questions about the 55 chevy 3200

[ya it is a classic]

hey guys i was just wondering about my 55 chevy 3200 with a 235 engine.

what mpg?

what top speed?

arnt the 3200 suppost to be 4x4? cause mines not.

thanks

[blackdiesel]

8-15 mpg, 50-60 crusing, 90-100 before see blows, maybe more. 3200 is the long bed, 3100 is the short bed, has to have the napco conv. to be 4x4

[OrrieG]

My 59 stock (235/3 speed stock rear 3.70??) got about 12 mpg empty. Top speed was 60 before the lifters started pumping up. Only 4x4 then was a NAPCO conversion. Without looking I think 1960 was the first year 4x4 were built on the assembly line. Kit was a short drive line, divorce transfer, front driveline, front axle and shortened rear driveline, fender emplems and dash decal with instruction. It was designed so it could be dropped in, then pulled and moved on to the next truck (thats what the sales literature said!). Only mods to the truck were cutting additional holes in the floor for the shift lever. There is a Napco site, with a really cool video of a TF Napco truck climbing Pikes Peak without using any roads. In a could of places they had to use a winch to get over some boulders but it really shows how tough these old six cylinder trucks were. I suspect the truck in the video had lower geared diffs than stock.

[mylow53]

my spedo was broken so i never know what the 235 did mpg wize. i did try to blow up my first 235 when i bought in 1983 (it came with a distinctive 45 mph knock). we held it wide open on a country road and redlined it for a couple of minutes. tons of smoke but no blow... still ran till i pulled it out!
GT

[ya it is a classic]

thanks guys. how much hp and ft/lbs of torque. also its a 4 speed is that matters.


i also tried to start it today. changed all the fluids and it cranked for a bit. i pumped it alot and went to try the starter and i just slipped. it was about 10 degrees out. is the starter fried?

[mylow53]

you may need to replace your starter gear if it's slipping. we used to test the starter gear by running the starter on the bench and shoving a 2x4 into the gear as hard as we could. this tests the sprag gears if there bad. not to expensive to fix...

[ya it is a classic]

Originally Posted by mylow53

you may need to replace your starter gear if it's slipping. we used to test the starter gear by running the starter on the bench and shoving a 2x4 into the gear as hard as we could. this tests the sprag gears if there bad. not to expensive to fix...

is that the copper things that always wear out on toyotas and dodge vans? they just get a step in them and then wear through

[mylow53]

not sure about the copper but the sprag clutch on the gear allows the starter to slip once the engine starts. imaging the rpms your starter would achieve if the engine reved up to 4k just as it started the armiture would be turning 15 k....BOOM!!! if the starter is spinning and the gears arn't grinding your sprag is probably worn out or your linkage is broken
GT

[blackdiesel]

The copper things are probably the brushes. I would try a hotter battery and jumping it first.

[ya it is a classic]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

My 59 stock (235/3 speed stock rear 3.70??) got about 12 mpg empty. Top speed was 60 before the lifters started pumping up. Only 4x4 then was a NAPCO conversion. Without looking I think 1960 was the first year 4x4 were built on the assembly line. Kit was a short drive line, divorce transfer, front driveline, front axle and shortened rear driveline, fender emplems and dash decal with instruction. It was designed so it could be dropped in, then pulled and moved on to the next truck (thats what the sales literature said!). Only mods to the truck were cutting additional holes in the floor for the shift lever. There is a Napco site, with a really cool video of a TF Napco truck climbing Pikes Peak without using any roads. In a could of places they had to use a winch to get over some boulders but it really shows how tough these old six cylinder trucks were. I suspect the truck in the video had lower geared diffs than stock.

ya i watched that on youtube a couple months ago, those trucks are beasts. so how much would a kit cost and how much work to put it in. also how easy are they to find?

[ya it is a classic]

hey thanks for all the imput guys!!!

so future plans- i would like to lower it with airbags after a while but im in MT and the snow can get to be pretty bad. what do you guys think of lifted 55's.
i like them but i dont wana listen to people giving me crap all day even if i think its cool. input?

[49ZR2]

I like to see the 4x4's close to stock or the Napco height. But it's your truck do what you want. Are you going to make it a 4x4?

[57ToyBox]

My thoughts exactly. It's your truck. Do to it what you want. But do it right.

[blackdiesel]

dont go 4x4. catches to much wind, bad fuel milage, dont handle good, poor acceleration, poor braking, etc etc etc.

i started it when i was 11 or 12. thought i wanted a 4x4 so thats what we built. probably havnt put 5 thousand miles on it in the 6 or 7 years ive had it built. wish i would have when 2wd. been so much better. in every way

[ya it is a classic]

Originally Posted by blackdiesel

dont go 4x4. catches to much wind, bad fuel milage, dont handle good, poor acceleration, poor braking, etc etc etc.

i started it when i was 11 or 12. thought i wanted a 4x4 so thats what we built. probably havnt put 5 thousand miles on it in the 6 or 7 years ive had it built. wish i would have when 2wd. been so much better. in every way

well if you hate it that bad lets trade?

[ya it is a classic]

Originally Posted by 49ZR2

I like to see the 4x4's close to stock or the Napco height. But it's your truck do what you want. Are you going to make it a 4x4?

its just a thought. i think ill leave it the way it is, just mechanical and a V8 and drive the crap out of it.
so which motor is the easiest to install and takes the least time? im thinking a used 350. i got a huge junkyard a couple miles from my house that has motors galore so i got a huge selection. it needs to get good mpg though cause i got a pretty good commute to town. but something that if a rich boy in daddys car wants to street race i can smoke him. ha ha!!!

[blackdiesel]

Originally Posted by ya it is a classic

its just a thought. i think ill leave it the way it is, just mechanical and a V8 and drive the crap out of it.
so which motor is the easiest to install and takes the least time? im thinking a used 350. i got a huge junkyard a couple miles from my house that has motors galore so i got a huge selection. it needs to get good mpg though cause i got a pretty good commute to town. but something that if a rich boy in daddys car wants to street race i can smoke him. ha ha!!!

OOO... grasshopper... you've just listed 4 things that don't go together at all. Junkyard 350, 4x4, good gas mileage, and fast. You can have 2 of them but not 4. If you do the truck like you want to build it, it will get less than 10 mpg's and a ford tarus will out run and out handle it in a bad way. now if you put a ls1 in it and a IFS. you might keep up with someone's mom's car and get upper teen's for mileage. not trying to bust your bubble, just stating facts. I've been there, and have done that. I have one both ways and the fast one is ALOT more fun to drive.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

The first thing if you want better gas mileage & are going to drive it on the road regularly is a higher gear ratio. Either a 3.38 gear set in the rear end or an o-drive trans. You can run a mild v-8 & get good gas mileage with the proper set up.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

If you're going v8 and want cheap, shop around for an early 80's 2wd pickup that has a rough body, but still runs good. Around here I know you can still pick them up in the $5-700 range. That way you can actually hear them run and drive it before you buy it. And, you'll have everything you need, engine, trans, radiator. When you're done with it, take it to the crusher and get back $100 or so.

[blackdiesel]

Originally Posted by ya it is a classic

well if you hate it that bad lets trade?

that is a good idea. but how much boot are you going to throw in??

[ya it is a classic]

Originally Posted by blackdiesel

that is a good idea. but how much boot are you going to throw in??

na man just strait up trade. cause i would have to put up with the 4x4

[blackdiesel]

that's ok I will just keep it

[ya it is a classic]

Originally Posted by blackdiesel

that's ok I will just keep it

just trying to help you out man! i think ill just keep it 2wd for now. thanks for your input on the 4x4 handling ect.

[199TJ991]

This is all you could come up with for your very 1st post??

IV. Pure trolling, either to upset someone or simply for your personal
enjoyment, is strictly prohibited. If you're here to cause trouble, it will be a very short stay. Immediate BAN and you will be reported to your ISP.

[blackdiesel]

Don't know who your talking to, but on this forum, we don't call each other names.