Has anyone ever considered a 472 or 500 for their GS? Just curious to see if anyone has any experience with such motors and how reasonably one could be built. I have a 350 powered GS, but the low weight and power of the Caddy has got me thinking. Any input?
I don't know of anyone who has done it, but there was an article in hot rod a few months ago where they did a caddy buildup. I think it was somewhere north of 500 horsepower.
There used to be a guy that posted on this board that had done the swap, but that was a while ago in board time! I like it, caddy 500 is known for making some serious torque.
I've been going to build a caddy hot rod for years. Still haven't done it. One heck of a powerhouse, something like 35 LB's more than a small block chevy??? light weight so you can use small block springs, and now there are performance parts that will make it a real screamer. If you build it, post lots of pictures and info. You might be just what it takes to get me off my but and building something like a.... GS 500 Sportwagon! Now that would be cool!
My 2nd car was a 1970 CoupeDeVille. 472 cubes, I think it was 320 hp? I don't know but I can tell you, that 1 wheel would smoke for a week or two!!! My first car with power to get me hooked on Horse Power. Also the first car I ever wrenched on! I learned everything working on that car. I would spin the tire so much I used to pull the engine apart to change lifters like crazy!! I too remember seeing a hot rod somewhere recently with a 472 wedged in the rails. I think it was an open roadster? Goobs and goobs of power.:TU:
There was a mag article a while back about a guy who put a 500 inch Cad in a 65?? Buick Skylark. There was lots of body and frame mods to make it fit. It definately was not a drop in fit, plus he had to fab headers and a lot of other stuff.
Well...at least the distributor is in the right place; and you don't have to mess with a stupid aluminum oil pump housing.
A long time ago my buddy picked up a 425 Caddy for next to nothing and had the idea to pull his tired 350 Chevy in his 76 Camaro. The oil pan is where you have to watch out depending on where the sump goes. The engine seems to be wider than the Buick and he had to have the manifold on the driver side modified to clear the steering shaft. We figured it would easily out perform the low compression 350 with headers and an aluminum intake. What an embarrassment. It barely went faster(low 15 sec.). From that experience and from what I have read stick with the 475/500" engines and don't go near a 425 even if they're giving them away. However another friend installed a 500 in a CJ Jeep and it took some doing but it was completely nuts to drive off road because it had so much power. There are a few places that make parts to get them into different style cars such as the A-Body. Just Google it and something will pop up.
I saw a Studebaker truck with a 500 in it. It was an awsome rig done right. I like things that you don't see everyday, and he had it with his rig, and engine.
Not sure why you'd want to go to the trouble of running that 500 Cad over your SBB as the Cad weighs 145 lbs. more! http://www.241computers.com/ford/ContentExpress20-30-38.html
I have put a cadillac 500" in buick skylark 1965. Had to move firewall back . And modify manifold on left side. Goran
In stock form the 500 caddy made slight more torque than a stage1 but at a higher RPM. The buick outpulled the caddy down low below 3K. The buick is lighter and has higher flowing heads and power potential. The big buick outperforms the Caddy so it's not a popular swap.
Darryl Roederer is the guy you're thinking of. He's got an offset stroker 500" Caddy engine in his Skylark, last I knew.
I also remember a guy my dad knew who has a 500 caddy engine in his '70 elcamino. Probably very fun to drive.:3gears:
I am a big Caddy fan, The most torque per pound of engine. The Caddy is a light engine, close to a 455 Buick, lighter than a big Chevy. Still can be had cheap. Like Joe A,69 coupe de ville is sill one memorable car. The 70 Eldorado 500 was factory rated at 400 hp. and 550 ft lbs.
My brother had a 500 in a '73 LeSabre for a while. Great engine. No, it might not be super fast in the 1/4 mile but you can guarantee some tire smoke from any stop sign.
Couple things worth noting about the Caddy engines (472&500).... *You can bore the stink out of them. Only thing that would stop me from going bigger than an .080" overbore is that's about the biggest bore that will still have a traditional head gasket. It would be nothing to go a full 1/8" over. For racers, there are still copper headgaskets to go over 4.400". I think past 4.425", you'll want to do a half fill on the water jackets. I have heard of going out to 4.500" on them. I've also heard of guys doing a full fill on the water jackets and running alcohol. *Cranks can be safely offset stroked to over 4.420". Some guys have gone with BB Chevy rods and over a 4.500" stroke. *Stock heads flow similar to a BBC oval port head on the exhaust. I've heard some compare the intakes to a 440 Mopar. There are only 2 combustion chamber designs - 76cc and a heart shape for the early ones, and 120cc for the later ones. Sticking 76cc heads on a later block will give you close to 13:1 compression. *Aftermarket alum. heads are available. MTS is now in charge of the Bulldog alum. heads & intake. Richard Potter offers his own at Cadillac Perf. Parts. Anyone that has followed the Engine Masters Challenge is familiar with Richard Potter. He builds some truly impressive power with the Caddy engines. He's said that he can get 500hp and 600ft/lbs. cheaper with the Caddy than anything else. (he sells that power level crate engine for only $5500 and does it with iron heads).
