I'm picking up three 346 cadillac flatheads this weekend. I was thinking of using one in a 29 roadster, but damn the engine is 900 pounds! Along with the engines there are 2 hydromesh (spelling?) transmissions. Not scared of the lack of hop up parts for the caddy flatty. That is what a machine shop is for Is a 900 pound engine too much for a early roadster?
You should message dabirdguy about this, though he'll prolly chime in when he sees this post. He's building a caddy flathead powered pickup...
Thanks for the heads up. I have big plans for the flathead. Just need to figure out how the hell its going to fit
Yes, it IS too much weight until you factor in the cool. Seriously, Most early roadsters are almost too light anyway. I wouldn't worry about it. As to speed gear....Kevin at Cyclone makes heads, and the intake on these babies is FLAT, so fabbing up a carb setup or even a blower is looking better and better to me. The machning should be easy to do.....famous last words! I will be running one of those hydro trannies as well. They run GOOD and don't break!! Glenn
Thanks for the reply. I have been web fabbing I think a charged 346 with lake headers and hydro would be the dog's balls.. Have you given any thought on the camshaft etc? Maybe a custom grind? Let me know if you need any parts..
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99840 TAKE A LOOK AT AARONS WILD ROADSTER. THERE IS SOME SPEED PARTS ON EBAY RIGHT NOW, BUT PRICES ARE CRAZY RIGHT NOW. BUT COOL LIKE HELL. I AM BUILDING A 32 WITH A CADFLAT. GOOD LUCK PALLE
I have that thread saved along with several others. Once I get the 346s I will take a ton of detailed photos for reference.
Hit the search feature up. There has been a fair bit, not a lot, but a little discussion on these. Yeah speed parts are pricey, but hell they aren't really that bad when you consider how few of these things are currently on the road in hot rods. They just oooze cool. So what if they are 900 lbs, people shit when they see exhaust coming out the top of the block. On that note, Palle, Aaron and well Glenn knows already but I got the 1st run of exhaust flanges for the caddy flattys done and they are sitting in my cousins shop. I'll be picking them up next week when I go to the HAMBdrags. They'll require using two gasket sets. 1 for the flange to the block, and a cut up 2nd set for the intake to the top of the flange.
Ok Kids I have to jump in here now , I have been waiting and watching to see if anyone is going to be doing the flatty caddy thing too . So far its is great to see some other brave soals doing the odball thing as well as myself regarless of the lack of speed parts .... cant buy em ? ... make em !!! . I have a 346 flatty caddy that I am doing that is blown, injected with all the one off hand made race internal goodies and in a bellytank ..... and yes it is going to be as old school as it gets !!! but right now I am in the works of making my own 18'' milk truck wheels . One set will be steel and the other will be Aluminum , I am doing this mostly because if the retarted prices of these wheels but for the Alum wheels to cut down on the weight for the bellytank . So if any one else is intested in some 18'' wheels you dont have to hack off your arm for I will doing some steelies soon 18 x 4 fronts and 18 x 5.5 rears and if they turn out , if anyone else interested I might do some more if someone wants some too . 2 goals for this bellytank , To drive it to Cal ... yes I said drive ! and secound .. to see how fast a boat anchor can go !
i think if you found some old speed parts it might lighten the iron a little. definatly aluminium intake and heads, new headers, lesalle tranny. build yer own frame... i prolly repeated what everyone one else just said... hah=)
I was poking around looking for pics and specs on 346 flathead caddy motors... and came across this ww2 tank that was powered by 2 of them: http://www.robertsarmory.com/m5.htm -W
HI STEVE! GOOD TO SEE YOUR STILL ALIVE. THOSE MILKTRUCK WHEEL..PLEASE KEEP US POSTED. I MIGHT BE INTERESTED. PALLE
If you are building a base manifold for these, a log manifold base that would mate up to any of the exisating tunnel-rams or other like manifolds would be of interest to me. We are toying with taking an existing cast manifold and milling it down, welding on a log top. That would look serious Old School, and then I could add whatever I wanted on top, like 6 dueces, blower, etc.
Good post guys, Keep em coming, I learn more here everyday. Hey send some pics of the various Cad projects. After all Ol Henry hisself started off as a Cad man=Lol!!!! (Ok,That's 1/2 true cuz they changed the name when they ousted him)
Hey guys I don't mean to jump on your thread with a "wanted" question but............... Sorry! Do ya'll know anyone with a decent runner 346 caddy flatty??? I know their is a Canadian around here that had a pair? However Anywhere will do. I would love any and all help you guys could give me please Thanks again.
nice . I would like to see one of these supercharged. They look cool to me. Maybe its the difference factor.
This is a pretty hard motor to throw any boost at do to the bearing setup. But we've been looking at girdling the crank and adding bearing with spayed mains. I have no idea if its going to happen. I'm just the idea guy, not the machinist.
There is a caddy flattie in the original car out at a yard by my house. Its all complete from carb to pan. (minus that damn fuel pump) I'm in no position to buy it, but you guys are wlecome to it. i can ask the dude how much he wants.
I'm about to equip my 29 Roadster with a flat Caddy pulled out of a 1944 tank. I was able to buy an Edmunds 2-Carb inlet on ebay, but missed 3 sets of alu Heads. Anyone know where I can find a set? If anybody have any experience in racing flat-Caddies, or have some links or old photos of them, let me know!!!! "Flat-Erik", Norway!
Great thread, a mere 10 years old. I have a 46 Cad flathead and running gear lying in the corner and a 31 roadster cowl, and can't touch all my other projects in the midst of a divorce split, so I'm thinking that is time to build a gow job. Initially I can't see one fitting in an A without lengthening the frame nearly 8 inches. I'd like to find a build thread. I did find this 32. Anyone got frame info?
@CadMad contact @Sledge here, he built it some years ago - it has been featured in Mort's hop up mag. I think it was @Pete also built a caddy powered 32. There's A Flat Cad powered 32 3 window going together in Oz as well - in Sydney I think.
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