Expert: Dick Benjamin - 11/18/2008

Question
Dick,
I am restoring a 38 chevy pickup with the 216 motor from what I can find. Was there different motors in this year pickup? It looks like it was a flatbed if that matters. I am going to try and rebuild the original motor and would also like to know where to find some reference material. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Answer
There was only the one engine used for all vehicles from Chevrolet that year - in fact for many years.

The best source of information on this engine would be the original factory manuals for it, but a pretty good source of info is any of the Motor's auto repair manuals, which are often found at swap meets.  Any of the auto literature dealers can sell you a good manual on the engine.  I use Ed Faxon at www.faxonautolit.com, but there are many others who are probably just as good.

Parts are readily available for this engine - if you do a Google search for antique Chevrolet parts, I'm sure you will get a long list of sources.  I recommend you join the Vintage Chevrolet club if you are not already a member - contact them at www.vcca.org  Attend a few functions and get to know who to listen to for advice - as with any organization, there are people who are very knowledgeable and a few who are feather merchants - you have to sort through them, but when you find the right person, you will get a lot of very good advice.

Dick