500 Caddy Motors - Views?

they're a great motor- and the biggest modern V-8 the USA ever made for a car until Chevy made the 502

but if this thread goes like the 351/400 Ford thread, you'll have someone come in and tell you the 472 Cad is "better"- because they happen to have one on the floor at the time... and it's "cheaper and easier"

watch out for those dreaded motor mounts ! they can be a real killer...(laughter...) just kidding

use the 500

 

Motor mounts good point. Here is th d-side of one that I did in a '49 Chevy pickup. I used the upper metal bracket from the stock mount. Then tubed it down to the frame. At the frame I used an energy suspension Chevrolet Truck rear leafspring eyelet bushing. Fits perfect inside 1 7/8's DOM.

 

nice job on the mounts- clean installation !

 

Great Idea! I will likely be building motor mounts this weekend. Is that 1 7/8" O.D. or I.D.? What diameter is that bushing, in case I find some scrap and need to measure it?

 

not as heavy as my 235 with 1/3 the power

 

I've heard good things about the Gear Vendors unit, but it's too rich for my blood (~$2200 IMS). I'm the cheapest of cheap.
FWIW, I'm putting an early, high compression 472 into my '56 Olds. In back I've got a 9" w/3.23 for it.
IMHO, overdrive really isn't required unless you want to run a wicked gear and do a bunch of highway driving. There's so much torque there that you really shouldn't need to run 4.11's in a cruiser.
For my money, you've got two viable options:
1.) Run the TH-400 and try to ignore the fact that you don't have an overdrive.
2.) Run a 4L80E.

The 4L80E is usually found in 1 ton GM vans and trucks.
The Good: Overdrive, incredibly strong, not terrible hard to find (although I don't know about finding them in upside down Aussie land)
The bad: Must be electronically controlled, heavy as a mother (~275lbs IMS), no mechanical speedo output.

If you want to go the 4L80E route, you can modify the transmission controller found behind the glovebox in GM/Chev 1 ton diesels, but this requires, from my understanding, quite a bit of fenaggling to get it to work, then to get the shift points where you need them. Transmission controllers are available from Art Carr, TCI, etc, but they tend to run ~$650. Your last option would be to get a full manual valve body from a company like Transgo. You'll have to manually shift, but it's the cheapest, easiest, and most reliable solution.
If you go the manual route, you'll still have to either run an electronic speedo, buy an adapter for the trans (available from Art Carr), or have your mechanical speedo converted to electronic.
You'll also need an adapter for the BOP bolt pattern, but that's only about $80.


Even if you're planning on keeping the motor stock, I wouldn't consider putting 700R4, 200R4, 4L60, or TH-350 behind it. They might be alright due to the weight of your car, but why bother putting something in there that you're likely going to have to pull and repair every year.

$0.02
Kris

 

Here's a pic of my Model A that I race up at Bonneville,its got cad 500 power,TH400 ,2.47 gears and its driven on the street.I'm busy putting a 500into a 56 coop aswell.My daily is a 1970 coop with the 472 ,same motor just shorter stroke.

 

Thanks. Mad cad, did you have any issues fitting the motor between the A rails? Is there anything special that you had to rework to fit it all in? The salt out here in 2008 is my aim.

I'm trying to recall but isnt Basalt near Redstone? I have a mad friend Jim who has lived there for a few years. Have spent a bit of time up there and its beautiful.

 

from drd57's site

 

Ive been thinking about putting a caddi mill in my 39 ford pu... I was looking at a place that only built custum caddi engine parts ill see if i can find it for you...

 

Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my chin...Sorry

 

Am off to look at a 74 Eldo this afternoon for a donour - stoked! Cant believe I can find one here in Perth Australia within 40 mins of my home. That mill above certainly looks great. Have saved that photo!

 

Anyone have any contact if for Schrader's Speed & Style? I may shoot Don Dillard a PM asking about those adapters for putting the 331 valve covers on the 500. That just looks bad ass.

 

Please excuse my lack of knowledge but are the covers you are talking about on the mill above Indashop?

 

Yeah that drool worthy mill above is Don Dillards for his 57 caddy project. its running 331 valvecovers. 500 Valve covers are ugly and that the huge hotrod problem they look like a polyester suit at a blacktie affair.
Apparently Schrader's makes an adapter according to Don's buildup, but their website link isn't working, and I don't know anything about them or how to contact them. Google yielded zero.

 

fyi, a small block ford valve train will work on the later Caddy heads, the geometry is nearly identical, and with the right push rods, 6000+ revs is no problem.... in other words, a cheap bolt on worth another 1200 revs or so....

There is a great thread on how to do this on the cheap over on the Caddy Board.

 

The number I have for Mike at Schraders is 1800 660 9607,don't know if it's still good,
The address I have is:
1101 West Foothill Blvd #5
Azusa
CA 91702

If you can't get ahold of Mike,Mooneyes lists the adapters aswell.If you get them from mooneyes order them now so you get them before april next year