Need Help!!!

[oldschoolJ]

ok my grandfather gave me and my brother a 1955 chevy truck. it has a 283 engine, nova 3speed (dont know what year they both came out of) and a plain 55 rear end. we plain to redo the whole truck. engine we want to do a lite performance on it. tranny have no clue, rear end i dont know what to do. i am new to chevy (im a aircooled vw guy) i know a little bit about gm stuff but not alot. i just want to if i should switch trannys and what should i do to the rear end and where i can get rearends and rear end gears.

thanks
james

 

[Chiro]

Which truck is it? first or second series?

 

[oldblue64]

55 chevy truck

You have a great year for a truck.Its the first year for a v8 in the truck.If your truck was mine,I would get rid of the 3-speed and opp for a automatic.Lots of choices there.As far as the rearend,whats your top speed right now? Is the truck a stepside? I have a 64-chevy step side.It came with a 6 cyl.3-speed.S omebody put a 350 motor in it,but didnt change the rearend or tranny.Oh it will go fast from 0-60,but that it.I'm going to put a auto,and some different gears in it.Anyway it sounds like you got a good project there.Good luck!

 

[oldschoolJ]

cool cool. sorry guy ive been doing alot of things, but yesterday we got it out of the barn and got it ready to bring this weekend hopefully.

here it is

i think it has a flipped axle
http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa36/gnarlyJ/?action=view&current=truck2.jpg

the rearend is from a olds. rocket.

 

[oldschoolJ]

If your truck was mine,I would get rid of the 3-speed and opp for a automatic.

i would but i dont know. i also have the 4speed tranny it came with and a 350 automatic tranny out of a chevy custom 10 truck (but needs to be rebuild) i was thinking about going to an automatic , but i love stick better. unless something changes my mind. as of engine im thinking about going with (since i have them when i got the truck) the three deuce set up rot. 2gc's. mild cam. rebuild the motor ( its been sitting for 55 years). ill see it again this sat. hopefully .

 

[billybones]

Hmmmm. Just looked at your pics and it's not a 55. 53 or 54 maybe?? Cool truck anyway!!

I love stick too, and am putting in a 1982 Chevy 3spd overdrive in my 62. Looks just like a chrysler 4 spd. This way I can still shift gears and have overdrive for the mileage. Not many people know about these trannys and it took a while to find a shifter. Putting it in soon.

 

[billydonn]

I'm not expert on the 50s trucks but I can tell you this: you will never fully enjoy the ride without an overdrive transmission. If staying stick... I think those 3 spd overdrives are pretty rare, but a good idea. If you have the dough it's Tremec TKO (I LOVE mine). Automatic means 700R4.

Of course getting the suspension/brakes right is a must even before the tranny/engine.

 

[coilover]

If it has an open driveshaft it IS a 55, the first series. The 55 second series was the square 55-59 style. If you warm up a V8 and like a standard you should use the later (67 up) tranny. It is fully synchronized and much stronger. Being the first series, which just had a 6 cyl., you will need to get a mount kit from someone like Chassis Engineering or fab up your own. Good luck.