Chevy Small Block In a '56

[lpppalmm59]

All right,I know I'm going to catch hell for this but my 316 is shot and I happen to have a nice '91 Caprice police package roller cam 350 with low miles.I know this conversion has been done before and but I was wondering if anyone has ever tried a Chevy side mount conversion kit,made to install later model small blocks in '55 Chevys.Does anyone know if the frame is the same width as my '56 Chieftain?'55 Chevy convertibles have the x-frame.

[1953techadvisor]

hi, how good are you at catching ?, lol, well it is sad to see another classic pontiac being afflicted with the bowtie sickness, not knocking the ones that pontiac was forced to build that way in later years. the pontiac frame is wider than the chevy frame, i have no personal knowledge of seeing anyone install a conversion to chevy kit. most shop manuals back then have a frame measurement page and specs, i'll bet if you compare the frame page in both your 56 pontiac and a tri-five chevy shop manual, you'll find the answers you're searching for. pontiac called the 1956 engine a 316, gmc called it a 317. i would advise you to reconsider your options, and have the shot 316 rebuilt, you'll maximize your car's value by doing so. if there's one thing the pontiac world doesn't need, is another one with a bowtie motor.

charles l. coker
1953 pontiac tech advisor
tech advisor coordinator
poci

[1953techadvisor]

hi, how good are you at catching ?, lol, well it is sad to see another classic pontiac being afflicted with the bowtie sickness, not knocking the ones that pontiac was forced to build that way in later years. the pontiac frame is wider than the chevy frame, i have no personal knowledge of seeing anyone install a conversion to chevy kit. most shop manuals back then have a frame measuement page and specs, i'll bet if you compare the frame page in both your 56 pontiac and a tri-five chevy shop manual, you'll find the answers you're searching for. pontiac called the 1956 engine a 316, gmc called it a 317. i would advise you to reconsider your options, and have the shot 316 rebuilt, you'll maximize your car's value by doing so. if there's one thing the pontiac world doesn't need, is another one with a bowtie motor.

charles l. coker
1953 pontiac tech advisor
tech advisor coordinator
poci

[lpppalmm59]

Yeah,I hear you.

[lpppalmm59]

Rebuilding my 316.To anyone thinking about putting a Chevy in a Pontiac,nothing is easy and nothing fits.Actually,once I tore it down I found the original engine wasn't in as bad shape as I thought.