Was thje 265 V8 installed in the 55 first series PU?

I have an old 1955 isseu of Popular Mechanics that references a GM Performance V8 UPGRADE in a 1st series P/U.

 

uuuuuh.......you're going to have to do better than that brief statement......we gotta SEE it ! Bedisdes, I don't think the term "GM Performance", as a noun, was even coined in those days...........show us the pics !!

Ray

 

I finally spent some time going thru the GM links again that you gave me above. In the 1962 truck lists, on page 8 in the transmission section, it does show the Hydramatic transmission being used, but only in the P20 and P30 step vans, nothing else. I also found it in some 1961-62 GMC pickups, but definitely not in any 1961-62 Chevy pickups like I had been told. I do remember, back in the 60's, that Hydramatics were used for drag racing in early 60's Chevrolets and that was because some Chevy trucks had them as an option and therefore they were sometimes legally allowed.

 

My memory may be faulty (and at my age, that's not the only thing faulty) but in 1960 I remember crawling under dad's early 55 AD to kick the muffler back so I'd have a straight pipe and I thought it was an open drive line. Regarding the GMC/Pontiac question, my cousin had a 55 GMC, stick on the column and a Pontiac V8 in about 1973?? He pulled the Pontiac out and stuffed in the 425 horse 396 65 Vette motor he had. With a 3.00 gear set it wasn't much of a drag car but it was really good on the interstate. His dad took his mom to square dancing in it and really like to drive it. Uncle Billy was cool.

I missed the boat, I should have bought the Vette with the motor at the time.

 

The series one had the 6 cylinder only, the GMC pickups had Pontiac V-8 engined

 

You remember correctly.......1955 1st design (AD) had open drivelines

Ray

 

The 3/4 ton Pk in 53 had a open driveline. the transmission was still the closed driveline version but it was a short version that attached to a crossmember and a U joint flange on it. From there back it used a slip joint open driveshaft.

 

Just to muddy the picture, if the 1st series 55's came with a six cylinder then they must have used the earlier version of the 235 with the high water pump, not the lower block mounted pump,as I was at a shop recently and the later version of the 235 was in a 1st series pickup and the fan would not cover the radaiter if it was to be used, so did Chevy come out with the later 235,for the mid 55 for the 2nd series cab.