Gearheads, Some Old Chevrolet Pickup Help?

[Pliablemoose]

Saw a rough Chevrolet shortbed stepside (69-71), straight 6 with an automatic on the side of the road today. I want to buy it, but need some advice:

I want to drop in a 305/350 TBI with a 4/5 speed manual tranny, how much would set me back & is it a practical swap?

Any good websites with info/parts to restore it?

 

[notfred]

I'm not a chevy guy, but it seems like the 350 fits in every chevy ever built. I'm acquainted with a guy who bought a used LT1 out of a wrecked late model camaro and stuck it in his '70 Nova pretty easily. I bet you can get those motors pretty cheap if you find a totalled F-body car.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Hadn't thought of the used route, heaven knows there are a lot of F bodies that get crunched...

 

[Tominator]

Honestly it cheaper to buy one already done.

I've wasted SO much money in my life trying out this and that. Swaping motors. Building motors. Unless you have a very good garage at your personal disposal and are prepared to spend thousands of hours, buy one!

 

[Colt45]

you can score a 350 pretty cheap at a wreckingyard.

then put a little time in cleaning it up.

parts are cheap as hell for them

 

[Zenmervolt]

The biggest thing here would be the swap to a manual tranny. You'd need to punch holes in the floor pan for the gear lever and in the pedal area for the clutch pedal. I think you'd be better off updating to a newer automatic (automatics tow better anyway). Notfred is right that the 350 seems to fit just about every Chevy ever made (kind of like how a Ford 302 will fit just about every V8 Ford chassis). If you're just going to put it back together for show, why not just keep the 6? Those old I6 engines ran forever, and they were pretty damn torquey too.

The preceeding post has been the best guesses and the opinions of a non-truck guy and a non-Chevy guy, so take it for what it's worth.

ZV

 

[Pliablemoose]

I've always liked Manual trannies, but could live with an auto.

Don't want to do a factory restore, I want something that hauls ass & looks good, always liked the way the pre 72 chevy shortbeds looked.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Tominator
Honestly it cheaper to buy one already done.

I've wasted SO much money in my life trying out this and that. Swaping motors. Building motors. Unless you have a very good garage at your personal disposal and are prepared to spend thousands of hours, buy one!

Exactly, unless it's a pure labor of love don't do it , it will cost you more to restore in time and money than to buy one fully restored.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl

Originally posted by: Tominator
Honestly it cheaper to buy one already done.

I've wasted SO much money in my life trying out this and that. Swaping motors. Building motors. Unless you have a very good garage at your personal disposal and are prepared to spend thousands of hours, buy one!

Exactly, unless it's a pure labor of love do it , however it will cost you more to restore in time and money then by one fully restored.

yeah, but it's more fun that way, plus you get to do everything exactly how you want it.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Carbonyl

Originally posted by: Tominator
Honestly it cheaper to buy one already done.

I've wasted SO much money in my life trying out this and that. Swaping motors. Building motors. Unless you have a very good garage at your personal disposal and are prepared to spend thousands of hours, buy one!

Exactly, unless it's a pure labor of love do it , however it will cost you more to restore in time and money then by one fully restored.

yeah, but it's more fun that way, plus you get to do everything exactly how you want it.

I believe that it was Peter Egan who said, "There are only three reasons to do a full-on restoration these days:
1) As a labor of love.
2) When you're done you'll know exactly how everything was done and it will be done how you want it.
3) One night you get carried away and accidentally dis-assemble the whole damn car and no-one will give you more than $300 for all those greasey parts."

ZV

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Carbonyl

Originally posted by: Tominator
Honestly it cheaper to buy one already done.

I've wasted SO much money in my life trying out this and that. Swaping motors. Building motors. Unless you have a very good garage at your personal disposal and are prepared to spend thousands of hours, buy one!

Exactly, unless it's a pure labor of love do it , however it will cost you more to restore in time and money then by one fully restored.

yeah, but it's more fun that way, plus you get to do everything exactly how you want it.

I believe that it was Peter Egan who said, "There are only three reasons to do a full-on restoration these days:
1) As a labor of love.
2) When you're done you'll know exactly how everything was done and it will be done how you want it.
3) One night you get carried away and accidentally dis-assemble the whole damn car and no-one will give you more than $300 for all those greasey parts."

ZV

#3 bwahahaha been there done that. Still have 6 electric cars I got for free and can't get one to run.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Any good web-pages?

 

[LAUST]

350's can be found for very cheap, so can TH350's and 400's if you look in the right places.

 

[Pliablemoose]

How about this dash?

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
How about this dash?

Wow, that's so stupid it's amazing they can actually make money off it.

 

I am currently working on my 1971 Chevy short bed stepside, I too have a 250 straight six but mine has a three speed on the tree.
I am swapping the straight six for a 4.3 L Vortec V6 with a 4 Speed OD automatic.
There are many websites on the subject, do a search on google.
I'll come back later when I have time and go into details it with you.