LUVTruck.com

anyone here ever done or seen a 409 LUV? I've seen pics of lots of different V-8 conversions, but never a real fine 409! Looking for a different idea!

I've seen alot of 409's in my day but never one in a LUV. That would be different, and the 409 was quite the runner too.

I've got two fo them here that are seized from being outside for 20+ yrs, still have the dual-quads on them and everything.

LOL! Takes me back to my fad with the Beach Boys..

Thought it might be cool and different to have a real fine 409 in my little L-U-V!!

That would be different. I dunno how a 409/348 block would fit into a LUV. I'd guess it would be somewhere between a SBC and a BBC for size, and probably closer in some ways to the big block. A solid lifter 409 with dual fours or a 348 tri-power (3x2barrel carbs) would be something to see in a LUV. Not to mention that solid lifter lope at idle always turns heads.

Old GMC trucks had a pretty big V6 in them for a while that would also be interesting, if you are really going for running an obscure motor.

I am going for something different! That's for sure! But I simply cannot consider anything less that an 8 cylinder. I don't want to hit myself on the head one day and say "I coulda had a V-8!"

Granted they are built for a very different type of driving than most V8s, but a 478ci V6 is nothing to scoff at. The 478M in stock form ran about 250HP and 400 ft/lbs of torque. The main flaw for a LUV transplant would be the low RPM range. Being a truck motor, they are built to operate well below 4000RPM. Not exactly a hotrod type of motor, more of a stump puller.

I just wanted to make sure you had a good picture of what I was talking about. These GMC sixes are not the little 3 to 4 liter things you are used to hearing about with V6 motors. We're talking 5 to 7 liter monsters. Take a look at this site for some more specs:
http://www.6066gmctrucks.org/EngineData.htm

Those are MONSTER engines! THAT would be very different!! But I am indeed going for a little hod rod LUV! Just not excited about doing a 350 like everybody else. A 4 speed, dual quad, posi-traction 409 sounds like an original! I would luv to see one if anybody has seen or built a 409 LUV! Keep me posted!!

V12!!! WTH! i never dreamed GM made that! Damn.... wish i had one in my old truck... imagine the crank-shaft... or the block!

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-Old ride-82 Luv diesel 5spd with some upgrades
-Past rides-82 Sierra, 78 Coupe De'Ville, 91 2dr Blazer, 86 RX7, 86 Porsche 944T (rear-ended and totaled)
-Curr. rides- 1970 Ford LTD 4dr, 390 4Bbl, 2nd owner! With a few Extras 00' Civic beater...

I've allways wanted to build a T bucket with a 409 because the eng. is out for show all the time.
I think it's a great idea for a luv. Good luck, hope it works out.
That GMC v6. My buddy just took one out of his 59 pick up and put in a 350. The 350 has more power , less weight and better mileage. The old v6 was huge on torque. They were used in forklifts and stuff like that back in the 60"s.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

I'll see what I can do while I'm rebuilding the front clip from Tuesday's wreck! I'm gonna see what I need to modify and we're gonna definitely try to make the 409 work in this LUV!!! I will probably not do the V-8 for a couple of years due to fundage but if I can pull it off now I will do my best! I will post many pics if my little L-U-V will allow a real fine 409 under the hood!

a 409/348 def sounds different,but honestly why would you wanna go that route?parts are TOO hard to find......I don't know if you could actually get headers ,other than cast iron to fit,I don't know if they would fit?and the tranny?I don't know about the bell housing and such.....anything can be done with the right knowledge,dollars,etc......but I think I would sit that one out....just my opinion!

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434 pushing 732 hp with no spray!!!

Sometimes you just have to be different for the sake of being different. Sure you could more easily put in a SBC and make more HP from it, but a 409 LUV would be different from anything you see every day. At some point building a custom rig becomes more about art than about performance or ease of use. I'm with you though, if you want to double/triple the cost and effort of building a V8 LUV, a 409 would do that. The ones that are out there are sought after by purist restoration types looking for the correct motor for their 8 year resto project car.

You are both quite correct! I would luv to have something different, but if it's gonna be too much of a hassle I will have to forgo the 409 idea in favor of the 350 in my backyard! But it's not about ease, as 800xl said it is an art! But I'm up for other ideas and like I said, this V-8 project is gonna be about 2 or 3 years down the road as I am having to rebuild my LUV from a wreck last Tuesday. But thanks for your input and I'll do some measuring when I've got the cab off to see what I can do to make it fit!

I was there when the 409 first came out. They where originally designed for the bigger trucks. A few of my friends had them, and even with all the machine work and high performance parts they were still getting beat by sbc's. They were more expensive to build, and everyone used the negative term truck motors to describe them. That's the reason you don't see them anymore. One post is right, there are nostalgia rod builders that put them together.
Sbc parts are easier to come by, and a lot less expensive. You can find all the parts you need to make a conversion to a Chevy V8 and TH350 and you don't have to build a thing, you just bolt it together. Ben has put articles on this site that tell you how to do it all.
As far as art goes, I see it every time I look into an engine compartment that has been well designed, or a tube chassis Luv truck that has been put together right. Also the obvious is great bodywork and paint jobs. I get inspired when I look at the trucks on this site and see all the creative things that have been done to them.

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I want to be different like everybody else.

I have never seen or known to exist a stock chevrolet truck w/ 409 in a and I've been on this planet 41 years. now 427 in trucks yes, but not 409. The beginning for the 409, it actually started out in 1958 as a 348c.i. engine in 1962 the 1st year for the Impala SS that same 348 was bored and stroked, and THEN ..the 409 was born, to my knowledege, as this goes for EVERYthing i have ever read about older chevrolet cars.......The 409 was only available in the Impala SS, in 1962 an 63 ONLY.period.
The 409 died in 1963 half way thru the year. there was not another big block chevy engine available until 1966 when the 396 was produced, and available in chevelle, el camino,impala ss and the caprice. In 1967 came the 427, now THIS was available in very few pickups but was in MANY bigger trucks such as moving vans, but the 427 was also available as option in place of the 396 in Impala ss, and then of course corvette had its own version of the 427 for that year as well.

As far as the years 409 was available, as i said in 1962 an 63 only...in TRUCKS only engines available in those years was the 235 6 cylinder and the 283 V8, then in 1964 came the 327
Sorry i've owned too many chevys over the years, and I have about every book there is to be had on them as well.just had to throw in muh two pennies here.

Yea Duane, my point was they took the 348 and put three twos on it, and then they bored and stroked it, painted it and chromed it, and put it in a pretty new car, and it was still losing to the small block Chevrolet. Now granted they weighed in at about 4000 lbs, and could move the old Impalas along pretty well, but could not hold their own. The next thing is as soon as you started to put the speed equipment on they were blowing up. The car was very impressive and a lot of people loved them and still do. I still do for that matter, but I was 21 when you were born, and at that time i was in with the racing crowd, and had kept up with it since I was 14. At about that time, the Ford 427 was introduced, and the 426 Hemi was winning a lot of races. Those years were the beginning of the musslecar era, and I think G.M. decided to go with the 427. The had an aluminum one back then that was very costly. Anyway after being drafted and getting married, and leaving the country I lost touch, and even if i had paid attention, I wouldn't have been able to afford it. I applaude you for your effort and knowledge, and I haven't lost interest, that's why I keep calling you about parts. The conventional wisdom was that Chevrolet had developed that engine for trucks, and then later made the descision to put them into cars. The people that I knew and respected thought that G.M. should have improved on the small block, or should have designed a new engine from the ground up. Anyway, if i had a good 348, or 409, I would sell it to someone doing a retro, and be miles ahead. If I wanted a cool retro rod look, I would put it in a Luv.

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I want to be different like everybody else.

Oh hey, right on and NO harm meant, just thought i would share what i know....
BTW....I dont catch all names right away and had not realized you have called me about parts but.....THANK YOU

Dude, if you only knew how many calls i get each day.the amount is like OMFG!
I am renaming the yard after the 1st of the year to" LUVTruck Salvage" cause even though i have other vehicles, 95% of my calls are for LUV parts, and 95% of parts sold are .......you guessed it

The big V-6 was built with the W head design like the 409/348 engines. I worked on a few many years ago and the V-6 was a 305 cubic inch. I remember them in mid 60's BIG trucks.I did see one in a pickup but it had been put there,(and it looked rigged from one end to the other). I remember ton and 1/2 and larger trucks. A few left over 409's made it into 65 model cars.(very few, I thick it was 5 Impala SS) I saw a article calling them the rarest 409's. The 396 came out in 65 with the 65 and 66 using a different block and rear cam bearing.

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stripped and just a memory!

yes, i am aware of the 305 V6 as well, and i know , failed to mention that when i was speaking on other engines , (dang me dang me)
But anyway i have a 64 chevy pickup in my yard w the 305 V6 in it

on the 409 in 65 I DO NOT want to argue.....but nothing i have here in black and white mentions that