So i know speedy parts are hard to come by for the old caddy motors, but i was wondering what kind of power could be turned out of one these old boat anchors. Ive heard of all sorts of things from putting in a 429 crank and making a 409 or putting a blower on it. The only parts ive tracked down are a isky cam shaft, and over bore pistons from speedway. what else is out there and whats your thoughts of how much you could crank out? LETS HEAR IT
well if you can get 700 hp out of a flathead ford you ought to be able to make at least 1000hp. And a 390 is no boat anchor by the way.
I know their not, im running one in my caddy, i wont part with it, got another one too for a 51 chevy pickup, i want to build that one up and mate it too a t-5, got a 429 too... was refering to how heavy those machines are
Ohio George Montgomery ran one in his Willys gasser with much sucess, so I'd say that they can be competitive. One good thing is that the intakes interchange all the way from '49, so if you found a factory dual quad or tripower setup, it would bolt right on.
Factory ratings were over 300 hp and 400 ft pounds of torque. Rebuild parts aren't cheap but they are really nice looking motors.
You want torq, not HP. They are built for that. And its easier to get, don,t need 3 carbs etc just a 4 barrel, dont need a big cam, but the right cam, automatic, work with that for awhile. Keep your eye open for a 500, thats the best deal for a caddy,unless you want to really race it, then build a dragster.
when this subject comes up as it does often with the Cad engines. These motors are not high reving big HP without a ton of money thrown at them. These are one of the great street engines tons of torque. The heads can only have so much work done till there faults limit them and they don't oil themselves well at higher RPM's. Have a buddy who's spent a ton and when all is done maybe 600 HP. With all that said I still love these engines and will contnue to collect and use them in anything I build.
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