Posted by Clint Dixon [172.70.130.205] on Friday, April 08, 2022 at 13:22:23 :
In Reply to: Big block in a power giant posted by Geoff [172.70.130.205] on Friday, April 08, 2022 at 11:40:14 :
I had a 1962 W100 Town Panel (Power Giant body style) that had a 440 Chrysler Big Block in it. It had headers inside the frame rails and everything cleared - even the front PTO shaft to the winch. I got rid of these and found a set of big block truck center dump manifolds that I liked better mainly for the quality. The firewall was stock and the engine cleared it by about 2 inches. Some work had apparently been done to the sheetmetal behind the grill as the truck had a thin crossflow radiator installed. I replaced this with a 3-core vertical radiator out of a Dodge van.
I have seen at the Rallys at least one (1954?) Town Wagon with a 440 big block as well as another 1960's Town Panel that had a 413 and then later switched out to a 361.
If a 318 poly had fit originally, I see no reason that a big block would not fit. Maybe the frame rails on a W500 are closer together than those on the lighter duty trucks?
Junior