Hot Rods Cadillac 390 in a 33/34 Frame

jr black--that's a great looking setup, but I have a real affinity for cad power in anythink. the avatar's got a 390 and my 34 pu is getting one as well. a word of caution, make sure that t-5 is from a v-8 car or have a spare lying around. with the torque specs on the cad motor if you drive it hard the s-10 unit won't last long. it also won't last long if you run it low on fluid--aske me how I know...

 

will be watching, have a 55 331 to put in my 34 rdst. finaly settled on a WILCAP adapter after 12 years of hunting an adapter, got the adapt. last mo. using a HD ford 3spd. w/od, colum shift, early 9'' rear. started a 27 coupe while wating on the adapter, gotta finish that first.

 

I am interested in how you got the t-5 behind the Cad 390? I had and old Saginaw 4 speed and ended up using it behind the 390 in the T coupe. Do you have a build thread? I am always looking at other options.

 

How difficult is it to put the Saginaw 4 speed behind either a 331, 365 or 390 Caddy engine? For my '33 Ford, I've got a 331 Caddy engine with a flywheel, clutch and 1950s vintage aftermarket Cragar aluminum adapter for a Ford bolt pattern transmission (such as a 1939 or later toploader).. I'm thinking that I may want to use something stronger behind the Caddy, so am considering a Saginaw 4 speed. Got any detailed wisdom on hooking up a Caddy to a Saginaw?

 

The adaptor I used is for the later engines. I am not that familar with the earlier engine but understand they are different in the tail casting. I really don't believe the Saginaw is all that strong eithor. I Had it and had it rebuilt but I don't plan on beating on it. I will dig out the info and post later also I am trying to find info on the T-5.

 

Duke: firewall is set back about 2", and was done in a way that looks almost original factory by a very talented metal man. Car is still at his shop, but I should get it back tomorrow or Sunday -- will post photos then. I do not know if the F1 box is the best, but I like it since it's compact, repair parts are available, its use in a hot rod has been proven for decades, and it looks right.
DS

 

I am using a saginaw because I had it. The transmissions are based on the spline count and length. As I said the 331 is different from the 365/390. You could always look on the bendsons adaptor web site. Or hope someone else has the information on here.
Dale looking forward to seeing more shots of your car!

 

I ran a wilcap adapter for the t-5. there's a couple of companies who make kits. I started with 4 speed toploader through and old Cragger adapter but it WANTED another gear on the highway so I obliged. Don't have a build thread on that car. most of it was done pre-hamb for me.

BTW--there's a mock up photo of the 390/700r in my 34 PU at the bottom of this link. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...ix-34-ford-pickup-build.460730/#post-10798066 . it's 34 rails narrowed to 32 dims at the crossmembers and spreader bars if that make sense. hoping to have the actual mounts fabbed and motor/trans in this weekend.

 

Here are a couple photos of the firewall, plus a couple more overall shots of the top chop. Chop is 4 1/2", however, rear window chop is 3 1/2".
DS

 

That is really looks good Dale! The firewall is perfect.

 

I really like the way they did the firewall! Thanks for the pictures. One question on the chop how tall is the windshield opening? In Maine they require 6" of glass so that part is critical here.

 

Windshield opening is 7 1/4", plenty of glass to be legal in Maine. Windshield has been leaned back, so this adds to glass height. But without the lean-back, I'd guess it would still be more than 6".
DS

 

Dale, do you have any pics of your chop in progress --- specifically how you got your coupe body lines at the rear of the quarter windows to line up and the sail panel to look so smooth?

 

Southfork: Sorry, I don't have any in-progress photos. But maybe this will help --- The roof at that rear panel was cut about 1" above the body molding line that wraps around the back. After the 4 1/2" was sliced off that part of the roof, the thing was then just lowered and welded back on. This resulted in the B pillar being too far back, so it was cut loose and moved forward to line up with where it was originally. So, that panel you're wondering about was not cut, pie-sliced, or anything, and that's probably why it looks smooth -- it's basically its original shape, untouched.
Hope that helps, DS

 

Dale - I wish I had done my firewall that way to fit in the Cad motor. Great job!

 

I have gone through this thread multiple times and found everything I was looking for. ss34coupe the engine mounting looks like a very clean instillation. Dale I will be using the firewall and rear suspention set up you have. Both are examples of creative thinking. They are very clean instillations. Thank you

 

coupe33 - here is a better pic showing the front engine mounts - they tuck into the frame and are held in by the two bolts using holes in the frame left by the original shock absorbers.

 

falconsprint63 could you give me a dimention from the block to the shifter on your T-5 set up? I have a Cad in my 26 T with a 4 speed and just wanted another option.
ss34coupe thanks for the picture. What did you use for the plate steel thickness?

 

coupe33 - the steel plate thickness for the mounts is 3/16th of an inch - probably could have used 1/8th and it would do the job just as well. We need to see some pictures of your project, hopefully you can post some soon. Don't worry about it being in pieces, a lot of our cars start off that way so we are quite used to it.

 

Well I finally got a picture of a door but it is way to big to download. I will figure out how to resize and go from there.

 

Dale, that firewall is killer!

Kind of ironic that our rear end setups is virtually identical.

 

Flowmeister: It's a bit more than ironic, it's incredible. Yes, virtually identical. Are you my twin brother who I never knew about?
DS

 

Thanks for the added pictures. Was a rebuild of the rear axle assembly a normal step? I tend to do a rebuild but never tackled a banjo rear.

 

I was going to bring this back up and wanted to know if anybody is using a Early Cad 331/truck tranny torque tube Banjo rear for a drive line in a 33/34?

 

I know this is an old thread but this was helpful to me as well. I'm installing a 1960 390 cad motor into a 1950 chevy truck. The frame is actually similar so I can use some of these ideas. I notice there are two different styles of mounts. One that would come straight of the block and one that comes off the block and mounts forward. I like the idea of bolt on frame mounts.

 

I am glad this came back up. I was going to install a 390 Cad in my 34 coupe but ended up selling the coupe recently. I have a 33 coupe built out of scrap pieces and I am going with a 54 Cad 331 and 52 Truck 3 speed. The rear is a cut down 40 Ford torque tube rear. I changed the transmission to a torque tube to run what I now have in the rear. I know it has been a long time to get what I want and my little junk body will be just what I wanted. The only picture I have ever managed to get on here.

 

Interesting on the torque tube. The torque tube was long gone by the time I got my truck. I considered picking up a running 331,they seem to be more prevalent than the 390's. Another idea I had for mounting was to use a tubular crossbar (they sell them for mounting SBC's). But that may be just as much work. That's a cool little 33.

 

.

 

Chassis Engineering didn't mfr front engine mounts for my 354 Chrysler Hemi.
The owner of C.E. had made up some for his own project, so his young helper grabbed an 'unpublished set' and sold them to me. Think around $40, not sure. But cheap! Nicely engineered, tig welded...Like jewelry.
A friend has a '32 with a 365" Cad engine, the castings on the sides of the block looked similar (identical, actually)
He bolted them on, they fit! He ordered a pair from the Chassis Engineering kid...

Love those Caddies... I had a '40 with a 331" Cad (1959) Some guy was standing next to a parking place, I drove up and took the space. Guy looked the coupe over, asked "Whatta ya got in there?" I answered, "Cadillac..."
Just sounded so...'Final'.

 

Anything more get done on this build?