Ok, I know this thread has been dormant for a little bit, but i have been doing research on my 429 caddy that is still currently sitting in the 1964 Coupe Deville doner car. It is complete from radiator to rear axle. It has the switch on the intake (behind carb linkage) that im assuming is the "switch pitch" and the shift indicator is P R N D L. This car is stock untouched, the reason for this research is im planning on the motor, tranny column and other bits into my 65 Ford F100 shop truck. i figured if it can move 4500 lb plus, it can haul parts and car trailers. And i planned on leaving it stock (low budget build). Any thoughts or advice or answers on tranny type, foreseen problems? And im still nickle and diming that coupe out.
Ok Phil thanx, So a th400 is a 3 speed auto, oviesley, the switch is an electric kick down, whats with D and L on the indicator? Is "D" drive and the "L" second gear and you just cant manually put it in first gear? ..... im not trying to sound dumb but the internet gives alot of conflicting info... Just like to have my ducks in a row before i get ass deep into somthing and realize it wont work.
It'll fit like it grew there! The trans will last indefinitely, you'll lose very little speed climbing grades when loaded, all in all the best choice you could make for a fun shop truck. Be prepared for shitty fuel mileage at first because you won't be able to keep your foot out of it! I was raised on Ford trucks with Cad motors. A 62 SWB unibody (63 390 with a 400), a 68 F-100, an 80 F-150 (500 in that one), and many I may be forgetting for friends and such. The last 429 combo in the 68 went over 100K miles on a USED engine. I honestly don't recall how many were on it at the time it went in. It got to the point of using a qt of oil a week, smoked on start up, went through 2 sets of plugs a year (when parts were cheap!). In a sad state of tune it put almost a truck length on the 62 uni I mentioned above. It had a hopped up 430 MEL motor in it. Dad says "Lemme get the new plugs in and I'll really show you what you're missing." "Bullshit!" from my uncle with the MEL. 30min later they went at it again. He pulled that SWB uni with the MEL by nearly 3 lengths. Pissed, my uncle went and bought a big Holley carb thinking that would do. In better conditions ( I was along for this race) Dear Ol Dad put a can of asswhip on that truck he never forgot. Later that day we went out looking for old forgotten Cadillacs, found the 63 with the 390 and Turbo trans, that night the MEL was out and the Motor was out of the Caddy. Within 4 days that 62 was kickin the 68's ass any time, anywhere. That was the long version of "GO FOR IT!!"
LOL!!!!!! Awsome! Well thats pretty bitchin... This motor has been sitting for 5 years (in car, under cover with antifreeze) the oil is clean and i was able to get her to run for a few mins. The plan was to pull stuff out of the caddy and install in the truck like the parts never new the difference. ... Thanx for the advice and good words.
The difference between the early 64 429 and later is the location of the distributor. Early is in the back like the older 390's and 365's. Later one is front like the later 472's and 500's. Used to work on a friend's '64 drop top to keep it daily drivable on Cali's crummy gas. If you want to make an HP improvement with little work, lose the original 465 cfm Rochester 4Jet WCFB, or whatever. In order to get that engine to rev more 3500 rpm on that gas, I replaced it with a Edelbrock 1400 600 cfm carb. I still thought it was too small, but wow what an improvement. Car would smoke tires through first gear doing nothing else to it. The 600 Eddy's will fit right on the original intake using the inner carb mounting holes. One problem to address. The WCFB's base was cast iron and there is an exhaust cross over in the intake that hit's the carb directly. I pulled the intake and made block off plates for the exhaust cross over to keep from warping the Eddy carb. I bet one of those factory dual carb intakes with a pair of 500's would kill. You may have to go to old school cam guys to get a performance cam. I am sure Isky still has something lying around. He never got rid of anything. His son, Ron, is very helpful. Free flowing exhaust and decent ignition would be next on the list.
I have what I thought to be a 429 but after scraping all the grime away and A LOT of research, turns out I have a '63 390. It has a Jetaway on it, how or is that different from what your calling a "hydramatic"? The story I hear is the B/W plant burned in the late 50's and the Jetaway was all they could get at the time. The way I figure it, even stock these motors in a pick-up will be a lot more power than the stright 6's they had stock.
i got a 429 driveline. i saved for my 58 but dont want to cut up the car to fit it in. put it up for sale. but some days i think ill build it just for fun or a project later on. its noce to see many good words about it. makes me doubt it even more the way t should be hahahaha
great topic guys! I just got a 64limo, with a 429th400 combo and has a eldebrock carb on it already. gonna pull the motor and tranny from the limo and put it into my 1958 buick special. the special was subframed for a 350/350 so should be fairly easy. one of my best friends has a 1964 429 he drives every day 40 miles back and forth to work. on dry pavement he can get the car sideways!!!! if they can pull this 6000 lb limo at 70mph, it should basically be a hotrod for my small buick! stay tuned
vince89, your 429 will drop directly into place in your 58. you will not have to change anything, nor do any cutting. I though the 429 was gonna be a hassle when I was putting one into a 59 some years prior. it wound up fitting exactly like the 390. unlike the 472 and 500, the oil pump/filter, tucks up against the block, it doesn't not stick out. look at the pictures below
The Jalopy Journal
