WELL JUNKYARD DOG, THIS IS A NEW TIME WE ARE IN AND ALUMINUM PISTONS ARE THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE. YOU CAN STAY WITH CAST IRON PISTONS, AND BE IN THE STAGECOACH ERA OR HOP ON YOUR JET AND BE UP TO DATE WITH THE REST????????????

You mean like you did? And then have piston slap and other problems related to the aluminum pistons? Remember, the name of the game is "restoration", and restoration means to put the car back like it came new from the factory. Aluminum pistons were available then, but Chevrolet Motor Division, for whatever reason, chose not to use them from 1929 thru 1932 and later. If you want to get out of the "stagecoach" era, then you should street rod your car and be totally modern with a 350 V-8, air conditioning and etc. Ya! ha ha! Anyway, I prefer to stay in the "stagecoach" era, because I think it's cool.

Seriously though.....cast iron pistons are easier to find for one thing, and they are stock for another. Over the past 20 years or more I have talked to lots of dudes who went with aluminum pistons, and most of them were not satisified, due to rattles and slaps. At any rate, it's the owner's choice as to what type of pistons to use, and I know that some dudes like the aluminum pistons. I have never had a problem with cast iron pistons so I'm sticking with them, and I have one 216 engine with 120,000 miles on it and cast iron pistons are on the inside, and the car is still going strong! Hey Donald...how many miles did you say that you have on your new engine with the aluminum pistons? 300 or something? And you have piston slap on two cylinders already? Hum....welcome to the modern ages!!! ha ha!

A QUESTION I HAVE IS, WHAT CAR MAKERS TODAY USE CAST IRON PISTONS. I REALLY THINK THAT ALMOST ALL GUYS REBUILDING ENGINES TODAY ARE GOING TO ALUMINUM PISTONS. THE OLD SAYING THAT IT WAS THAT WAY WHEN IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY DOESNT HOLD A CANDLE IN THIS DAY AND AGE. GUYS USING HIGHWAY GEARS, SOLID STATE IGNITION, ALUMINUM PISTONS. REMEMBER, THE JUDGES DO NOT SEE THOSE THINGS IN THEIR JUDGING.

Again....it's the owner's choice what he wants to do with his car, and many dudes do different degrees of restorations on their cars and they do make certain changes that they feel is for the better. To me the fun part of having an old car is to have it and drive it the way it was way back when. Others feel that they want to upgrade their cars some for faster driving due to the traffic in their areas and so forth. Cool! Not a problem. I prefer using cast iron pistons because in past experience they are trouble free and they go tens of thousands of miles. But, to answer your question....at least as far as the 1929-32 engines go....so far, over the past decade, I have talked to more dudes that have installed cast iron pistons in their 1929-32 engines than those that have used aluminum.

If you are totally restoring a car back to original and you are looking at it from an historical point of view, then the old saying "That's the way it came from the factory" does hold a candle. Any deviation from that point is a modification from the original, and the question is to what degree do you want to deviate from the original? Some dudes look at cars as a piece of past history, while others look at them as a piece of art, while still others see them as a form in which they can express themselves in different aspects of modifications and the like. Bottom line... original cars are cool....modifieds are cool and street rods are cool. It's the owner's choice which way he wants to go since it's his car, and that's the way it should be.

Don,The last cars to use cast iron pistons were the 1953 Chevrolet sticks,1952 Pontiac 6 1954 Pontiac 8.These were all engines known for durability.Many cars in the teens and twentys used aluminum pistons.With the old technoligy they were never as durable as iron.With todays high reving engines everything that reciprocates is made as light as possible so things don't pound themselves to death.If a Chevrolet 6 is driven as intended when new cast iron is perfectly good.In the thirtys most states had speedlimits of 40 to 50 MPH. and if you are satisfied with that as a crusing speed castiron is fine.

Don,The last cars to use cast iron pistons were the 1953 Chevrolet sticks,1952 Pontiac 6 1954 Pontiac 8.These were all engines known for durability.Many cars in the teens and twentys used aluminum pistons.With the old technoligy they were never as durable as iron.With todays high reving engines everything that reciprocates is made as light as possible so things don't pound themselves to death.If a Chevrolet 6 is driven as intended when new cast iron is perfectly good.In the thirtys most states had speedlimits of 40 to 50 MPH. and if you are satisfied with that as a crusing speed cast iron is fine. The other factor to consider is how many miles your car will be driven in a year.Most never see 1000 miles a year so in twenty years you will still have a low milage engine.

Gene, I hope in 20 years I am rideing in a Gloryland Chariot!

The ads in '32 "talk" about much higher driving speeds than 40-50 mph with orginal castiron pistons (some ads say 65-70 mph even). So why would the speeds be any lower today with castiron pistons?

What are the major reasons for using aluminum? Does saving a little weight really mean that much to us? Does it prolong the life of the engine? Wasn't the engine designed to use castiron by GM?


I drove a '53 stick to high school and I don't remember doing only 40-50 mph back then.

I want to do what is best for the car, but I need help.

I have followed a 32 or two and they never had any trouble driveing a good steady 55 or 60 mph, back in 1955 when I was in high school, and drove a 30 model A Ford I would race the school bus ( a 53 chevy with a 235) and some days I won some days not, a friend with a 32 Chevy coupe could pass both me and the bus, seems top end was above 80mph and it was a high mileage car running on drip gas. I think now days we just don't want to take the old cars up to that top end speed.

P. S.
My 53 stick drives nice and comfortable at 60 mph, I got more speeding tickets in my 51 chevy when the speed limit was 60mph than I have in anything since.

WELL NOW, MACKIE WACKIE, YOU SAY YOU ARE A SPEEDER? YOU KNOW OUT IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS, THE COUNTY MOUNTIE LOOKS FOR DUDES LIKE YOU. YES YES YES. I CAN SEE IT NOW IN MY DREAMS. CHIPPER DIPPER DRESSED UP IN A COUNTIE MOUNTIE UNIFORM, DRIVING HIS CHEVY WITH THE WINDOW DOWN, STICKING HIS HEAD OUT THE WINDOW AND BLOWING THAT BEAT UP BUGLE, TRYING TO PULL YOU OVER?? WOW THAT WAS SOME DREAM???????

The ads mentioned top speed not highway crusing speed.Most Chevrolet engines can be driven at top speed for short distinces as I have done over the years and still do,witout having problems.Also a '53 engine is capable of maintaining much higher speeds than a '32.With todays interstates ,Holding a '32 at 60 MPH with a 4.11 rear end for hours at a time is rather iffy.I have done it with my '34 with aluminum pistons because the put less load on the rod bearings but the pre '35 system for oiling the rods this is about the limit or beyond(the engine is turning close to 3000 RPM>)Also I would not want to give anyone the wrong information and see them ruin their engine.The 1934 sales catalog states "Try it at 80 MPH for a mile along any road"and I think that they were trying t tell you something

Well said.Piston speed of over 2500 feet per seconed was considered excessive.Compared to other makes Chevrolet had a shorter stroke than most so the piston travel wasn't critical as much as bottom end lubrication was.If the oiling system was performing as designed,bearings properly adjusted. and babbit bearing surface good they will hold together well.Todays better oils are another big help.....But just look back at all the changes and improvements made in the oiling system between 1929 and 1936 that they made.These were all done because this was always the weak point in that engine if it was driven too fast.And the heavy pistons didn't help.

Would using Al pistons and changing the rear from a 4.11 to the now available 3.7 (?) make the '32 car more "friendly" on today's roads?
I would like to drive to car shows, etc without getting "pushed" off the road.
I think the more I can use the car for fun, the better the car will be, just letting it sit or putting it on a trailer isn't what I want and I don't think it is that good for the car's overall 'health'.

There are 3.50 gears being produced for 1930-32 cars.They will slow engine enough so 60 MPH will be a safe engine speed with either piston.(is it safe to drive a car that old any faster?)In level country like Florida they should be ideal.A VCCA member sells them and they are advertised in the G&D.

Good deal,

If I wasn't goimg to drive any faster than 30mph I might just turn some pistons out of a cedar post, Humm! and nail a piece of 1/4 " plate to the top to keep it from burning!

I have looked in the copies of G&D that I have and I can't find the person who sells 3.5 rears for '32 chevys.
Please help with the info. Thanks

They were available thru Larry Jackson,4615 Karnes Rd.,Santa Maria,Ca.93455 ........... ....805-937-8171.....ljacksonpronet............Price was $759.00 So save your penneys.If you think thats is expensive price a set for a moder car.Ad was in May 2001 G&D

Thanks for the infor Chev Nut.

My other question was about the al pistons, would they make the engine last longer or not work as hard when using cast iron?

Good cast iron pistons will last longer than bad aluminum.If you can find a good aluminum and its fit properly no problem. The aluminum pistons will be easier on the rod bearings for high speed driving ,thats bearing load wise not in terms of lubrication.The lighter alum. pistons also allow the engine to wind up faster.Less weight to get moving.