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#1
08-23-2005, 03:24 PM
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What about a Caddy engine swap for 70 to 72 A Body?
I used to have a friend with a 472 caddy engine in his 72 lemans. I almost got the car for free BUT I was young and renting with no place to store it. Anyway anyone out there with caddy powered ponchos? This used to be "the cheap" way to get even more tourque but I dunno now since the engines are not as common in the bone yards. I also know the aftermarket for the caddy engine is even LESS than what we got for ponchos. Anyone know the caddy's weaknesses?
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72 Lemans 
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#2
08-23-2005, 03:29 PM
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not too sure, but I see big caddy's all the time in the JYD. They are WAY more common than poncho motors. I always grab the qjet secondary metering rods on the 500ci engines.
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************************************* 1968 Lemans. 37,000 original miles. GTO clone. 462ci/KRE 290 heads. UltraDyne 280/288 Solid/850 Qjet by Cliff/Performer RPM/TSP 9.5" in TH400/8.5" 3.42 gears/3950# Race weight/12.58@106 at Bandimere speedway high altitude |
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#3
08-23-2005, 07:15 PM
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Caddys can be made to run. I see Caddys all the time at the junkyard (not sure why but all the carbs are missing the secondary metering rods?). Check out cad500parts.com . BTW,...... Pedro for President -LOL -Jim
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#4
08-23-2005, 08:45 PM
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The one main weakness for the Caddy motor for me is its not a Pontiac......But if your ok with that you at least have alot of cubes to get you moving......best of luck
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#5
08-23-2005, 09:13 PM
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Once you get a Caddy to breathe right you will have a real animal. The Caddy heads and exhaust flow sucks. Other than that they are pretty good.
70 Eldorado 501 is the way to go if you are looking for a Caddy power plant
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Patrick -------------------------------- *SOLD * 1971 LeMans street car, 428ci TH350 3:31 12 bolt, 3880#,13.6 @ 101.82 Show & go  1964 Tempest work in progress  400 with Tremec 5 speed1967 LeMans drop top project. I tracked down my great grand father & dad's old car. |
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#6
08-23-2005, 11:56 PM
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a custoemr has a 472 in a 66le mans; it's a nice fit and runs hard - 200r4 also.
another customer has a SICK airboat w/ a stroked nitroused 500 - it's freakin' demented. there are better heads out there for them, and BBC headers are easily adapted.
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is this thing on? |
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#7
08-24-2005, 01:34 AM
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Can you get a 200-4r to take that torque of a 500 caddy??......
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#8
08-24-2005, 04:04 AM
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Funny you mention the air boat with caddy 500! Thats where I got my real appreciation for thier power man! I'll never forget the ride when the guy maxed the gas WOT it was nutz.
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72 Lemans
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#9
08-24-2005, 01:51 PM
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Another area of gaining popularity for the big Cads is IMCA. That's those dizzy rednecks in the mid-West racing "modifieds". Most of those sanctioing bodies have a "claim" rule, allowing someone that finishes on the lead lap, outside the top 5, to "claim" the winner's engine, usually for peanuts (around here it's $1,200). The idea is to discourage building high-dollar engines of whatever brand.
It went fine for a while, when no one was "claiming". Front-running guys started getting a bit "comfortable", and then BLAM, somebody claims their $8K small block 422 or something. I've seen two fist fights and one lawsuit over it... Well, nobody will claim a Caddy... So developement began. Now, Bull Dog makes heads, Edelbrock has an intake, and so on. The big Cad is a pretty good engine, overall. It doesn't respond quite so readily to performance modifications like the Pontiac or Chevy, but better than the Buick or Olds. It's "light" like the Buick. Tough like the Pontiac, and it's NOT a Chevy... A lot of them are just wrecking yard "specials" with a cam and intake. Cheap power. FWIW |
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#10
08-24-2005, 02:18 PM
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Good friend has a 480 something cube 472 Caddy in his '70 Chevelle factory stocker (circletrack). Custom pistons, considerable headwork, etc. Engine is very strong, even with cast iron intake & exhaust manifolds. RH manifold is stock Caddy piece cut & cast iron welded to BBC Chevelle lower section...real sweet fit! Best of all, this car/combo & driver are 4 years in a row track champions! The reality of Caddy engined '70 Chevelle used to eat the Chevy boys up... & several times they have tried to do the motor claim, but to no avail. In order to do so, they have to have a Caddy in their cars & finish top 3, so they just get to p!ss & moan & get beat. LOL
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#11
08-24-2005, 08:12 PM
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Im begining to think this may be the way for me to go for BIG torque while I work on gathering my poncho power. I wont sink a butt load of cash into the motor it would be
a poor mans subsitute big block. The torque would be crazy and fun. Maybe just a cam swap. I can tell ya though My bud had some heat issues in the cab because the engine is RIGHT up against the fire wall. He also blew trannys ALOT lol. Wish I got to keep it I would still have it. Anyone seen a Caddy powered 70 to 72 A Body? I would be interested in an Indepth discussion of the exact "headaches" from the swap. Its been years since I talked to the guy with the 472 caddy powered lemans so I cant recall anything besides the heat issues and TIGHT FIT. Cant you say "??PLUGS A *****???"" spark plugs that is lol. He also had a chain on it because it almost hit the hood from the tourque.
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72 Lemans
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