Okay, I know I'm gonna catch hell , but here goes... Can anyone tell me if a sbc and a th350 will line up and use the same mounts as the original 390 and auto tranny in my 59 caddy?I know it's not real traditional, but I need to get this thing running dependably, and it's gonna cost a fortune to rebuild the original units.Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks.Jimmy.
No They Wont Line Up. The 350 Has Different Style Motor Mounts Than A Cad Motor. The Trans Is Similar But Still Not The Same.
A newer Cad motor and trans will take alot of work but will probably be less than an SBC. I have a 472 in my '52, and it was a real tight fit. The most difficult part of the swap is the oil pan. 472/500/425's have a mid sump pan if they are from a rear drive car, and will not clear the crossmember. An oil pan and pick-up from an El Dorado are rear sump and should give you the clearance you need to clear the member. Motor mounts are interchangeable but the 472 is wider, and may require some relocating. Trans mount is different, and will need modification/ fabrication. You will probably not be able to run a mechanical fan either, as the Big Cads are longer than the 331/365/390. On my '52 I had to replace the radiator with a Chevelle unit, and locate it forward of the core support. I don't believe that this is giong to be a problem with your car though, later Cads have a longer engine compartment. Other than cutting down your dirveline and putting a th400 yolk on it, I can't think of any thing else. But I probably forgot something. Sounds bad, but think abuot this, a 472 from '68-'70 has about 350-375 hp and over 500lb of torque. The blocks are cast with a high nickel content, and can be overhauled several times before boring is required. These things are tire roasting, freeway cruising, monsters, and the best part is that they are reliable, don't need to be hopped up, and pretty much everything for it can be purchaced from your local parts house. Best of all, you're putting a Caddy in a Caddy... anything else would be uncivilized.
CaddyChris also forgot the mods that will need to be done to the front crossmember to clearance the oil filter/pump assembly. The 472/500 Cadillac engines from '68 to '76 backed by the TH400 trans is a bulletproof combination (my favorite is the high compression 472 of '68 and '69). And very few of them need anything more than a gasket set thrown into them. I'm willing to say that finding one of these combinations may be the cheapest and quickest route for you to take. Find a complete car that is ugly/rusted but with low miles and drive it home! This way you have plenty of parts to reuse in your swap. For instance, I just sold off a perfectly running (but UGLY/RUSTED) 70K miles CoupeDeVille for $900. If you make this swap, you will not look back with regrets or thoughts of changing it out again (unlike what you will experiece with the SBC swap). Kepp the value of your Cadillac up by sticking with a Cadillac drive train.
what became of this topic? i woudl like to see pics of teh 59 that had teh swap done in it? what did you guys do ab the oil fliter runing into the cross member? updates please!
A 350 will drop right in there using the existing motor mount holes on the Cadillac. - Use circle track/ NASCAR type motor mounts and 283 Chevy motor mount donuts. - Switch to ram horn exhaust manifolds. - Remove Cadillac front transmission crossmember. - Fabricate a tab for the GM tranny on the rear Cadillac crossmember. - Buy a lokar column shifter linkage on-line. - Very tight squeeze near the steering box but a good exhaust man can do it. - Rebuild your 390 and set it aside for later installation if you don't like the 350/350 set up. - Keep your hood closed and cruises and car shows.
so the guy who said the 350 uses different mounts and wont fit, please look closely. this is a 350 chevy engine going to into a 61 cadillac( same x frame and engine(390) as 59-60 models). the mounts line up almost flush, if they had the bolt runnign down through them i think you could fit just like 390.
I honestly don't have anything against small block Chevy engines, but DAMN .... it's like some kinda freakin' disease ...!!! It's a shame that the American auto industry never built a dependable engine until the SBC came along.
here are some cadillacs with the 350/350 setup , if loosk good if you dress it up, driveaablity will be there , so just have fun dude!! and whats funny ab the last one, is it even looks like a 390 tripple carb! so you can play foools at the shows, have fun decidiing man!
I put a 350 in my '66 after I had a meltdown with the 429. By the time I got the old engine redone it was going to be over $4500...a new complete smallblock with all new accessories was $3200 delivered from Pace Performance. Ya it took some extra work...but now I have a warranty and dependability and can get parts for it everywhere! I know to some people it's a sin....buy hey it's still GM not like I put a ford or mopar in it!!
do you have pictures road farmer? id like to see what that looks like? how does it run? what kind of mileage ae you getting?
390s are expensive. If all you have is a 350/350, toss it in, and don't let anybody give you shit about it. You can always save up for Cadillac power (if desired) later - in the meantime, you'll be actually DRIVING your RUNNING car right on past the guys telling "you should have put a Cadillac mill in there." One thing's for sure - a running, driving Cadillac (regardless of powertrain) is FAR more enjoyable than one that sits and is stared at while you "save up enough money to build the Cadillac engine"... a task that could take 20 years! ~Jason
Man, I'll say it when nobody else will. Oh - and here's something you might be interested in to make the swap easier: http://www.nolimit.net/prodinfo.asp?number=PS-5768-RP It's a power rack & pinion steering setup - BOLT-ON. Not very traditional, but who looks under your car, anyway? Besides, who knows what all you can do with the stock steering parts gone... ~Jason
do all the ideas mentioned apply to a big block as well? Looking at putting one in my "60". have the opportunity to pick up a good 454 with a th400 for cheap and was wondering what it will take to put it in the Caddy.
Don't forget to sell your old 390 here on the HAMB - even if it's messed up, folks will still buy 'em.
Saw this today: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-...tZVintageQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories Likely it'll be gone by the time most folks run across this. In that case, here's the text & pics I could get. What do you think? Too good to be true? I'd actually decided to keep my OEM setup a long time ago, but have decided to pass this on. Not pimpin' it or anything, just sharing what I saw. Here's the factory LINK The eBay seller is AutoThisWorldOnline NEW 1959 59 Cadillac 4 Inch Drop-Member Front End kit THIS COMPLETE DROP-MEMBER KIT LOWERS THE FRONT END OF YOUR 1959-1968 CADILLAC BY 4 INCHES. DROP SPINDLES CAN DROP IT FURTHER FROM THERE! ALSO GIVES YOU MODERN IFS DISC BRAKE PERFORMANCE. This is a completely BRAND NEW Helix kit that comes with the manufacturer's LIFETIME WARRANTY and does not contain refurbished parts like most kits. This is a COMPLETE KIT that contains all the parts you will need to install IFS on your vehicle. You will not need to buy anything else. This will fit all frames with 23-30 inches between the front frame rails at axle center line and give you a 56.5 inch track width. We have wider cross-members available, please call for details. DON'T BE FOOLED by other companies advertising No-Name kits. This is a TOP OF THE LINE kit from an industry leading manufacturer, HELIX SUSPENSION SYSTEMS. Also, other companies may advertise a lower price, but look closely, you DO NOT get tubular control arms and a CAD designed cross-member, they offer stamped control arms and charge extra for the cross-member. With OTHER companies you get left out in the cold if you have any questions or issues about installing your kit. Only Helix offers TOLL-FREE tech support staffed by real, english-speaking installers, as well as the LIFETIME WARRANTY against any defect. Includes: - Weld-in Crossmember with Coil Spring Shock Towers. - Upper and Lower TUBULAR A-Arms with Ball Joints - Chrome / Stainless Manual Steering Rack - Brake Calipers - Forged Steel Caliper Brackets w/ Bolts - 9 inch disc brake rotors - All bearings, seals, and dust caps - Forged Spindles - Spindle Nuts - Coil Springs - Shocks - Rack Bolts - Rack Bushings - Tie Rod Ends - Upper A Arms Bolts - 100% Stainless & Chrome Manual Steering rack The picture of the kit assembled with the yellow cross-member is for illustration purposes only. The cross member you receive will not be painted. You may receive a different color of shock than you see in the ad. <CENTER><TABLE style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" width=500><TBODY><TR><TD>Part No. </TD><TD>M1UGS_425989 </TD></TR><TR><TD>Factory Link </TD><TD>Helix Heavy Duty 6 Gauge 56.5 Inch IFS DropMember Kit - Official Website </TD></TR><TR><TD>Rating </TD><TD>4.5 / 5 </TD></TR><TR><TD>ATW Price </TD><TD>$1,494.50 </TD></TR><TR><TD>MSRP </TD><TD>$2333.5 </TD></TR><TR><TD>Shipping </TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR style="COLOR: #f00; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><TD>You Save </TD><TD>$354.5 - 19% off of MSRP! </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Key Features FORGED Spindles and Calipers CNC Mandrel Bent A-Arms THICKEST STEEL ON THE MARKET Advanced CAD design Coil-over & Air-Bag Compatible LIFETIME WARRANTY TOLL-FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT </CENTER>
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