VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Road / Interstate speed

I,m planning to go with a group of Roadies on a trip across the Mother Road (66). I have a stock 1940 Chevrolet, 216 - 85 H.P., The others have newer cars in the 50's and I'm concerned about being a holdup. My car cruises nicely between 50 and 55, above that I seem to be pushing it too hard, does someone with any road experience have any advise. Is my speed normal for the age or am I just being conserative? Any comment would be great, Thanks.

If your car is in good driving condition, you might be just a little conservative. I have a 1951 Chevrolet 2-door Deluxe with a stock 216 engine. I have been driving the car since 1960 and I usually drive it between 55 MPH to 65 MPH and I have never had a problem. On the freeway I usually maintain a speed of 60 to 65 MPH.

On a 150 mile round trip tour last summer I was the lead car. The tour was mostly in the mountain areas. I had the oldest car in the pack, with the majority of the cars being in the late 1950's through the mid-1960's. I kept my speed around 58 to 60 MPH on the tour, and the other drivers requested that I slow down some so that they could keep up with me in the mountains! :eek: :eek:

I just completed a 1500 mile trip in my 1941 to the AllCal Meet in Carson City Nevada. On the trip down I traveled with another 1941 and we used the back roads and still managed to travel at 55/60. I traveled back by myself on the Interstate and had no problem running at 60/+. I remained in the right lane and received no one finger salutes, however I received many "thumbs up" accompanied by bright smiles. Used no oil, but a real shocker to fill a 1941 Chevrolet and hand the attendant two $20.00 bills and not receive any change.

I have an additional 5 horsepower over your 1940, but you should run respectfully with the newer iron.

If your engine is in good condition I will agree with the above.60 should be a safe speed with 65 for bursts such as for catching up if you fall behind.If you have a 1940 Master 85 with the 3.73 axle ratio add another 5 MPH.My '39 has crossed much of the US at 65 MPH.
The lead car always gets accused of driving too fast.This is due to the catching up required by the trailing cars-If your not the lead car get behind the lead car and stay close and will be less of a problem.

WH: Two 'good' answers from two guys I know real well. I've been in the hobby 30 years and both of them have been in the hobby even longer (not much, but longer) than I have. I guess you could say I'm more 'conservative' than they are. They're talking about driving 216's at the speeds I like to drive my '54 (FP Oil sys.) 235.

For my '42 216, I like 54-55, up to 60 for certain situations. And for my '54 235, I like 59-60, up to 65 for certain situations. I can only explain my thinking this way. I just ABSOLUTELY do NOT want my engine 'wearing out' any sooner than it's going to. And, at the end of the day, I don't honestly think me going 5mph slower is going to cause anybody on the Interstate any problems. (He*l, they're going 75-85 mph(plus) in their freaking SUV's anyway!!) AND, it seems to me that by going 5 mph slower speed I'm going to have hassles later, rather than SOONER.

Here's something to think about as you ponder this idea. According to posts I recvd here in Chevy Chat when I asked a while back how many rpm's my '42 (with stock tires and wheels) was turning at various speeds: 55mph = 2775 rpms; 60mph = 2995 rpm's; 65mph = 3210 rpm's and 70 mph = 3450 rpm's. If max rpm's for the 216's is about 4000 rpm's, I just think that around 70% (2800 rpm's) is plenty enough.

Incidentally, my '42 has better breathing and a few more HP because it's got a split manifold with dual pipes.

Like I say, I'm probably a bit more conservative because I just do NOT want ANY engine hassles!!! :) It's OK with me if you just sign me "Chicken Bill."

Hey Bill,

More power and sounds cool too! :)

"Chicken Bill" stated: "I just ABSOLUTELY do NOT want my engine 'wearing out' any sooner than it's going to."

He does have a point albeit a small one. However, I have been driving my 1951 Chevy at the speeds that I mentioned above since 1960.........that's 45 years! And, it is never failed, never had any problems, and to this day it burns no oil.....period. So, if your engine is sound I don't think "wearing out" is an issue here. If the engine is going to wear out, it's going to wear out and 5 MPH either way is probably not going to make much of a difference. After all, 45 years is one heck of a long time and my engine hasn't worn out yet!

Back when those engines were new (or newer) we found that the ones driven at higher highway speeds would "wear" better or longer than those that were babied.If its going to blow at 60 it will blow at 55 also and will be due to an exsisting problem or defect.The better oils available today add extra protection also.

You might want to look at web site http://la.znet.com/~c1937/RPM.htm , for more than you want to know about keeping up to the legal speed limit. Your 216 is happiest about 2000 - 2500 RPM for long drives and only get to the 3600 max HP when climbing hills with trailer or passing.



I drive my stock 37s any where there is a road at top legal speed. I occationally go off road with trailer to fetch another old vehicle.

My dad drove a used Gulf Oil Co. 48 Chevrolet 1/2 ton pickup for 10 years after it had 80,000+ miles on it when he bought it without any problems, except a valve grinding or two, until he decided to show us boys how fast it would run, and after the speedometer went past 80 he let off the gas and it caused a rod to knock. He pulled the pan and head and put in a new rod and drove it a while longer till he traded it for a new 59 Chevy pickup. He told us it would not have knocked the rod if he would have gradually slowed down, he said that "What causes wear is cold starts ,dirty oil, overheating, and too much use of the choke. Keep them full of oil, water and don't worry about the gas, it won't hurt the engine to run out of gas" Maybe he knew something after all!

Hey Lou,

Nice web site!!!! That's a lot of work.

Then I have never had a Chevrolet with a happy engine

I always used 33 th 3400 for steady RPM's

Chevrolet recommended a maximum steady speed of 40 MPH, for the first 100 miles,50 MPH for the next 200 miles and 60 for the next 200....and that was back from 1937 and up-FOR BREAK-IN-- :p

My thoughts about some of these posts:

Lou, My math may be off, but it seems like 2000-2500 rpm's would only be 'about' 40-50mph. That doesn't seem to match your comment about driving at top legal speed. Like I say, my math may be off; but I don't think so.

ChevGene, this possible 'math error' likely prompted your comment about never having had a happy 216.

Skippy, I understand you have 45 years at your speeds. I knew 'wearing out' would be misunderstood. I just couldn't think of a better word. Maybe I should have said "I don't want my engine to be 'needing work' any sooner than it's going to." And by 'wearing out' I certainly didn't mean 'blow' (as Gene suggested) which I take to mean punching a rod thru the block!

When these cars were new there were dang few places they could be driven at the legal speeds of today's Interstates. Weren't the cars 'designed' for the highways of those days? Seems like those speeds were in the 50-55 range. I'm driving mine around 55, with 'bursts' to 60 or slightly more. And that's it.

Ponder this guys: Let's say 'we' drive 100 miles on a tour or to a show or whatever. If you drive 60mph, you'll get there in one hr and 40 minutes. I'll drive 55mph and get there in one hr and 49 minutes. I'm going to drive about 55 and run the risk of losing out on whatever 'fun' you're having in those 'extra' nine minutes. Bill.

'MATH ERROR'
was noted by me-I go by my figures.All of Lou's numbers are off little-I prefer Chevrolets published figures.

Believe me - people drove faster than 55 MPH when these cars were new-although it was not on interstates.My father frequently drove his '42 at 65-75 MPH here in Wisconsin - to keep up with other traffic...and the state speed limit was 65 prior to and after WWII.

"Chicken Bill": You said: ""I don't want my engine to be 'needing work' any sooner than it's going to."

My statement in the above post applies to that quote also. Again, at 55 or 60, if the engine is ready to go it will go.....period. It doesn't even matter if you are driving 45, when its time comes it comes and there is nothing that you can do about it. :( :( :(

Yes Gene, We didn't have a lower speed limit than 60 until the dumb mandated 55 double nickle thingie of the mid 70s. I got several citations of excess speed in my 52 Bel Air or Belair every year till I sold it in 1961! in fact more than I have had in the last 30 years. 65 is a good even speed for a 235 with a PG transmission or a stick shifter, You will be passing the rice rockets on good hills.
Shoot, some of you guys talk like we crept along on mud roads all our lives. You should have been around when the speedometers had Roman numerals on the odometers!

Just returned from a 150-mile run, often at 65-70 for extended period, in a '37 Chevy with a '50 216 (converted to insert rod bearings) without trouble. Car is a Master Deluxe 2D, with a 3.73 rear from a '37 Master. Car rides nice and smooth on an even road, pretty nice too on a difficult road, thanks to the Dubonnet's.

Jim, Like many in here you miss the point by not comparing apples to apples. Your 3.73's at 65-70 would be same as my stock 4.11's in the 42 at about 60. In other words your engine rpms at 65-70 mph are 'around' 3000. (Actually 2900 @ 65 mph and 3100 @ 70 mph.) At 3000 (actually 2960) rpm's I'm at 60 mph with the 4.11's.

So you see, 60 mph for me is 65-70 mph for you due to rear end ratio's.

Somebody can't say they drove 10 of 15 mph fast or slower and have it mean anything unless, what you might call, 'the base' is the same. In other words, all things are equal.

These guys want me (or at least say it's OK) to drive my 42 at 65+ with the 4.11's. I'd be turning about 3300 rpms. For you to turn 3300 rpm's your speedometer would have to be up toward 80. Wanna drive your 37 over 75, pushing 80, mph consistently?? I doubt it! If you do, it's OK with me. I'm just saying I'm not running my '42 with stock 216 and stock 4.11's (even with pipes) at 3300 rpm's, no matter what Skippy, Gene, Mack and whoever says. That's what the '53 2 dr post with the 327 and 700R4 with 308's is for. At about 76-77 mph it's just barely turning 2000 rpm's and delivering 25+ miles per gallon.

Well Bill it looks like the first liar don't stand much of a chance...or the second....or the third etc, etc.

I don't drive over 65 in the 53 with a 3.70 rearend, hardly anymore.

I also have the correct gears in my speedometer to make it read within a couple miles per hour of correct, checked by I-20 mile marker posts against a second hand on my double calibrated Waterbury dollar pocketwatch Ha!
I finally got old enough to drive a couple of miles per hour less than my age.

MrMack: Right on. I'm feeling like I'm not such a 'dummy' after all for driving my 42 with 4.11's at around 55mph and a little more. That's more-or-less the 'same' rpm's you're dong with the 3.70's at 65, or so. (Emphasis on more-or-less. We've been all through the "exact" mph's and rpm's.)

It's pretty obvious why I posted the question a month or so ago about what speeds do you go with the different ratios?? I'm thinking about what some (a lot of ??) folks have done..... put in the later model 3.70 type 3 spd rear end or the 3.55 type Powerglide rear end. Makes it somewhat easier to 'sorta' keep up with traffic!

(Editorial Note: There's no way I'd even want to try and keep up with some of the crazies on the Interstate!)

Bill.

Each owner should drive the speed that they are comfortable with.When out on a tour I prefer slower speeds but much of my driving is done getting back and forth to tours and meets-often covering 500 to 600 or more miles a day.Then I like to push it a bit faster.In that respect high 50's for a 4.11 and 65 for the 3.70/3.55 is comfortable and still with in the good gas milage range.Higher than that and the milage takes a dive unless you a a good tail wind.

Chev Nut Gene: I think you really hit the nail on the head, as they say.

I also feel that bringing rear-end ratios into this 'conversation' really gives it the credibility it deserves.


:) :) :cool2: :) :)

I agree!!

Bob: For instance, what are you "running" in the rear end of your sweet Forty?? :confused:

Have you ever changed out a center section?? If so, how much of a hassle was it?? :confused:

I'm sorta thinking about it for my '42; but I'm concerned about what's involved. :confused:

Bill.

42Bill.

I'm running a 3.55 rear end. I had it professionly done as it is way above my skill level to set up that king of machinery. I'm not sure what a center section is. I really like the new gear ratio. Combined with the radial tires, she is a great car to go cruising in. :)