A new engine and trans for a ’66 pickup

Question:

I appreciate the help I received from some readers a few months prior with a hot start problem I was having with my Dodge. With that said, I have another project I’m thinking about—a wrecked 2006 3500 Chevy van with a low-mileage 6.0-liter V-8 and a 1966 Chevy pickup that needs an engine.

My question is, does anyone offer an installation kit for such a project, or will I be fabricating everything myself? I’m sure the folks from Painless can help me with the wiring, but the things that concern me are the cooling system, power steering, air conditioning and, of course, motor mounts and transmission mounts.

Answer:

Nobody sells an all-inclusive kit to install a 2006 6.0-liter engine into a 1966 Chevrolet Pickup truck but even so, this swap is not especially difficult. You will need to fabricate engine and transmission mounts, which will be easier if you are able to scavenge those parts out of the wrecked Chevy van that’s supplying the updated engine and transmission.

You mention power steering and air conditioning but don’t say whether these are already in the vintage pickup or whether you hope to transfer them over from the van. The power steering setup can be adapted pretty easily but the air conditioning system is another story. You will need to do some serious modifications to get the van’s system to work well in the pickup. It would likely be a lot less work to install a generic aftermarket air conditioning system but, of course, this would cost a lot more than the system in the wrecked van.