odd ball cadillac 331-390 speed equipment

How did you find the Hilborn injection in comparison to the other set ups? Was there a reason you took it back off?
Thanks,
Jim.


Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.

 

The Hilborn's made the most power , but not streetable , it would idle but as soon as you touched gas tires would start spinning and your going sideways . The Horne manifold w/ 4 strombergs was better at full throttle but had a lot of needle valve sticking open . The 58 Caddy 3 carb manifold is good through RPM's and gas mileage is good if I don't get in throttle to heavy. But I still liked the Hilborn's they would lift front wheels at the lights !

 

49-62 non/ac 331-365-390 .

 

That is cool, I love those things!

 

I stumbled across this yesterday accidentally. Took me a few minutes to figure out what it was. Just figured I’d add it to the collection on this old thread.

 

Is it marked for a Caddy? I have one for a Studebaker and they are close.

 

I'd say so. I've only seen a couple of them. A friend had one years ago, and sold it for $200.00 when that was top dollar.

 

You’re

You’re killing me smalls

 

I'm running one on the 390 in my '40; works well with great throttle response. Have a couple of 500 cfm AVS carbs on it. Unfortunately, I had to pay a "little" more than $200 for it, but it was NOS out of a guys collection...

 

This is what I have.

 

Just trying to keep this thread alive since i have a pretty heavily modified 365. The stuff in this thread is very cool. lol

 

Wow, that looks ace! Have you got any specs on the motor, I’ve still yet to nail my injected Cad motor together so would be really interested.

 

Offenhauser 3x2 with big logo 97’s that I found on a table at a flea market, and a Cal-Marine aluminum front timing cover/motor mount that I scored from someone answering an ad…

 

Just picked this up, does anyone have any ideas?

"No Name" early Caddy 2x4. I have mocked it up with Studebaker intake gaskets, and it is definitely for a Caddy.

There are no markings except for a "2000-1" casting in between the carb flanges. Clearly, it was for marine applications with the 12 degree angled carb flanges.

It looks nearly identical to several Detroit Racing Caddy 2x4s I've seen, but it doesn't have some of the accessory bosses, and the vacuum ports are in different locations as well. Carb bolt pattern is the early small square teapot/WCFB pattern.

 

I'd guess that it was cast for the marine company that sold the boat. There were quite a few Cadillac OHV powered marine craft made in the '50s. A guy around here had one with a dual quad 365 in it.

 

It's cool no matter what.

 

GOT A POLISHED ONE FOR MY 59 CONVERT.

 

Awesome....intake looks like a Weiand WCA 408...looks great...

 

livin' the dream!

 

In 1972, Phil Stevenson drove this 55 Chevy from Rialto, California, to SpeedWeek at Bonneville. It had a 390 Cad with a Hydro in it, and now seemingly impossible, it ran 149 MPH and got the trophy for the fastest car driven to the meet. It had a 6-pot manifold with four 97 carburetors (two blocked off).

 

The topic of Cadillac motors goes back to my introduction to filming a one of a kind drag racing truck. A supercharged Cadillac Motor in a 1959 El Camino.
1958-60

Hello,

When we were in the pits at Lions Dragstrip starting in 1957, there was always different builds and hot looking drag racing cars, all over the place. Later on as our racing got more involved, nearby was a 1959 Chevy El Camino that was a tan/gold color and was lowered to the ground. The hood was shut and it looked like a cool custom car. But, later on in the morning, the hood was opened and it was fired up.

What a difference. The motor was powerful and sounded like a FED getting ready for the starting line races. Inside the compartment was a GMC supercharger and it was not on a 349 motor like our 58 Impala. It was sitting on top of a Cadillac motor. When the hood was up, only those nearby stopped to look. But, when it fired up, a lot more people came over to see what was the racket. Most thought the same thing, a powerful Chevy 348 modified motor, supercharger, and open headers.

Boy, were we all surprised at the sight and sound of this 1959 Tan/Brown El Camino. The Baker Automotive Tan/Brown 1959 El Camino had handicapped controls for the driver, and a supercharged Cadillac motor in place of the 348. It definitely was impressive with the build, the sound and the power when taking off from the starting line.

There are still guys on the HAMB from So Cal that remember hearing the start up and idling up to the staging area. Then the loud blast at the start… no other El Camino sounded like that, anywhere.

Jnaki


This 59 El Camino was very impressive to say the least... It also was one of the earliest pickup trucks to use the tailgate down aspect of allowing wind to blast over and through, without the tailgate acting as a wind catcher.

See the flow keeping the smoke low and level heading to the back...

El Camino drivers found out that the closed rear tailgate with an empty bed open to the elements causes a slow down and turbulence of sorts. The wind blasts over the cab, swirls into the empty bed and goes right for the closed tailgate. Then, has to swirl up and over the leading top edge to flow out and away. Tests had been shown in magazine articles, but for the drag racers, they knew the difficulties and always ran with the tailgate open.
from old art files...
Other El Camino racers also knew about the tailgate...

Note:

As I had to drive 400 miles one way to college in 1965-66 to get to my dinky apartment, the 65 El Camino usually carried “stuff” in the back. It was all tied down and sometimes, covered. But, when the rear bed was empty, the tailgate was down for better gas mileage. The odd thing was, the rear view mirror made the whole rear view, now open and it felt a little weird being able to see the whole front end of the following cars and trucks. Yikes !!!

1959 El Camino Cad Powered

We missed filming the “race of all races” back then. The supercharged Hemi “Painter’s F100 yellow/black Ford Pickup Truck” versus the tan/brown 59 El Camino from Baker Automotive. The clip came from a quick blurb in another Lion's Dragstrip film edit of the panorama view, with the tower side stands almost to capacity. YRMV
This would have been the "race of all races," back then. a supercharged hemi powered Ford Truck versus a supercharged Cad powered El Camino... Hold your ears as they were very loud and fast...