58 apache 32

[72lou]

Newbie to this. Just inherited a 58 apache very strait wood in the bed still good shape 6 cyl. 3 speed everything works good little or no rust. should I leave 6 cyl and leave all original or put a small block in it and have fun.

[1-ton of fun]

have fun!

[59chev]

I left the 6 cylinder in mine the first time I built my truck and I found out quick that the 6 with the stock transmission and rear end was no fun on the highway. 50 mph is about all it would do. You can improve driveability with the 6 by going to a t5 manual or 700r4 automatic behind the 6, but if you are doing that it is more fun to just go with the small block.

I have since pulled out my inline 6/ stock 3 speed/stock rear replace with a 327/700r4/10 bolt combo.

[72lou]

definetaly noticed the 50 mph run out of gear thrill ride, but its such in good shape i hate to butcher it up.

[AZ59apacheguy]

You won't butcher up anything. A V8 and T5 swap are all bolt in items, I know this because I did the exact thing mentioned.

[1-ton of fun]

Doing a v8 auto swap in my sons '55.2

I don't plan to butcher anything

[Kim57]

I find nothing wrong with improving on every aspect of these old vehicles.
A few don't agree but what ever makes it safer/easier/more fun to drive is fair game in my book no matter what it is.
Kim

[_Ogre]

let's see it
a lot depends on what you want to do with your truck
a v8 swap does nothing for top end, other than you get there faster
these trucks came with v8s and there's no conversion to do
you will need to find a v8 bell housing and front motor mounts
once you start swapping rearends to get faster speeds on the hyway then it gets a little trickier

and... again

[Dan in Pasadena]

It's not wrong either way you do it.

Whatever you do, do it well and to please yourself. Your money, your taste.
If stoplight to stoplight racing isn't your thing you can make a straight six run great AND make freeway speeds. I'd suggest putting an automatic behind it and a modern rearend ratio.
A 250 dressed to the teeth. I think it looks GREAT, and everyone doesn't have one.

[G&R's57GMC]

My '56 has the 235 ci 6 and a granny box 4 speed, 3.90 rear gears. And yes with the small 29" tires it came with it sounded like the pistons were changing holes at 55 mph.

So I scored a set of 31x10.5 / 15" radial tires and went to the junk yard and picked up 2 15x7" & 2 15x 8" used white spoke wheels. (hint if you go this way stay with 15x7" wheels, the 15x8" cause the rear tires to rub when there is a load in the bed.)

On my 57 GMC 347 v-8 4 speed granny 3.90 gears, I took the tires from my Avalanche and mounted them on 16x7 white spokes the tires are 32"

What a difference this made. The '56 will cruise at 65 happily and the '57 will cruise at 72 happily.