Hey, free stuff...

[Chevystep]

I've had my 66 longstep for about 33 years now, second owner from my uncle-in-law, bought it with 55K on the odo, has 86 or so now. Came with a 250 I6, 3 on the tree and thrift air, ran like a top. So a friend back in the late 80's has an Impala he's junking with a 283 and asks if I want it, sure, it's free! Rebuild it and slap it in. Then this same friend's dad has a 3/4T early 80's Chevy diesel with this overdrive 4 spd in it that he hates, because he needs to tow cattle trailers and such and this thing takes 3000 rpm just to get rolling and he never uses the overdrive. Now the deal is if I can find a granny 4 spd and put it in, his tranny is free! $50 junkyard tranny and two working weekends later and I've got this cool New Process (Chrysler A-883) overdrive tranny bolted up through a hole in my low hump and highway speeds are suddenly comfortable. Fast forward to the swap meet guy who sells me a 283 4bbl manifold with a Rochester 4G on it for $75, so not free but close. Now the last two years of restoration is nearly over, and lo and behold, the Rochester is a pill to tune, idles lovely but dies on throttle bump-so a rebuild is in it's near future and the 4 bbl manifold now has a little leak of coolant at the second bolt back from the pass side front like coolant is wicking up the bolt threads.....The restoration is DONE, but if I hadn't accepted all the "free" stuff, I'd be driving my old truck every day with its 250 and 3 on the tree..

Sure, it sounds great when you get this stuff, but these upgrades are keeping me from toodling around today! Now where did I put that Mikes Carburetors address for rebuild kits........Here comes another 2-3 weeks of waiting, at least I have 3 yards of light fawn vinyl coming in from SMS, so the seat can get recovered in the meantime!

I know.....

[shp4man]

I kept the 250 and SM420 in mine, also a long step. The dependability is there, but I live in a big city and like to drive the old truck. Once it gets going, it's OK, but it won't comfortably accelerate fast enough for some of these leadfoot, cell phone addicted drivers around here.
Also I can't keep up with people that do 80-90 on the freeway. Oh well..

[66Submarine]

Sounds like a quick, easy fix. Sucks waiting that long on the kit, but I bet you'll enjoy that driveline combo for years to come. Should get great mileage with the little 283 and OD manual trans, too. Going to be a daily driver?

[Chevystep]

As much driving local as I do in a town of 1400 folks, my longest trips are 25-30 miles! Drove it a lot more before the resto started a few years ago. Just hope I can make sure this new intake isn’t warped or whatever and that the coolant is only weeping up through the bolt and a little thread goo will seal it. Otherwise I still have the 2bbl manifold, but the old 2bbl Rochester is gone....to another friend with a 65! But I do like that overdrive tranny, now to find the proper driven gear for the speedo....

[Chevystep]

Originally Posted by shp4man

I kept the 250 and SM420 in mine, also a long step. The dependability is there, but I live in a big city and like to drive the old truck. Once it gets going, it's OK, but it won't comfortably accelerate fast enough for some of these leadfoot, cell phone addicted drivers around here.
Also I can't keep up with people that do 80-90 on the freeway. Oh well..

Yeah, but if them cell phone idjits happen to hit us.....the dents in their ride are terminal, there’s real metal in ours!!