So familiar with these! My ole man had several cabs & my Unc had twice that. For about 40 years or more!
4 door Biscanes & Belairs. Inline 250 c.i. 6's!
Those things were damn near indestructible. More than a few racked up 1/2 a million miles. Some upwards of 750,000+! Great low-end torque, and got decent mileage to boot!
Sure, they were cabs. Always warm, which helps their life, but average maintenance was usually nothing more than regular oil changes, + plugs, points, wires & a condensor! A carb kit every now & then.
The ole man was a mechanic for 45 years. Never owned a dwell meter or a timing light.
Set the points with a match book. (!) I think that that's the only way he knows how!
Set the timing by putting his hand on the air cleaner, closing his eyes & moving the distributor till it's just...so. Tighten it down & go. Perfect every time!
He still does the timing on his collector cars the same way! Blows my mind just watching him do that! I never could.
Even had a 250 in his 19.5' boat. 165 H.P. Torque? We managed to get 7 skiiers up at once, one summer.
They guy down the beach had the same boat, but with a 302 F*rd. 188 H.P. He couldn't pull 4 skiers outa the water at once! But he tried! (& tried & tried! Lol!)
I've got friends that have Hot-Rods running GM Inline 6's.
Ones a '68 Nova with an NV3500 behind it & 3.55's. Runs a 4-barrel on a Clifford long tube intake & split duals. A few other 'secrets', too. He's surprised more than a few V8's with that! ("It's a WHAT? I just got beat by a WHAT???")
Another has a '48 Chevy Sedan Delivery. 235 w/a shaved 292 head. 3 Weber side drafts on a progressive linkage. A header & a Saginaw 4 speed.
On road trips, he manages almost 32 mpg! (tall rear gears help!) He's rebuilding the engine (after 30 years) & is considering pressurizing it this time! It's gonna have a roller cam & rockers. He's built one before (different vehicle) that on the street he'd wrap up to 5500 rpm. On the track, 7500 rpm! And that one held together for years. Only problem is that the 292 only has 4 main bearings, whereas the later 250's (1962+) have 7 main bearings.
I had a K-car (winter beater) that got the same mileage! But nobody waved at me in that like they do at the Sedan D!
They are also great off-road engines! The C/J Jeep's inline six is based on the GM inline. Put 'em in bull low & let them chug you up the hill.
Then there's this...
The 302 GMC inline six was produced from 1952 to 1960 and is a 4" bore and 4" stroke engine. It was originally designed for the GMC military M135 and M211. It was used in military 2.5 ton trucks with the HydraMatic transmission, however the engine was a sealed engine for snorkel/submersion use, had an electric fuel pump, and other features such as a deep sump oil pan. From 1952-1959, GMC manufactured the civilian 302 engine which was not sealed, had a mechanical fuel pump, and used a "standard" oil pan. This engine is popular with hotrod enthusiasts because it delivers tremendous power for an inline six engine, is truck built with a heavy cast block, and can take quite a bit of abuse.
In one of the shops I do work for, they have a 302 I.L 6, with a 6=71 hanging off the side of it. Was in the owner's race truck back in the '60s. Has pix of it hanging the front wheels 5' off of the ground at the 60' mark!
I love the simplicity of these engines! Done up right, they can even be pretty!
You must be registered for see images attach
Read more: http://forums.hotrod.com/hot-rod/70/7946843/pit-stop/chevy-straight-6-turbo/#ixzz3ei0EfBXR
