Quote:
Originally Posted by Root2812
Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have a fun project. My truck looks alot like yours condition wise. Mine was a municipal truck of some sort out in Montana before it came to Minnesota, those AD trucks just seem to end up here.  Having the factory 4 speed is nice too since you won't have to shave the 3 speed off your column when you swap in your 5 speed.
Oh and you can swap to 6 lug disks easy enough. Classic parts sells a conversion kit that comes with the correct master cylender and everything. Its something like 700-800 bucks or so. Since you are going for a stock look I am sure you can find a set of weathered hood badges easy too. Gotta have those to look stock.
And.. The 216 isn't a bad motor at all if you don't rev the piss out of it all the time. What is the problem is the 4:10 gearing when combined with the low geared trans and then a motor where you don't want to run at really high RPMS. If your 216 is good and you want to stay stock check into a 3:55 ring and pinion from Patricks. That will get you to a highway cruising speed. |
Root -
Thanks a lot. Yeah it seems these AD trucks are some how drawn to your place.
As for the conversion kit - the idea behind this build was on a "budget" per se. I have a 1972 Challenger I am restoring right now (currently on the roterrisse), which is where most of my "car funds" will go. The idea on this truck was to get it running and have a fun with it without pouring too much money in it. So with that being said, I am looking at Speedway's basic disc kit (5 lug) for $249. I know I said I would like to do 6, but sometimes you just can't have your cake and eat it too.
The 216 sounds like a good motor, I was thinking though if I was going to pull the drive train I wouldn't mind looking for an upgrade on the inline 6. Worst comes to worst, I will end up using that 216 if I cannot find a motor by mid March and run that with my 5 speed. I agree I need to tone down that 4.10 gearing out back. This is going to be a cruiser so the 3.55s will be a good setup.