In the 80s I replaced a couple of 454s in Chevy 3/4 ton Pickups one with a 472 and the other with a 500 they were used to pull stock trailers. The guys clamed they pulled better and used less fuel than the chevies.
Unless your doing it just to be different a BBC will get you more for much less if your planning any mods to up the power . in the late 80's we put a 472 out of a 68 in a 69 chevy short bed PU and while it ran fine and had good power over the 6 we took out it was not earth shattering and it was kind of ugly . Back then we did it because it was a $150 engine and they were easy to get and a 454 was big money still then and we were poor kids with lots of time . Today you can get 454 truck engines with factory roller cams cheap on the market place and a new cam and a set of ebay heads and your making 550 HP pretty easy and cheap with off the shelf stuff . Kid down the road has about $3000 in his and it makes 600HP . With the factory heads it was 450HP . In the late 80,s and 90,s there used to eb a bucnh of magazine articles on using a caddy in say a camero for dirt cheap and I know one guy who did it . There out of place some what on a HAMB era car and if a guy is spending more money than a basic hot rod from used parts there not going to rebuild a caddy to for triple a BBC and end up with less . If I had a good one and had a car i was not sticking a lot of time and money in like say a fat fender car id consider it and I did consider it for a 50 chevy deluxe I had . I almost did it in about 1999. Dont hate them they just don't do much for me aesthetically and the price per HP is high and there not very common any more . If I was doing a rat rod on the cheap Id not turn my nose up one
I have 500 out of a 70 eldorado in an OT El Camino. If you don't want a belly ****on chev motor like 16 million other people have, they are a good choice for a street motor. Like others have said, about 4500 RPM is the limit, unless you start spending a lot of money modifying. But if you find a 1970 or '71 500, put an Edelbrock intake on it and a decent cam, it will get a heavy vehicle into the low 13s and pull like there's no tomorrow for cheap. If you want to get over 450 horsepower or start spinning over 5,000 RPM, you're going to spend so much money that you'd be better off just starting with a Hemi.
When I had my '65 Belair wagon, someone else local had one with a 472 Caddy in theirs. I ran into him one time at a gas station and he showed me the engine. Automatic, factory-ish air, quiet as a mouse. He said it had tons of power over a SBC.
Don’t know anything about them, but I do know the one in the short bus sounds great going down the road! I just happened to be in a store parking lot when it rolled through town one day, probably doing 50-55 mph, and just happened to look up and see where those great tunes were coming from. The music of my people from twice pipes!
I have a .40 over 472 in my avatar. Put a Edelbrock intake and 650 AVS on it and has more than enough beans to get my sorry *** in trouble. Cad Co in N.M. is great to work with but stay away from MTS if they're even in business anymore.
Cortney p***ed last year (RIP)...I'm not sure what their status is. I know they are selling what they have in stock. Be patient with them as Cortney had lots in his head... Picked this up awhile back.....one of his engines he built....now what to put it in....it has too many cylinders and 4 bangers are a good governor for my lead foot
Am I going to have to move to Arizona.... They are in Albuquerque, New Mexico "one of our 50 is missing"
I used a '68 472 in this, .080 over, Sig Erson cam, polished exhaust runners, stock intake (to fit under the hood). It was a brute. Didn't need to rev over 4500, it was scary fast. Whoever said "...they're not hot rod material..." is wrong. I don't have any photos of the engine, but you can find them on "Hot Rod" magazines website yet from the feature.
That Edelbrock intake is $526 US now. That puts your $500 motor instantly over $1000. Add gaskets, timing chain and gears, and maintenance parts, plugs and wires, and you're probably getting close to $1,500. I've learned that with less common GM engines you can usually find maintenance and performance parts, but you'll often pay at least twice the price of Chevy stuff. You can't beat the torque of a big Buick or Caddy, though.
Got one in my '55 Caddy...a 1970 500", it will run all day long at 85-90 mph on a hot summer (Midwest) day and stay cool, will climb mountains effortlessly and get to 120mph or so in a just few seconds. I've driven the car all over the U.S. for the last 14 years and to Canada twice from Denver,,ColoRODo. The engine is basically stock internally, the only thing it has is headers and a 750 cfm Edelbrock...and the only thing it won't do is p*** too many fuel stations. R- Photo shot in Moab, Utah...my brother's 54 Cad ahead of mine. "Kiki" in a photo shoot for a magazine. Photo by Johnny Covey. 1970 500 inch Cadillac engine...
That's lucky, I've never seen an aluminum Caddy intake come up for sale here. Absolutely if you can get a good runner it's good power for low money. As soon as you need performance or just maintenance parts (fuel pump, water pump, cam shaft, intake, etc.), it's no stretch that they're a lot more expensive than a common SBC. I think everyone should try one of the oddball engines as some point, but they should go into it aware that at times it can be a lot more costly and you'll find yourself waiting for parts.
Caddy stuff has always been more money, payment for the name. Years ago a buddy needed a section of exhaust for an OT Buick Electra. The muffler shop guy looks through the book to find the bend pattern, and goes "hmm? it's the same as a Coup DeVille, only 30 bucks cheaper.
Bought a great running 472 for $50. Had an electronic ignition conversion, new plugs, wires and coil. The exhaust manifolds had been cleaned and painted. New exhaust bolts.
This might be of some interest at $376.90 and frees shipping. Edelbrock 2115 Performer Intake Manifold For Cadillac 472-500 V8 Engines - PerformanceCenter.com
Could have sworn it was duals. Had a great harmony to it. I like that!! Ben[/QUOTE] I stole that from Finnigan. Very fitting anyway!
I had a 500 in , the last year I believe, they were available. Car was probably 5000lb. Fleetwood Brougham. I lived in CA at the time. Any of you that live there, or have been there, are probably familiar with 'The G****vine" hill No out of LA. Most will also agree, I think, that one can feel the accelerator pedal move when the cruise control increases for a hill. Set at 65 mph, that pedal never budged. The engine sound , if it increased, was not heard. Like the hill was not there. I'd use one. Wonder how one would do in my 32 year old DD???. Ben
Like Chicken mentioned, he was only able to go 9.50's. The late 472s and early 500 cylinder heads (stock) will flow 240 cfm with their OEM little valves and their basic 45* seat valve job (with no other angles to help). Reaming them with a good Serdi cutter out to a BBC 2.250 intake valve and basic porting will get you to the 300+cfm mark at a little over .500 lift. Low lift numbers are equally as strong, Raising the intake port roof nearly .250 and some epoxy in the floor will easily get you 330+ cfm @ .580-.600ish lift. The throttle response with an 850 Holley is crisper than a fresh head of lettuce. Running mid 10's in a 3500 car with a 3.42 gear, flat tappet camshaft, foot breaking it in an mediocre density al***ude air track is not a problem.
If anyone is in the Monterey, CA area this could be a good buy. Cadillac Edelbrock intake manifold - auto parts - by owner - vehicle automotive sale - craigslist
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