500 Cadillac in a G Body

dsaundry

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Very nice, interesting build, one question though. Why a Cadillac engine instead of a sbc or a bbc engine? My experiences with the older Cadillac engines is they were prone to oil leaks. Not that chev motors don't have issues...just curious if there was a particular reason.
 

pontiacgp

blank
Mar 31, 2006
29,270
20,391
113
Kitchener, Ontario
Very nice, interesting build, one question though. Why a Cadillac engine instead of a sbc or a bbc engine? My experiences with the older Cadillac engines is they were prone to oil leaks. Not that chev motors don't have issues...just curious if there was a particular reason.

probably cause sbc and bbc in a G body is too common...and while we are at it I wonder why people climb mountains
 
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Mike P

Master Mechanic
Aug 7, 2009
446
208
43
Arizona
“…….Why a Cadillac engine instead of a sbc or a bbc engine……”





“……..probably cause sbc and bbc in a G body is too common…….”



Pontiacgp pretty much summed it up. I’ve been swapping engines and building cars for 50 years now and never built the same car twice…..you don’t learn anything new by doing the same thing over and over again.


As far as the Cadillac……there was just something about putting an engine that makes 500Ft Lbs of torque at 2400 RPM (stock out of the box) in something that just appealed to me and the EL Camino swap was enough of a challenge to be interesting. A SBC or even a BBC would have been pretty much just a bolt in engine change.
 
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Oct 14, 2008
8,806
7,746
113
Melville,Saskatchewan
Those Cadillac V8's were durable and get very good mileage for their displacement. I got that in my 70 Cutlass with an Olds 260, TH350, 2.78 gears and tall 215/75R14 tires doing 65-70 mph. Slightly less than that for the second fill doing 70 mph. This 260 isn't bad for a 260 but it is no 507 Cadillac. There are some us that would rather set our cars on fire or drive them off a cliff before going chevy power:).
 
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Pedrolif

Greasemonkey
Mar 28, 2016
141
47
28
New Hampshire
I probably said this before, but a 500 caddy with aluminium intake weighs less then a 350sbc, and has snot loads more torque. or so I've been told. Problem is, the Edelbrock aluminum intake will require you deleting your AC and possibly cutting a hole in your hood.

One day, I WILL verify this by weighing my 350sbc with Edelbrock intake compared to a 500Caddy with Edelbrock intake. Just need to buy the caddy intake and pull the engine out of my dad's Coupe De'ville when he's not looking. heheheehe...

For true weight comparison, it will be dressed, minus AC compressor which is a delete item anyways, and... hm... might have to find some caddy long tube headers for a G-body. Or take the exhaust manifolds off and compare that way. It is block to block comparison after all.

(Pops... build that 472 this summer so I can "borrow" your 500)
 

ed1948

Royal Smart Person
Aug 6, 2016
1,286
1,613
113
Quinte West, Ontario
This whole project gets '100 Likes' from me.
 

Mikej89

Apprentice
Apr 1, 2014
80
29
18
How much power do you think it's making?
 

Ole fool

Not-quite-so-new-guy
May 26, 2017
11
2
3
“…….Why a Cadillac engine instead of a sbc or a bbc engine……”





“……..probably cause sbc and bbc in a G body is too common…….”



Pontiacgp pretty much summed it up. I’ve been swapping engines and building cars for 50 years now and never built the same car twice…..you don’t learn anything new by doing the same thing over and over again.


As far as the Cadillac……there was just something about putting an engine that makes 500Ft Lbs of torque at 2400 RPM (stock out of the box) in something that just appealed to me and the EL Camino swap was enough of a challenge to be interesting. A SBC or even a BBC would have been pretty much just a bolt in engine change.
I wanna know more about the elco w/monte clip .... looks like you used the doors too with the elco glass
I love that Frankenstein stuff!!!!!
 

android211

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Oct 26, 2019
10
14
3
Florida
It isn't necessary to delete the ac compressor. You can buy an adapter to run a Sanden compressor in place of the longer GM unit. Then it fits over the Edelbrock intake.
Some people have adapted the factory compressor mount to use the Sanden. I used a '84 368 Seville setup. The front mount is a big 'A' and I cut it horizontal and added an inch of steel.
In back it was necessary to cut out about an inch of the rear bracket. Worked fine with the newer pancake comnpressor.
 
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