1959 Belair 348 Tri power (video)
- Thread starter bobs409
- Start date
I don't know why he keeps referring to the 335hp engine as "the NASCAR engine option". It was simply RPO 574. As I recall Nascar limited carburetion to 4 barrel max. Neither 4 speed nor positraction were required for the RPO 574 engine.
Very nice car though although a little over-hyped.
Very nice car though although a little over-hyped.
that red 1959 came from my hometown of Sioux Falls South Dakota - purchased in Larchwood, Iowa which is just east of
Sioux Falls. owned by a friend of mine years ago in early 1960s. I think it was restored in Sioux Falls.
I had a 1959 Chevy convertible 4 speed tri power 348 -I always thought my 348 solid lifter motor was 315 HP
See pictures -2nd picture is E/S NHRA race at Sioux City Dragway at airport
Paul
Sioux Falls. owned by a friend of mine years ago in early 1960s. I think it was restored in Sioux Falls.
I had a 1959 Chevy convertible 4 speed tri power 348 -I always thought my 348 solid lifter motor was 315 HP
See pictures -2nd picture is E/S NHRA race at Sioux City Dragway at airport
Paul
Geary Trussell
Well Known Member
I thought that the positraction dash emblem was only was for 58 as there is no reference in the 59 factory assembly manual for the emblem.
Depends on when it was built. The changeover from 315 to 335 hp was in midyear. The power charts were dated 3-23-59 but the actual change may have been earlier.
62_Conv_2-4s
Well Known Member
The FE code 335 HP 348 was available in 1959 according to Chevrolet by the numbers reference book. The only difference between the FB code 315 HP 348 and the FE code 335 HP 348 was the 2.5" exhaust manifolds, down pipes and mufflers I believe.
If you go to the 1959 Passenger Car Specs at the GM Heritage Center on the Wayback Machine
you will find the 1959 engine suffix codes include both the 315hp FB engine and 300hp FD engines carried over from late 58 as well as the 335hp FE engine and the 320hp FG engines listed. Thats because there were changes that upgraded the HP ratings accordingly and were included in several revisions to the specs. Only the 3-23-59 version of the specs are shown so you have to read the details and epecially the notes to determine the changes that were made. Those include the aluminum intake for the special cam 4 barrel carbed engines as well as a revised AFB carb for the 320hp engine as well as piston changes and 2.5 exhaust on all special cam engines. Even more details are shown in the AMA Specs for the 59 V8 engines following the GM Specs.
The 305hp HD Power glide engine was introduced on Revision dated 11-25-59 with 11 to 1 compression and AFB carb on a Cast iron intake.
The 320 and 335 hp engines have dyno power charts dated 3-5-59 and were included in the 3-23-59 revision to the GM specs.
The following is from the 1959 Advanced Information publication from Chevrolet Motor Division Engineering Department. Note the 300 and 315 hp engines listed and absence of the 305, 320 and 335 hp engines that were introduced later in the production run as stated above.
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