I have been offered a 1956 Cadillac engine for $600. I am told it will run and has 50,000 miles on it. I figure it could make a nice hot rod engine but I have no knowledge of these engines. Is it worth the money and are they a useable hot rod engine. It has no tranny so what tranny will work behind it??? Any thoughts would be appreciated. I have not seen it in the flesh yet, so your comments will help me decide if it is worth seeing. Many thanks, Russ.
This is the 365 cubic inch Caddy engine and they are nice looking. Look the same as a 390 externally. I sold one for $1250 and the guy drove here from British Columbia to pick it up. I think it was a 1300 mile trip one way for him. It was not rebuilt but was a low miles like yours with tranny. You can buy or build adapters for other trannys. I would say yours is a real good buy.
Thanks Paul, you got me interested now. Id still like to hear from anybody regarding tranny options...
Russ, my friends at Bendtsen's have an adapter kit for manual or automatic trannys. their kits are not cheap but are very good and they give very good tech advice and help. http://transmissionadapters.com/cad_early.htm
Easiest (bolt-up) would be a slant pan or dual coupling Hydramatic, the later one uses a short iron bell to bolt the block and '56 was the changeover year from one to the other. There probably is a factory manual bell but it would be very scarce. Cadillac didn't make the Hydra-matic standard until 1953 and it appears the Series 75 could be had with a manual trans through 1954 - Series 75 would be the large limo/hearse chassis - so assuming the bell pattern is the same from '49-'56, that would be the source to run the manual trans behind your motor.
Same trans bolt pattern as any early Cadillac and Olds motor. Lots of transmission options. I have a 5 speed behind mine, not running yet. Great motor, 9.75 Comp, 285HP @ 4600, 400 ftlb @ 2800.
I'd say thats a good deal. These are great motors with good power and a great sound, plus they look killer! I'd pick it up if i were you.
Great super strong engine. Sounds like a good buy. If you get it I have a mint orginal Caddy Dual Quad intake for it. Larry
Speedway has an adaptor for this engine, I believe it was the first Caddi engine that did NOT have the bellhousing cast into the back of the block so you can bolt on a TH350-400 or 700R4 with the Speedway adaptor.
I sold a 1956 Cadillac 365c.i. engine last year. Mine had the "long" bellhousing which limites you somewhat in your automatic transmission selection. They came stock with the Jetaway 4 speed Hydramatic. Olds and Cadillac transmissions are interchangable. Pontiac of the same year also I think.
There is nothing wrong with the four speed hydro they came with. They moved that big 4000 pound car rather well in the day, in a light car, with the correct rear gear, they would be a killer.
If he's willing to negotiate on the price I'd offer him 500.00 since you are buying it on his word and not actually getting to hear it run. I gave 450.00 for the last 365 I bought. Although it was supposed to be a fresh rebuild I had to take the guys word....and used it for bargaining power
in response to the guy talkig about the trans bellhousing before, the last year of the olds interchange is 1954. after 1954 the 331 caddy engine was changed at the bellhousing to be a short block. so 55-62 caddy motors are a pain in the ass to find a manual bellhousing for, because most of them just used hydros. but there are companys who sell kits to put a chevy trans behind them but its expensive.
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