Tried a search to find info with no luck, so here goes: Has anyone got first hand experience installing a 472/500 Cadillac engine in a Buick (66/67) A body? Reason I'm asking is that I've found 455's and 350's to be a rare commodity around here and when I can find one it costs more than I paid for the car. However, I have run into a few of the big block Caddillac engines over the years for not much money. Plus for the Caddy is the fuel pump is one the same side, the engine weight is acceptable, and there seems to be adequate aftermarket stock and performance support for the engines. The weak part is the rods, but they can be replaced during the rebuild. I'm just curious if it will fit without hacking up the frame or altering the A/C box. No flames or keep it all Buick comments please, this is just a garden variety Skylark of which there seems to be no shortage, so I wouldn't be destroying a "heritage" model. Besides, at this point it's just a "what if" sort of thing. Thanks for your input.
My only experience with the Cadillac engines goes way back. My dad had new `69 Electra with a 430 that had great power. I know, I was in high school at the time and I tested it plenty of times. After that he traded it in for a new `72 Electra with a 455. Compared to the 430, the 455 was a slug, but then came the `75 Cadillac with a 500. That car wouldn't get out of it's own way. It might be Ok in a lighter A-body. It might even be reliable if you don't plan to wail on it alot but it's unlikely that anyone makes a anything for the swap so you'll have to fabricate everything yourself. Hardly seems worth the effort to me.
I think it is a great idea! The Caddy 500 is a great design! It would be an easy swap, you just might have to do some welding to make the mounts work but otherwise it is easy. A friend of mine jsut built a mild 500 Caddy for his tow truck and it dynod at 430 HP and 575 ft of TQ with Q jet, iron heads, mild RV type cam etc. Nothing exotic or high end about the build! Here is some info from another guy who likes swapping Caddy engines in the Skylarks.. He was using 76-72 Larks but I am sure there wouldbe no issue with the 64-67 Larks.
Thanks guys for the input. I have already located a source for bolt in engine mounts. Headers are available for A body installations, and a T400 is a bolt in. Sean the article you enclosed outlined the weak rods and a cheap fix! Lets see, low rpm/high torque means I could run a 3:1 rear end and still have the car howl when the gas is stomped, plus a lighter weight solution. Maybe it's time to go find a big old Caddy 472/500 engine.:Brow: Or at least start seriously looking for one. Thanks again for the great information.
A few years ago Car Craft mag. had a photo shoot and article on a guy that put a 472 caddy in a 66 or 67 skylark. I am sure you can find it on there site:TU:
Looks like in the 64-67 chassis it would be a really tight fit requiring some custom work and even cutting some things up... I would not go forward with the Caddy engine based on that... If you want the best bang for your buck go with a 454, AFR heads, and a carb. May 2007 was the article: http://www.carcraft.com/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0705_1966_buick_skylark/viewall.html Details on tough parts of a Caddy to 64-67 swap: http://www.cadillacpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=128581
Just can't do a Chevy engine, too much "me too". Got a little Buick v6 to put in my model a once just so it wouldn't be another "bellybutton" chevy powered Ford.
Love to, but it is way beyond my meager fab skills, not to mention a budget buster. The CAD idea was just that, an idea after reading over the years the problems people have with the 455, not to mention the initial buy in costs of that engine. The 350 looks great until you look at the aftermarket speed equipment. I consider having aluminum heads a requirement for a performance engine, and nobody has any so far.
Gary, Start with a clean sheet of paper and determine what you want the car/engine to do. A Cad 472-500 is a good idea...but if you think Buicks are expensive....you better be prepared for Caddy performance parts. A properly built 350 will do excellent for all around street car use. You can find Buick 455 engines but need to be able to travel to find them....use www.searchtempest.com and enter a 200-400 mile radius from your house and see what appears on the local Craig's List in that radius. Once we have more info...we can help you determine the best $$$$ for the HP required for your car.
Not sure how much work it took but I have seen a 66/67 in person with a Caddy engine. It was nicknamed Cadilark. Looked like it fit as good as any 455 swap I've ever seen. As far as power I've heard tales of dropping 472 heads on a 500 engine and making lots of power as long as you do not go much over 5000rpm or the valves will float and get touchy with the pistons. Interesting engines with plenty of potential, but I don't know if I would recommend going out of your way to find and build one. If you already had something lined up then that would be a different story.
This is a pretty cool thread. I've been thinking about someday(when I'm not broke) trying to put a big block Buick engine in my 67 Skylark, but, it's true, they are like precious gems to find, and they cost a fortune, and when you do find one for a decent price, it's been buried in a massive pile of manure for the last 40 years. Caddy engines are pretty common around here though, people like to throw them in their old trucks. As for performance parts, are they really that necessary with a 500 c.i. engine? :laugh: I can imagine it would cost a fortune in gas to feed them though, even compared to a 455.
I believe it was January 1998, don't ask me why I would remember that, but hot rod magazine built a car they called "the bad seed". It was a chevette with a caddy 500. A chevette. The idea was to put the biggest motor that they could find into the smallest RWD car they could find. The car ran 11.98 through a single muffler. I remember the article saying that if you put 472 heads on a 500, the difference in combustion chamber bumps your compression up to about 12:1.
Have you considered an Olds or Pontiac? Since those engines were offered in an A-body, a swap to either of them would be a bolt in.
I want to build a Caddy 472/500, just don't own, or want to own, a car it would come in ou: The twist I'd add though is using the 4-6-8 valvetrain and install it on the 472/500 heads, and naturally for me let a megasquirt control it between the 4 and 8 modes. The Centurion's engine is coming up on due for a rebuild (around 70,000 miles on it since I put it together in 2002) and have contemplated a turbo 472/500 with the 4-6-8 setup.
Lots of room in the engine bay of that Centurion! Being that my friend made 585 foot pounds of torque with a very mild iron head 500 adding a turbo and EFI would make some serious torque! There is a 500 Caddy on "the turbo Forums", last I saw it was still bone stock inside and making 700 foot pounds at the wheels, and 600 HP at 4100 RPM LOL!
Sorry, I didn't read the entire thread, so forgive me if the questions have been answered. You can do a swap into your car, with little or no fabrication. You can pretty well buy all the parts you need for the swap. Rods are "weak" yes, but the valve train is your immediate concern. The rods can live thru quite a bit more than the rocker setup.The stock engine will live for a long time if you stay below 4000rpm. You can swing 5000ish rpm with the stock rods. I was up to 5500 with ARP bolts, no issues. Inspecting them is a good idea. Another point of concern is an oil pan. The Eldorado pan (which most people will recommend for the RWD car swap) is 9" deep, which is about 2" deeper than a stock A-body pan. This would make me very nervous for regular driving. You can get aftermarket pans for a decent price, I would recommend you go with them rather than screw around with modifying an Eldo pan. Be weary of the cast aluminum version, it is just as deep and has fitment issues in the past. I just finished building a 512 cubic inch engine for my 84 Regal, so I have a decent hang on these engines. Companies you need to look into; Sanderson headers Maximum Torque Specialties (500cid.com) Cad Company (cad500parts.com) You will hear a lot of people mention Potter. They were great, but are no longer in business. Yes their site is still up. I have dealt with all the companies above, and they are great to deal with.
Reading that big article that was enclosed above, I have to wonder, the guy mentions having to deck the block if you use Olds rods and BBC pistons. But if the 472 heads raise compression that much on a 500, could you simply put on some 472 heads instead of decking the block, and save yourself some machine work, and the trouble of having to get the reground cam, or the shorter lifters? I apologize if this is a stupid question, I know very little about this stuff; just thinking out loud. :idea2: Alright, thank you for the answer, that makes sense.
