Hi again. A nice thank you to all of the welcoming committee here, your nice comments were well received, thanks. I have a good story that will take some time to tell, it's kind of long, so would you grab a cup of coffee and lets go for a ride. The 1959 Chevy 348 that I had from 1964 to 1968, ended up being, the fastest Chevy that I have owned. In the muscle car era of the late 60's till the mid 70's, I had switched to American Motors. I had some real great times with the under dog, in street racing and on the Gymkhana course, but that's another story. This is a 348 site, and do I have a story to tell.
Since I have long ago sold the 59, I have some paper work that I saved, the rest are memories. The car was a one owner, that I bought in March of 1964, serial number for those that can decipher was, F59F241963. The color of the Impala Spt. Coupe, Grecian Gray with beautiful red interior and a gray head liner. 348- 4 barrel, with the awful Turbo glide. To this day, I never understood just what Chevy tried to prove with this transmission.
My cousin, had just bought a 1960 Chevy convertible, 283- 4 barrel with power glide. Shortly, we met out cruising, and sat at a stoplight together. Not only did he beat me from a stop, but continued to pull right away from me on the green. For a long time after, he would grin with the words, Boat Anchor being said. Well, he did beat me, but I should have beat him instead.
I worked at a local paper mill, and worked shift work. I had a good work friend that had a 1961 Ford Sunliner with a 352 3 speed manual, and 3 duces, that he had put on. He loved his Fords, and I loved my Chevy's, I thought. Bench racing with him, he did take an interest and agreed, I should have beat my cousin and his puny 283. I don't remember how long after, and I was beginning to think, that this is how fast the 348 is and I'm going to have to live with it. My Ford friend had asked to drive my 348, out of sympathy I think, as to all the crying I had been doing about my Boat Anchor. After the drive, with many pedal to the metal starts, and looking the 348 over, he agreed, you just bought yourself a dog of a boat anchor, that's what they are.
When I worked the 7 to 3 shift, there was a millwright, a pipe fitter I think. He raced stock cars at a short track for years. I went to him in my humble self, I was ready for the all too familiar words, so you bought yourself a boat anchor, sorry! I told the story, cried my eyes out, as I had 3 or 4 years left to pay this thing off, and dad would not sign for another car after 4 or 5 months owing this.
Daryl, the stock car driver was an expert I found out. He drove modified's at the short track with the 348 engine. For a day or two or three, he told me all about the 348 engine. It wasn't another day, and I drove to his house, he drove my car, and pretty much said, something's not right. He couldn't do any more as he had to get ready to race on the coming Saturday night, we'll get together again soon, he said.
Maybe it was another couple of weeks, I can't remember. I drove to his house / shop again. He didn't like the Turboglide, had nothing good to say about it. I didn't drink beer at the time, he gave me a Gobels beer. I was a month from 21, didn't like to drink, but I had better learn to drink this. He looked the engine over, I think he may have did a compression test, timing, points check, nothing. He played with the 4-barrel, and found the secondary's were unhooked, on purpose, he said. But that won't make this, that much faster, hooking the linkage back up. I remember him driving and sitting next to him, there was no noticeable difference with the 4-barrel now working. Something else is wrong he said. He liked the car, it was good looking and all, hated that piece of s**t of a transmission, that's the problem. Sitting in his driveway and I didn't want any more of his beer at this point. I'm walking around the car as he guns the motor in park. Standing in back, the exhaust is only coming out of the drivers side exhaust when he guns the motor. Sure enough, the manifold heat riser is stuck shut, and when the motor was gunned, we could see exhaust vapor coming out of the intake / head gasket area where the cross over passage meets. He said that by pushing down to open the valve, it could break off, if it's rusted and stuck good. He tapped it with a hamer a few times and it moved all the way open. You can imagine all the water, rust and stuff that blew out the other side of the exhaust now. The passenger side exhaust had to travel through the crossover in the intake manifold to the drivers side exhaust manifold to exit. Back in the car for a test and I drove. No words can explain the difference in performance as to how the 348 runs now. No more boat anchor, no sir. With these fins Chevy put on this car, I believe I can fly now.
I have to stop here, but will be back in a few days or a little longer, this is only the beginning with this engine and my stock car friend. Eddy
Since I have long ago sold the 59, I have some paper work that I saved, the rest are memories. The car was a one owner, that I bought in March of 1964, serial number for those that can decipher was, F59F241963. The color of the Impala Spt. Coupe, Grecian Gray with beautiful red interior and a gray head liner. 348- 4 barrel, with the awful Turbo glide. To this day, I never understood just what Chevy tried to prove with this transmission.
My cousin, had just bought a 1960 Chevy convertible, 283- 4 barrel with power glide. Shortly, we met out cruising, and sat at a stoplight together. Not only did he beat me from a stop, but continued to pull right away from me on the green. For a long time after, he would grin with the words, Boat Anchor being said. Well, he did beat me, but I should have beat him instead.
I worked at a local paper mill, and worked shift work. I had a good work friend that had a 1961 Ford Sunliner with a 352 3 speed manual, and 3 duces, that he had put on. He loved his Fords, and I loved my Chevy's, I thought. Bench racing with him, he did take an interest and agreed, I should have beat my cousin and his puny 283. I don't remember how long after, and I was beginning to think, that this is how fast the 348 is and I'm going to have to live with it. My Ford friend had asked to drive my 348, out of sympathy I think, as to all the crying I had been doing about my Boat Anchor. After the drive, with many pedal to the metal starts, and looking the 348 over, he agreed, you just bought yourself a dog of a boat anchor, that's what they are.
When I worked the 7 to 3 shift, there was a millwright, a pipe fitter I think. He raced stock cars at a short track for years. I went to him in my humble self, I was ready for the all too familiar words, so you bought yourself a boat anchor, sorry! I told the story, cried my eyes out, as I had 3 or 4 years left to pay this thing off, and dad would not sign for another car after 4 or 5 months owing this.
Daryl, the stock car driver was an expert I found out. He drove modified's at the short track with the 348 engine. For a day or two or three, he told me all about the 348 engine. It wasn't another day, and I drove to his house, he drove my car, and pretty much said, something's not right. He couldn't do any more as he had to get ready to race on the coming Saturday night, we'll get together again soon, he said.
Maybe it was another couple of weeks, I can't remember. I drove to his house / shop again. He didn't like the Turboglide, had nothing good to say about it. I didn't drink beer at the time, he gave me a Gobels beer. I was a month from 21, didn't like to drink, but I had better learn to drink this. He looked the engine over, I think he may have did a compression test, timing, points check, nothing. He played with the 4-barrel, and found the secondary's were unhooked, on purpose, he said. But that won't make this, that much faster, hooking the linkage back up. I remember him driving and sitting next to him, there was no noticeable difference with the 4-barrel now working. Something else is wrong he said. He liked the car, it was good looking and all, hated that piece of s**t of a transmission, that's the problem. Sitting in his driveway and I didn't want any more of his beer at this point. I'm walking around the car as he guns the motor in park. Standing in back, the exhaust is only coming out of the drivers side exhaust when he guns the motor. Sure enough, the manifold heat riser is stuck shut, and when the motor was gunned, we could see exhaust vapor coming out of the intake / head gasket area where the cross over passage meets. He said that by pushing down to open the valve, it could break off, if it's rusted and stuck good. He tapped it with a hamer a few times and it moved all the way open. You can imagine all the water, rust and stuff that blew out the other side of the exhaust now. The passenger side exhaust had to travel through the crossover in the intake manifold to the drivers side exhaust manifold to exit. Back in the car for a test and I drove. No words can explain the difference in performance as to how the 348 runs now. No more boat anchor, no sir. With these fins Chevy put on this car, I believe I can fly now.
I have to stop here, but will be back in a few days or a little longer, this is only the beginning with this engine and my stock car friend. Eddy
