what engine would be cooler

In my next car which will problably be a model a 5 window or i might be able to get a 32 5 window. what engine would be cooler a 500 cubic inch caddy with a single 4 barrel (unless you know of someone that makes a multi carb setup), or a small block chevy with either a 6 duece manifold (which i have) or a 3 duece manifold (which i also have).

 

def. the cad. weighs the same and you get another 150 cubes, plus you'll never hear belly****on thrown at your car

 

Do the Caddy and SBC really weigh the same?

I like the idea of the Caddy, but the SBC dressed up traditionaly with a bunch o' carbs seems more "period".

 

I got the Caddy too but I would prefer the SBC.

 

I never thought those Caddys were particularly attractive motors. (How's THAT for vanity? Don't run that motor cuz it ugly???) IMO they just don't look right in a early 30's car.

But throw an Edelbrock intake and a decent 4V carb on it, and them things have enough torque to reverse the rotation of the earth! I'd vote for putting the Cad in a later (& heavier) car with a full engine bay... a kustom!

 

There are several companies that make adpaters to put a Ford 2-4 intake on that motor, looks pretty darn good.

 

In this case, I'd go with the sbc/6 duece setup, as long as it's trimmed out in late '50s/early '60s dress (cal custom or early 'vette valve covers, pre-'69 heads, etc).

 

The 500 caddy weighs 60 pounds more than the SBC. The Caddy is an awesome engine with mega-torque so you'll need to beef up the ch***is. Cool!

 

IM WITH HEATHEN .... AS MUCH AS I PROTEST THE POPULAR SBC........ ONE DRESSED IN LATE'50s / EARLY '60s GARB IS GONNA BE WAY BETTER THAN A '70s CAD HANGIN OUT THERE..

BUT WHEN YA BUILD THE EARLY PARTS HAULER PICK UP.... THE CAD IS A PERFECT ENGINE FOR THAT !!!!!!!!!!!

 

depends what you want the car to look like...if you want it to look like a traditional rod, then using a motor like the cad 500 that was not even around until the 70s just ain't gonna work. Sure, you could put early valve covers and multi carbs on it, but then it looks like a 70s engine with early valve covers and lotsa carbs on it, which is even less trad.

 

Caddy.

As for multiple carbs....I think MTS (www.500cid.com) carries a 2x4barrel intake. Someone does. I've seen it. Maybe it was Cad Company http://www.cad500parts.com/

 

Go with the Cad. There (as you know) several companies that make parts and they can be made to look nice. As Devin asked, yes, the cad and sbc are very close to the same weight, especially if you without int. and exh. manifolds.
That cad also would make a great shop truck motor in just about any trk. body.
Be aware that there are two size of cad., the 500 and the 472. The 500 came in the Eldarodo and it has the oil filter adapter you will need because the 472 went straight foward and the 500 was angled for the front wheel drive.
Kickin, if you remember Jake's Pinstriping 1-ton, it had a cad in it and he out thousand's of miles on it and got great gas mileage for such a heavy truck (around 20 or more) and it was stock with all accessaries.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Jim

 

Caddy! Too many sbc swaps done, show some imagination..

Dawg

 

Which ever one that ends up between the horns is going to be the coolest setup. makeing one motate now that's cool.

if you're going for a pure period thing now that's a different story.

 

I would rather run a caddy 500 than a SBC. You could always go to MTS and pick up a 429-460 intake adapter to run a better intake. Im sure there are some decent valve covers out there, and you can make gobs of tire smoking torque.

 

My next door neighbor (the machine shop) makes some parts for the big caddy including intakes and some other stuff. I'll stop in on the way home tonight and see what all they have.

 

Go for the Chevy, easy to make it look good & perform...The Caddy might be a great engine, but it's too new and it don't look good either...

 

i would go with the caddy for sure!!!! i have 3 sbc's and if i do another car it will have a big caddy!!

 

Just to be different... why not a FE motor..? 390, 427, 478..ect. Parts migth be harder to find but there still out there.

At a local car show there was a 32 coupe with and odd motor sitting in the engine bay. Myself and another guy walked around and around trying to figure out what it was. We finaly saw the intake and head sharing the valve cover gasket. We call that a Clue!!

 

And if you're really crazy, go ahead and stuff that "ugly, non-trad" 500 Cad into a Deuce mordoor, that will show 'em..... News flash, not everyone on this board is trying to build a 40's style lakes car! We are building a late 60's/early 70's style hot rod, so the Cad (first available in 1968), works for our application. In the end, "cool" is subjective, so do what you think is correct for your particular build.

-Ryan

 

that is going to be a sweet car there isn't anything ugly about that caddy.

 

the Caddy is high nickel content, thin wall casting, that's why it's so light. It also runs alot hotter than the sbc because of the thin casting, which means you'll have to have alot more radiator for it than the chevy. Great motor but physical size and the need for big radiator make it a better candidate for a full fendered, hood closed hotrod.

 

Who are you to call the engine in my car ugly? Maybe your just jealous of my 512cid or my 480hp or is it the 630ft/lbs of torque I have available at 2600 rpm?
Joking aside the big caddy is great, I love the thing and you can dress them up real nice, right now I'm running a single 750cfm edelbrock but next winter I plan on building a log style manifold so I can run six deuces on it. As some one before me mentioned MTS makes an adapter so you can run big ford manifolds. If you're not planning on buildind something period perfect 40's or 50's style the big cad is great and they started making them in 1968, so they are not that new of a engine. Besides if you like a lot of power, real power from a stock engine they are hard to beat, hey and why do what every body else does! SBC's are like belly ****ons and HEMI's are almost every where also. Caddy's are so rare that I've only had one person figure out what it is, some people ask if it's a Buick or an Olds but most guy's can't figure it out and I for one like that, you know, keep 'em guessing until you hit the go pedal and leave them in the dust. After all that's how hot rodding got started, put the biggest motor in it you can find and make it go fast as hell!
Like I said, unless you building some thing that is period perfect for a certain era, the caddy is my choice! Check out www.cowboyseven.us/forum for more info on big caddy's

 

Alright to clear this up once and for all, the caddy does not put out a lot more btu's of heat than the SBC. I run A 512cid caddy with 10:1 compression and my radiator is made of a stock 1929 model A top and bottom tank and the core is a 5 row wich is cut five inches shorter than the stock unit, so it is very small, I do not run a shroud and the fan is a 15" belt driven unit wich is mounted on the water pump! The hottest it ever got is 220* sitting in traffic last sunday here in San Jose,Ca. When we had 109* out side temp, other than that it will run at 180* to 185* all day with a 180* thermostat.

 

A 331/365/390 caddy would rate very high on the cool-meter.

Although since most folks apparently can't tell the difference (the distributor in front somehow doesn't give it away?), stick the old valve covers on the new motor and be done with it.

 

Put in the SBC. fact is its a better motor. and you may have noticed its the engine that all others are compared to.

 

use a late 60's 472. plenty of parts around and use a 500 oil pan which is rear sump.375hp and 525lbs. torque in stock form. Add 13 hp and 15 lbs. of torque just by adding a dual plane performer intake. Oh yeah and those numbers are rated at under 3000 rpm. They are a lower rpm motor with redline around 5000 so even short shifting at 4500 will have lots of power and never hurt it. Planning on doing one with a 4 speed in my 55 chevy. Small block chevys are great but they've been done to death, be differant and do the Caddy.

 

Whatever YOU think is cooler, it's your car

 

If you want a reliable cruiser that you can get parts for over the counter, anyplace, on any day..............go SBC.

J

 

What makes you think it's a better engine? Probably just your opinion based on your limited knowledge when it comes to big caddy's and as for the reason why all other engines are compared to it, is becouse it's every where and things are usually compared to the most popular product not (always) to the best product and the reason why the SBC is so popular is because it is so damn cheap. I mean if you can pick a used one up for 100 bucks at a pick and pull and buy a brand new one from GM for 1400 bucks it's going to be very popular. But seriously how many SBC do you see that make 400hp and 550ft/lbs completely stock and can last for 300000 miles or more? I tore my 500cid caddy apart when it had 279000 miles on it and the cylinders not only still had hohning marks in them but all clearances where with in factory specs except for the #2 cam bearing, I could have put new gaskets on it and ran it for a nother 100000 miles! Try building 400hp SBC that makes 550ft/lbs and have it pull a car as heavy as a El Dorado for almost 280000 miles, if it survives there will not be a lot left!