Thread: What Kind Of Motor Was In A Stock 1948 Chevy Stylemaster?

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It's easier to get answers if you post your questions on one thread.

Anyone have an engine like this?

Well Zak, just a few biased comments. I am a confused old Ford fan who recently switched to the SBC way of thinking. First if you just like to work on mechanical things and bring back the old '48 that's one thing and the current price of gas is another factor. But ( ! ) reviving old attitudes from the '50s, the 216 OHV inline six was merely transportation at a time when flathead V8s were 239 cu in and so most of the youth market shunned the Chevies of that time. The neat thing about the rodding scene of today is that old Chevies can be upgraded substantially with a Chevie V8. That is the sweet development for old Cheivies, that they can be upgraded with a V8 and actually be the best in many ways instead of the old slow poke autos of the '50s. I owned a '54 Chevie convert. for several years and it had the Blue Flame 235 which was an improvement over the 216, but not much. In the '50s the neat trick was to replace the 216 or 235 with a GMC 292 truck engine which was/is only slightly longer. So my resonse is that if you want to restore a 216 OK, have fun but since you don't have a core to trade in anyway take a look at a rebuilt GMC 292 or an inexpensive 350 V8. Just my opinion, and admittedly I am still reeling from the continued success of the small block Chevie consistently over the last 50 years while Ford sputtered with the 221, and 260 before finally improving their small block to the modern 351 series. Just my confused opinion.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Thanks, Zak.

Howdy. I'm new around here, and thought I would make a comment. I have worked on a lot of 216's in the past. They have "Babbit" rod bearings. Not the insert type. It's getting harder and harder to find qualified people to pour babbit. Shimming and plasti-guage is another draw back. If it has to be original, it will be more expensive. The 235 or 261 would be a good alternative. Good Luck.

Thanks, the thing is with this car I want to learn things that most people don't know how to work on. That's why I'm looking for something cheap so I can work on it and not end up costing myself a fortune when I mess something up.

Most of the people here are telling me if you're going to rebuild a classic why not go with something more sporty that down the road you may be able to make a profit off of. That's not the purpose of redoing this car. I'm doing it to learn skills that I can use on builds later on. This 48 will be my learning car. Hey, I got it for free. If I mess the whole car up, it doesn't cost me a thing. On the other hand if I do go with something more collectable and I mess it up. There's thousands of dollars down the drain. This car was free and probably the only thing I will get out of the car is the skills I can use on future projects.

My two cents worth---- a 48 chevy is not all that rare, and 216's are a costly and lousy engine. You'll learn a lot more, and end up with as much or more value, by rodding it. 350/350 combos are cheap and plentiful. Buy an old Caprice or some such and strip it.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Just had to get that out...
Sure the 350/350 is cheaper and more common...but it's so COMMON!
If you do a little hunting, you can find a nice 216 that some rodder discarded in favor of a 350.
Better yet, search a little harder and find a 54 or later 235. These are pressure-oiled (216's are not), and will fit your car with just a few easy mods. I spent around $1800 on machine work and parts for my 59 235, and assembled it myself. If it wasn't the original engine in my truck, I would have looked for a decent used one.
the inliners.org site has a bunch of info, and a bunch of old-tymers that will do a better job of convincing you to stay inline that me.
Stoveboltengineco.com is a neat site to look at too.
Don't go V8 just because it's cheap and flashy! Be different!
Well, really, do whatever will make your ride what you want it to be. If you want original, find the right 216. If originality isn't too important, but you want to stay inline, go for a later 235, 261, or a GMC 302, if you can find one.
The classified sections of inliners.org and stovebolt.com usually have a few 216's and 235's pop up here and there.
Good luck!
p.s. why is this in the flathead forum?

Unless you are just going 100% restore why not use a 235 instead. Has inserts instead of babbit bearings.

It was a 216 cubic inch over-head valve 6 cylinder motor.

Originally Posted by five-seven

It was a 216 cubic inch over-head valve 6 cylinder motor.

Do you realize that this thread is from 2006, nearly seven years ago Sure, it was "answered" when it was "only" four years old back in 2010, but even at that this one's ancient history.

Hey, I just saw a thread that the 1969 Camaros were being introduced on September 20th.....OOPS, it was a thread from 1969...i guess it's old news now?