[53texponcho]

Hi guys, I have a 53 Chieftain which I want to put into my car with a 4 speed. I'm a little stumped in that I could use my front mount from the 55 287 I already have in there but the issue is that now I have to use an aluminum bellhousing and I don't think it would be a good idea to try to use the current mounts to do that with. A couple of years ago I decided to replace the original straight 8 with a 55 Pontiac V8. Since the car was already a standard shift I thought I'd try that out. As it turned out I wound up using a 59 Bellhousing and a 66 Saginaw 4 speed and hung the pedals from under the dash using a 67 Chevy truck pedal setup. I reciently came across a 64 389 out of a Catalina 303 hp engine and trans, but I don't want to use the M10 trans. So now I'm trying to figure out how to stick this 389 into the Chief. Any suggestions or has anybody already done it? Any pictures would help.

[Blackcat]

As you have already figured out doing swaps means that you also need to Engineer the appropriate items to make it work. A 64 on up Pontiac engine will have the block mount starter provision. And you can choose the early bell-housing and the later 62-64 style housing or the later Aluminum bell-housing from the later cars. Each presents a new engineering problem. That is just the beginning. You realize that the later engines mount different with the mounts on the side of the blocks. Again you will need to engineer mounts for the project. Now if your not wanting to do this all along with the many new small things that need to be made I would suggest visiting a Hot Rod Shop like the one my old friend runs. He specializes in doing things like your wanting.

[Engine-Ear]

howdy and welcome, 53texponcho!

I like your approach in terms of the driveline (389 instead of a "3-fiddy shiva lay")

Clarify what is an "M10" trans? (Not being a smar-tass, I honestly don't know)

Can you weld on the '61 and up motor mount perches from a donor frame to your '55 stub? I guess I would approach it that way.

Not trying to kick you out, but that conversion may get more/better attention in the '61 and back subforum: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...play.php?f=426

Good luck with it and don't be a stranger.

[Stuart]

That front mount from the 287 may physically bolt up to the bottom of the timing cover on the 389, but the thing is it has an aluminum timing cover while the older engine was cast iron - I'm not sure that the tabs on the aluminum cover would hold up to the abuse over time.