After having slept in the rain and the wind at Bonneville the first Friday night, I've decided to make my 59 Chebbie Wagon into my rodding event car. That way I can easily sleep in it when the motels "lose" reservations and want to charge $200 per night. The 6 cylinder engine that was in the wagon doesn't exite me though. Neither does the factory paint, but that's a topic for another post. Anyway, while I have 348 and a 409 W block engines under the work bench (that are in need of rebuild), I am thinking that the freshly rebuilt 350 sbc on the top of the work bench is the better choice for long trips like Bonneville. The question is, how difficult will it be to mount a 350/350 in this wagon instead of the six-banger? Will I have to change the engine mounts? If so, What would be the easiest approach?
By the way, another motivator for me to get going on this '59 Chevy project is that I finally ran down (and am getting) the Montana title to the car after purchasing it 6 or 7 months ago cheap, but without a title. I had no idea who the prior owner was who still held title cause the last two owners had forgotten the guy's name, address, etc. Anyway, after lot's of calls and some luck, I finally got back through the ownership chain three links to find the guy who still had the Montana title in his name, and make sure that he felt that he was satisfied with the mechanical services on his '57 Olds that he had taken in trade for the 59 wagon over a decade ago. Geez! Titles are a pain in the ass!
Izzat the wagon you wanted to chop up and we threatened your life over? Glad you're gonna fix it up. Need more longroofs on the road.
Just get V8 motormounts from a 58-64 Chevy car and get the springs too.... W engine will drop in. Travis
Like travis said 58-64 chevy v8 frame mounts will do the trick to mount either motor. You can also mount a big block non w motor in the thing also. That is a tough choice on which engine to put in. The 350 is rebuilt and would be very reliable/fast/ easy to find parts when you are in the middle of fucking nowhere. But on the other hand te w motors are cool as shit and hard to find now a days. I know you should just give me the w motors so you can have that "junk" out of your garage. he he. My girl has a 61 Belair 2dr that we are putting a 454 and th400 in. The only mod we have to do is move the trans x member back a couple inches for the th400. No sweat and this thing is going to haul ass. Good luck man I dig your wagon keep us updated SLAMIT
If you already have the 350 and it is rebuilt and you are going to be more confident with it, put that in. Save the W for something that will allow it to be showed off. This will also allow you to take your time rebuilding the W.
So the W block will drop right in as is, or only after I change to the 58-64 Chevy V8 motor mounts? I like the W blocks too, but have kindof been saving them for my open Model A pojects, where they will have no hood covering them up. Yeah Fraz, that's the 59 wagon you guys threatened my life over, but you've got to understand that at the time I paid only enough for it as I figured the ribbed roof was worth (to go into my Deuce Tudor as a roof insert). I hadn't yet come to respect the car as a classic. Also, remember that I bought it without a title, but that won't be a problem much longer. Nice try, Slamit, on the W engines. They are too cool, especially when they have those chromed Moon(?) valve covers on. Kartbreaker, I think your'e right about makin it low as possible.
Still glad you're fixing it up. You should enjoy it. If you're still set for a 59 chebby wagon roof for an insert, I think there's a couple cars around here where the roof that's all that's usable. ~Fraz~ Repizentin da 59-60 GM ciz-arz in da hizzle fo shnizzle while eatin some Skittles banana-fana-fo fizzle. A'i'ht? We out.
The Jalopy Journal
