I recently purchased a 1965 Chevy fleetside SWB. It has a 230 I6 and 4 speed tranny. I want to swap this out with a 350 and 350 turbo. My father said to buy a Camaro and swap frames, rear end and whatever else bolts on. I'm not too concerned with keeping the truck origional. Should I keep the frame I have and swap motors and tranny, or should I go with the Camaro frame and parts? I want a high performance 350 and a higher gear rear end for better gas milage. In other words, I want it to sound fast without ever racing it. Those days are over for me. Unfortunatly, high performance trucks are not. Please help with any advice you may have. I'm new to this, but plan on keeping my truck till I die.
I'll take the 4 speed off your hands, and maybe some 230 parts! Where in Texas? Nik Dream Big, Dare to Fail!!
[updated:LAST EDITED ON Feb-06-05 AT 11:21 PM (CST)]Do NOT use car suspension and drivetrain components in a truck. If there is nothing wrong with the frame you have now, build on THAT. You can get a good lowered stance with drop springs and/or drop spindles. A front end rebuild of ball joints, bushings, tie rod ends etc, and you will think it's a new truck. There are a number of disk brake kits using TRUCK rotors and calipers. Add a good front sway bar and you will be ready for a new motor/trans. The trailing arm rear suspension is good enough to be used in NASCAR Cup cars. Need I say more? Add a quick ratio truck power steering and you will think you died and went to heaven. If you want a freeway cruiser, instead of raising the rear end ratio, consider an overdrive trans like the 700R4. I just did a 350 crate 700R4 swap a year ago. I left the 3: 70 rear alone. The 700's 1st & 2nd gear allow a nice launch and acceleration for merging on the freeway, then the overdrive allows for 70 mph cruising at 1800 rpm. The sound you get will depend on your choice of headers and mufflers. If the frame you have is damaged severly, replace it with another truck frame. the 64-72 years will give you the least problems. DV
I've read alot of advice you have given here and I respect what you have to say. My frame is undamaged as far as I can tell. If I do the engine and tanny swap you recommended, do I keep the stock rear end? You mentioned a quick ratio truck power steering. Could you recommend a kit or parts I will need? Any advice pertaining to the headers & mufflers that would fit right in my 65 would be nice as well. I want a freeway cruiser that lopes nice. I don't plan to race it. I just want the sound. Gas milage is unimportant as well. I travel from TX to AZ every now and then and I would like to drive my truck when I'm done. Well, I may never quite be "done", you know how that is I'm sure.
[updated:LAST EDITED ON Feb-07-05 AT 12:32 PM (CST)]Jose, Thanks... Find out what rear you have in there first, the majority were 3: 70 & 4:11 ratio. But Yes, I would keep it for now and do the trans swap first. To do Power Steering you MUST use a REZ adapter. Here is a link to an article in Custom Classic Trucks from a few years ago that will give you an idea of the conversion. http://customclassictrucks.com/techarticles/84378/ Here is a link to the steering box I used. It's known as an 800, the variable rating comes from the box's ability to be more responsive at slow speeds, like trying to park, or do a U turn. It really makes it easier to drive, and as a result, more FUN. http://www.borgeson.com/power-steering-saginaw-800-steering-boxes-brackets.htm I'm kinda up there in age, so I prefer an exhaust note that is more like a 50's custom. Because I lowered my panel truck, I chose 3/4 shortie headers that would not scrape the curb every time I backed out of the driveway. Also, because I moved the new motor forward for HEI clearance at the firewall, stock ram horn headers would no longer fit. I used a good set of cermanic coated Chevelle headers that fit really good. Some tweaking was required, but it was minor. I then chose a muffler shop that is owned by an old hotrodder and told him what I wanted. He hooked me up with a full length exhaust that uses old-school Smitty's ( glass packs). I also had him put in old-style dump tubes and caps that peek out from the rear of the front wheel well. These are the most recent pictures, from a year ago.. http://home.comcast.net/~dennisvalentine/wsb/html/view.cgi-photos.html-.html There are some shots of the power steering as well as an aftermarket tilt column install. DV
Another Power Steering link with better pictures. This one has information about a complete kit from CCP. http://www.classictrucksweb.com/tech/0501cl_oldsc/ DV
DV, Thanks for your advice. I visited your web site and was very impressed. I can't wait to get my 65 Chevy truck to that level. I have a few questions for whenever you have time. 1. How did you get your frame so clean and what kind of paint did you use? 2. What kind of radiator and trans cooler did you use? Did they fit in the stock location or did they require some modification? 3. If I were to purchase the 800 gear box, do I need tha power steering pump & kit with it or is it a replacement for the stock gear box? Once again I thank you for your time and input. You have motivated me by seeing your pictures. Believe it or not, but I have trouble sleeping at nights because all I do is think of things I want to do to my truck. Is that weird or am I normal?
1. Buckets of degreaser , wire brush, paint scraper and other implements of destruction were used. I cleaned off all surface rust. Shot it with rattle-can epoxy primer and a few coats of rattle-can semi black. 2. When I did the motor swap, on the advice of experts, I replaced the radiator with a new Automatic Trans radiator with a coolant tank in the bottom. It was made for the 64-66 so it went right in. I just replaced the rubber mounts all around. As added insurance I used a auxillary trans cooler from TCI. I also added a trans temp gauge. High fluid tempatures are what kills automatic transmissions. 3. The kit has everything you need. But the pump is really just a factory replacement. YES, you need a PS pump to go with a PS gear box. What is nice about that kit is it includes EVERYTHING. I looked for pulleys that would work for some time. Had enough from swap meets to make a few wind-chimes. I finally gave up and just order a set of pulleys from a supplier. DV
Thanks DV. This is plenty to get me started. I'll let you know how things go and will probably ask many questions along the way.
Wow, i was readig the posts, and decided to check out your photos. that is beautiful, I am currently changing my 65 fleetside long bed 4x4, the first project is the drive train, i am going from the 283, to a 1969 chevelle 396, with a th350. I have the whole front clip off and will soon have the cab and bed off, so i can sandblast the frame. then i plan to do the whole frame with a high gloss acrilic enamel, and will paint the firewall, and inner fenders with a white and black marble zolotone. so far it has been a slow process, but will be well worth it, i will be posting some pictures soon, i have also went with a steering collum out of a early eightys cadillac (that is because when i bought the truck, it had a tilt wheel, collum that was worn out, looks like it was out of a buick) the preveous owner had swaped the front and rear axles from a 78 k5 blazer, and also went with the 78 steering box, so now it has front power disk brakes, and power steering. chevy65cvy
