Holy Caddy batman! Bought me a 500ci monster!

So i just picked up a Pre-EPA 1970 caddy 500. To be honest, i dont know a single thing about these monsters. Came from a 50k car that was parked in the late 70s. Turns over nice and the inside is clean as a whisle.

So hambers, i ask one simple question of you

Can anybody school me on this thing?


Marty

 

torque monster!! gear it right to use that fat *** bottom end and mid range....

 

I've got one that is going in my 71 GMC pretty soon and as rough as the engine init is running right now it may be sooner than I had planned. I'm looking at having a tow rig that will go over the p***es in this state at highway speeds with the trailer on behind it rather than geared down and running 40mph with the engine wound out as happens now.

 

Ive got a 76 eldo with the 500. At 65 mph, you can put your foot in it and itll put you in the back seat! Torque MONSTER!

 

pictures

 

http://cad500parts.com/

 

tourque.. and as my friend swears.. MPG monsters, as long as ya get an OD transmission and keep your foot out of it for the most part.

 

Auburn .... Lock your gas tanks and chain your tyre pile ....

Dynaflash has a Big Block !!

Spose it was goin to happen sooner or later ....

So .... What is it going in ????

 

Great forum with lots of info on these engines

http://www.cadillacpower.com/forum/index.php

 

Get a copy of last months Hot Rod magazine. Great article about a new top end kit for the 500. Cadillac performance Parts and Maximum Torque Specialiest are a great source information as well .

 

What are your plane? tow rig? They make good hot street and drag motors too. I'm currently building one for a customer to go in his 1966 Coupe DeVille. Check out www.cad500parts.com They are right here in my town and have pioneered many of the performance goodies that the other two vendors in the nation sell. Great info on these motors as well. Enjoy that engine!!

 

put it in the hole, blow it up, repeat.... Story of yer life

 

Put one in an old Suburban. Fantastic motor. Tons-O-torque.
The only problem was at first I thought the gas gauge was a tach because every time I put my foot in it..... it moved.
Very thirst ******.

 

I swapped the "smaller" 472 into my '70 3/4 ton Chevy. It would honestly bark the tires at 35MPH. The sweet part is that most swaps into GM's with these motors can be done with all GM parts. Thing would tow a house if you could get it on a trailer!

 

well i was thinkin at first maybe my 47' plymouth sedan, but probably not.

Its most likely going in my super secret project i dont actully own yet. All ill say is that its from 1929 and a roadster of some sort.

 

I have read a ton of stuff on these engines and being thirsty is not what I have been lead to believe.

 

i hear tell its all how you drive.

 

A simple search for Cadillac 500 or Cadillac 472 will get you plenty of info.

 

I have one in a 27 touring car I put a comp cam in it got the edlebrock carb and intake, pertronix distributor and headers..... its a beast in my 1800 lb car

 

Oh dear lord - buy a stout rear end and cheap (plentiful) rear tires. You really are bent on hurtling thru life at ludicrous speed... just so long as you don't go plaid, you should be alright. ;-) I wanna see this beast!

 

Nice score the early engines are the most powerful, I'm using a +60 thou 500 myself, very under rated engine.

 

Keep it under 5000 rpm with stock rockers an rods I built some caddys with offset ground cranks and 440 rods 400 chrysler pistons punched out quite a bit put one in studeabaker lark with ******* bars 9 inch rear with 300 gears. It would burn tires past he 60 foot mark at the track and still run low12s I put slicks on it and launched the drive shaft and pinion in second gear !! When I finaly got a new chunk it ran 11:50s and I drove it for 5 years and rarely opened the hood the beast was painted olds green and had a 350 air cleaner fun car the most money I had in it was machine work. Now you can buy all kinds of stuff for them comp has some nice cams for them mine had a chet herbert regrind and ford fe rockers on home built shafts . GO BIG OR GO HOME!!

 

1970 was the first year for the 500 and the last year for High compression motors. I have a 1970 500. I think it has the most potential of any 500.....but can't help thinking the 71 and later would be better with the low octane unleaded gas. I've run other 10 1/2 compression motors and got by.

I do not know if the 70 and earlier motors have the hardened valve seats. I also have a set of 68 eldo 472 heads and don't know if the are different than the 500?

 

Which heads do you have?

 

Nice find Marty...

If it came from a rear wheel drive 1970 it's a 472, as the front drive Eldorados were the only '70 to get a 500. No slouch at all, though. The 472's are a little "snappier" due to 1/4" less stroke than the 500.

There are a lot of guys on here that will bash 'em, but I LOVE the 472 in my '60 F-100.

A few MUST's for putting one together.

**Stock valve springs float around 4,000 rpms
**Stock rockers are ****. Shaft mounted rollers are pricey but worth it.
**Big valves make a huge difference! If yours is a '70, it's the only year that the 950 heads were used. No A.I.R. ports, closed chambers, and mine swallowed 2.19/1.88 valves like they were made for it...

Do a search, but take everything with a grain of salt. A lot of ******** artists with little REAL experience with the engines.

I like dealing with Maximum Torque Specialties the most, but the Cad Company and Potter Automotive have great stuff also. They are the primary sources for anything aftermarket.

MTS:

http://www.mtscadparts.net/servlet/StoreFront

I like talking to Marty Lane at MTS. He'll return your emails within a couple days. It's important to tell him what your goals are, and he'll give you great info and advice. his email is:

marty@500cid.com

Cad Company:

http://cad500parts.com/index.htm

Potter Automotive:

http://www.cadillacperformanceparts.com/index.php

 

I have been lead to believe the heads can take modern gas even if the heads aren't equipped with hardened valve seats. I believe the weak spot on the earlier heads was oiling at higher rpm.

I would like to find either a eldorado convertible or a later coupe deville and stick a blower on one, or even some sort of turbo setup. But right now my budget is pretty slim, I am building up a 1968 sedan deville. It has the higher compression 472. Just got to fix the fuel delivery issue it has right now. Thinking about putting on a holley carb if I can find the right size within my budget.

 

I scored a bare set of 950 heads for free! Keep your eyes open lots of good stuff to be had for these motors.

 

How much interchangability is there with the later 425 version, what did they change when they downsized the motor? I had a chance to pick one of those up a while back for cheap and never did, and probably should have. Seems like the earliest TBI systems could be had on those before they stopped making them.

 

It was a Bosch system, and I'm pretty sure it was port injection, not throttle body. Its an ****og system, too, which is a pain. Lots of good info here:

http://www.cadillacpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7280&p=78436

 

Looks like 80-81 could be had with a different EFI than the Bosch, but my Cadillac book isn't clear on what sort of system it is beyond "digital" -