and like a REAL '57?

I made a 350 look like a 283...

I even changed he casting numbers, ground that rib in the front... and built some heads to look like the 2 barrel 283 heads (that had big valves, and... um, port work)
Sam.

 

you want it to look early, then use chevy script valve covers, early aircleaner and a generator.. plus find an early dist.. see the other post about traditional engines.. there is a great pic of a stock chevy motor