My 261 story: the last time I drove my 62 Parisienne on the highway (before it got a stuck valve) with its original 261/cast iron PG, I had it up to 90 mph alongside a BMW convt, and it still had more - I just wouldn't go there with the old suspension and steering components and the drum brakes.
It's got a 64 Pontiac 283 alum PG in it now and I'm putting it back together after a paint job. Once I go back through the brakes and steering/suspension I'll be ready to drive it with the new powertrain. If it's anything like the 65 283 Parisienne I had, it will go all day at 70 to 80 mph.
This takes me back a few yrs. when my ex's uncle "blew the 6cyl. in his 64 chevy 1/2 ton. We got hold of a 261 Poncho 6cyl & made the swap. I couldn't believe how that old truck took off like a scalded dog, would blow the doors a SBC & he smoke the back tires off of it in the 1st week
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Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in !!!!!!!!BLACKSTOCK Ont.
we were chasing down parts last week for a friends 57 chev truck with original straight 6 w/ 3 in the tree which had not run since 82. we went to look at a hood and came home with the hood and a bench seat. but the guy had a 261 sitting on some blocks he had just pulled out of his 57 panel. he was installing a 400 w/ a 700r4. the 261 had a offenhauser intake with duallies and a set of fenton headers plus a chrome valve cover. well my friend went back the next day to get the 261. i'll post pics at a later date
The 261 has lots of power & torque. One time when I had my 62 on the highway I was keeping up with a BMW doing 90 mph, and my car still had more but I didn't want to push any harder.
Alos looking for a 261 carb - mine has a cracked base, If anyone has one please pm me.
Dang! Almost makes me want to put a little more into my 261 (once I fix the bad cylinder of course) ... maybe car-after-this-one ... yeah, that solves another problem, what to do with the 261 after I yank it and stuff in the 496! I'll keep it and gradually find parts to soup it up like the one pictured above, dual carbs, headers, keep the generator (it works fine now) but put on the chrome cover I got for it (not an exact fit so it will need tweaking), keep my chrome valve cover, maybe get a chrome side cover ... and find a early 50's fastback to put it in!
Dave
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1956 Pontiac Pathfinder 2dr sedan, 496 - dyno'd 545 hp, stick shift, 4.11 posi - Hot Rod
this was at the cruise tonite i took the pict for the colour. its a 261 in a 60 pontiac
Interesting green colour. When I had my '60 Chev Bel Air 2 dr sedan about 16 yrs ago, the story goes that the previous owner had left the car outside with water in the cooling system in winter (no idea why he wouldn't have used antifreeze...). Apparently he then installed a worn-out 6 from a truck (presumably the 261 - note the yellow oil filter behind the air cleaner). I can attest to the worn-out part as it had significant blow-by when running (though it had a surprising amount of torque for a worn engine). I had wondered for some time why it was painted green...
Does anyone out there know why that oil filter line is going over the valve cover. Where would it be going on the passenger side like that. I am only familiar with the standard way of hooking up a by pass oil filter system. Both lines are usually on the drivers side of the block. Could there be any advantage to hooking up these oil lines any other way. Cheers. George.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8