Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Chevy 6 on a REAL tight budget

I have seen some of the 250 vs 292 discussions and they have been informative. But I need some related advice.

I am about to replace the engine/tranny that I have now (V8) with a 250 or 292 and a 700R4 (I hope).

Somebody gave me a free 292 as a starting point. However, I have noticed that internal parts (pistons, cam, etc) seem to be easier to find for the 250 than the 292. I will be putting the engine in a sedan and am only interested in street performance, no big HP. Just a daily driver.

If I could find a free, or very cheap, 250 would that make better sense than the 292 since my budget is soooo tight?

I would appreciate your thoughts.

By the way....I'm putting the engine in a Ford. That ought to rile a few of those purists out there!

Ha!

If you never intend to soup up either engine and had a good 250 and a good 292 I would suggest the 292 for its greater torque and slightly more HP.
The bad news is the 292 will drink more gas than the 250. More horses eat more hay.

If you have both and they both need to be done over then the 250 is a bit less money as far as block internals go. Bolt on items like manifolds and headers and distributers are common to both engines as are the cylinder heads.

Right side motor mounts are in different locations on the 250 and the 292. The 292 is about 2 inches taller than the 250 due to longer stroke. May or may not present a hood clearance problem depending on the car.

I'd take a free 292 any day even if it was decided not to use it in this project. Someday your budget might be fatter.

I have a 1976 250 leftover from a 383 V8 swap in Portland,Oregon.Contact me at EVILDR235@WEBTV.NET
EvilDr235

Being lazy, depending on the Ford you are building, it might be a heck of a lot easier trading the GM motor for a Ford 250 or 300. I know, that will mess with anyone's mind, but it may make your life a lot simpler. (this coming from an inliner who is on his 2nd 292 powered Chevy II)

Thanks for the comment, but I don't think it will make it any easier. The car is a 58 Custom 300 Fordor sedan. The 292 V8 is coming out, as well as the Fordomatic. Putting a Ford I6 and an AOD probably would not be any easier than the Chevy I6 and 700R4. Plus I have earlier experience with the Chevy and like the manifold options. The Ford I6 is also a good motor.....don't want to upset anyone.....but I think for this project I'll go with the Chevy.

I guess I'll end up with a Fordolet.

I would check to find out if the 292 has all the p/s and alt brackets (different spacing than 250)because they can be hell to find (I never did find any had to make them.) The 250 brackets are everywhere. Perry