My dad left me a 67 Impala with a 396 big block when he passed my senior year of high school. Now that I'm out of undergrad and receiving real paychecks, I'm looking into restoring this classic. I've heard good things about new turnkey engines, but I'm not an expert by a long shot. I know the 396 claims 325 hp but I guarantee this thing hasn't produced like that in 30 years.

My question is should I want to get one of these new engines (mildly powered, nothing out of control) what other parts would I likely need to replace to handle a stronger power mill?

 

if nothin has been done to car for awhile, i would service the rearend, (change fluid, check gears, have specs/tolerances checked.) a big block motor produces alot of torque, hate to see you lose the rearend cause something was wrong. also, if it's automatic, it should be the th400, which is pretty much a bullet proof trans, but it still requires maintenance and a rebuild once in awhile. if it's the 4 speed manual trans, new flywheel, quality clutch set is in order, as well as the pilot bushing. most people don't check or replace this, which can lead to problems. the pilot bushing, if it has one, is pressed into the end of the crankshaft, keeps the tip of trans input shaft from sloppin around. i would also have the syncro's checked/replaced if needed, as well as the fluid. go thru all the spring bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends. sounds like alot, but nothin really spendy or too time consuming. best to be sure things are in order rather than find out the hard and costly way that it isn't.

 

Hi makeurself87zs,

Welcome to the Chevy Forums.

I'd follow Maxxman's advice in any event, but do you know the original mileage? I know from personal experience(I owned a few of those 3 ton beasts in my time) that,barring extreme hard running, many of these big block engines pull very low RPMs throughout their service life. If this is true of your car, there may be a few dances in the old girl yet.

Bear in mind that the 6.0L Vortec pulls around 340HP, which is in the ballpark of the output of your 396. True, it's smaller and gets better MPG. IMO, they still haven't found a better all around automatic than the THM400 your 396 is probably bolted to. It would probably be a good idea to change the transmission filter, at one point, or another, also.

 

it would not be a bad idea on the 6.0L... BUT, you would need motor,trans, 4L60/4L80, all wiring harness, ECM, motor/trans mounts, new fuel lines/pump, fab a instrument cluster for speedo/tac and more.. no worth the $$$
if i remember the 396 came with ether 325/350/375 hp. if i had the money, i would do a complete rebuild of what you have. but spend on a good set of aluminum heads/intake keep compression about 9.to 1 and a good street cam, headers and maybe a stall, depending on your rear gears.

IMO..keep it old school as mush as possible, so much nicer...

good luck

 

No, I think you missed the point, which is that the original 396 is still probably fairly competitive as pertains to general power. What went unstated in my last post is that while the new Vortecs may have slightly better HP and arguably better MPG figures, my bet would be on the 396 for torque and thrust.

I'd be inclined to give the current drivetrain a complete preventive maintenance and tune-up. Run the vehicle and see if it is still strong. It may surprise you.(and a few others, as well...) Use Blue Streak or MSD ignition parts, you'll probably drive away grinning. (and don't ignore the condenser)

 

Thanks everyone for your help. To answer some of your questions, the car has well over 1,000,000 miles on it. The odometer reads 126,something, but I imagine there's just no 7th digit to show. To the best of my knowledge the ignition was replaced about 2 years ago after the starter broke. the carburetor was rebuilt around the same time, and when I first got the car, I was forced to have the steering gearbox rebuilt.

 

New-for-1957 Ramjet fuel injection continued to be available as an option for the Turbo-Fire 283 V8. 1958 Impalas equipped with this option are rare and highly desirable as collector cars....


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