Cadillac 472 for sale

a421cat · Guru

Cadillac 472 for sale

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

As you likely know, Cadillic's of that era used Buick engines, so that's a Buick 472.

mike667 · Poncho Master!

How much work would be involved in putting it into a 66 Bonneville? Wont it mount up against the th400? What else would be needed/changed?

-- Edited by mike667 on Thursday 19th of March 2020 03:05:20 PM

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Mike, if you were going to do any sort of non Pontiac swap on your Bonneville I'd do an LS swap.

a421cat · Guru

The 472 will mount against a BOP turbo 400. You will possibly need to modify motor mounts and the oil pan. There are Cadillac websites that offer different adapters and info on using these engines.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

seventy2plus2 wrote:
As you likely know, Cadillic's of that era used Buick engines, so that's a Buick 472.

Clint, how is a 1970 472 Caddy motor a Buick !

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

No Caddy ever used Buick engines. Buicks were either 350-400-430 or 455.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Is the 500 engine the same basic engine as the 472?

mike667 · Poncho Master!

Im really tempted to try this. Does anyone else have any input for the swap?

It will mount to the th400. And I can find an oil pan for it, that they mentioned should work... anything else that would be problematic?

-- Edited by mike667 on Thursday 19th of March 2020 07:33:02 PM

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

4SPEED427 wrote:
Is the 500 engine the same basic engine as the 472?

Yes, it has a different crankshaft for longer stroke. For what its worth so is a 425 used in 77 - 79 in the downsized cars. The bore was smaller than the 472 but stroke was the same.

I'm surprised by the Buick comment. '76 Cadillac Seville did use an Oldsmobile 350 variant however but these big boys were all Cadillac.

-- Edited by 73SC on Thursday 19th of March 2020 10:57:08 PM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I think there was a 307 Olds powered Caddy at one point in the later years too (80's?) and then of course the 90's Fleetwoods had the TBI 350 Chevy followed by the LT1 Chevy.

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

long stroke wrote:
seventy2plus2 wrote:
As you likely know, Cadillic's of that era used Buick engines, so that's a Buick 472.
Clint, how is a 1970 472 Caddy motor a Buick !

The distributor in the front of the 472 is maybe what fooled me. I was always told they were Buick's.

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Canadian Poncho wrote:
No Caddy ever used Buick engines. Buicks were either 350-400-430 or 455.

The distributor in the front of the 472 is maybe what fooled me. I was always told they were Buick's.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

4SPEED427 wrote:
I think there was a 307 Olds powered Caddy at one point in the later years too (80's?) and then of course the 90's Fleetwoods had the TBI 350 Chevy followed by the LT1 Chevy.

To be fair, after 1977 the engines were all GM Corporate engines, where they not, produced by various divisions.

DANO65 · Poncho Master!

73SC wrote:
4SPEED427 wrote:
Is the 500 engine the same basic engine as the 472?
Yes, it has a different crankshaft for longer stroke. For what its worth so is a 425 used in 77 - 79 in the downsized cars. The bore was smaller than the 472 but stroke was the same.
I'm surprised by the Buick comment. '76 Cadillac Seville did use an Oldsmobile 350 variant however but these big boys were all Cadillac.

-- Edited by 73SC on Thursday 19th of March 2020 10:57:08 PM

And don't forget the 368 of V8-6-4 fame, is of the same family. It's only good point is the oil pan from the front wheel drive cars, it is a true rear sump, good for engine swaps.

-- Edited by DANO65 on Friday 20th of March 2020 08:56:46 AM

crazytrain · Addicted!

if i lived closer i would be all over that been looking for one for awhile

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

I've been driving a 76 Fleetwood lately with a 500, obviously not a fast or nimble car but its got gobs of torque and they are a real engine.I suppose in a smaller vehicle it would be dangerous.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Didn't one of the magazines years back pull a 500 Caddy out and put it in some light GM vehicle just to show how much fun it would be? Seems to me I recall an article like that.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

I know of a fellas here in Ontario with a 500 in a Ventura, they are a lot of trouble adapting when a BBC will do the same thing.

Its the uniqueness and Old School Hot Rod effect it gives you. Having said that I have a 500 Caddy and THM 400 under the bench waiting for some project.

-- Edited by 73SC on Friday 20th of March 2020 07:40:19 PM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I think that would be fun. Somebody used to do some hot rod parts for the 500's, was it maybe Kenne Bell the Buick experts?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

73SC wrote:
Having said that I have a 500 Caddy and THM 400 under the bench waiting for some project.

I found just what you need....

The big block Cadillac is one of the biggest and most underrated V-8 engines ever produced. Although this may have something to do with the fact that Cadillacs so equipped were expensive and unlikely to be torn apart, it probably has a lot more to do with the lack of aftermarket support for these amazing behemoths. With 500+ cubic inches, earth-moving torque and potentially similar weight to traditional 350s, why more people do not build them borders on the ridiculous.

Crankshaft

The simplest and cheapest way to bring your Cadillac 500 or 472 up to its full potential is also probably the most distasteful to Caddy enthusiasts. Big block Chevy parts are plentiful, cheap and race-tested and are an easy fit after a little machining. The Caddy crankshaft has more than enough material to have it off-set ground to .300 smaller than its original diameter. Off-set grinding moves the center of the crankshaft rod pins outward, effectively making the crankshaft's arms longer. Machining the crank in this way will get you another 35 cubic inches; combined with an .030 overbore, that gives you 40 more cubes for a total of 540.

Rods

With the crank throws machined, you can now utilize any one of several 6.800-inch Chevy H-beam rods. Callies Compstar H-Beams are bullet-proof and will keep your engine safe above 5,000 RPM (the point at which your stock rods will break). Other options are Eagle ESP rods or Howards Billet Steel. Whatever you do, stay away from those trick full-race aluminum rods that are commonly used in big block Chevys. They're overkill for the RPM range you'll be looking at and are really no stronger.

Heads

You can use your engine's original heads, but there's a lot of power to be had by using small-chamber 1974-76 heads with 2.19 inch intake and 1.84 inch exhaust Chevy valves. The heads will need some porting work around the bowl area and push-rod pinch. When doing the port work, it might help to think of the big Caddy as you might a diesel engine; they're designed to pull, not rev. If you're building an all-out race engine, consider replacing your stock iron heads with Bulldog aluminum heads. A really good set of stock ported heads can support over 700 horsepower (naturally aspirated), but aluminum heads will shed over 100 pounds from your engine. Combine those heads with an aluminum Edelbrock Performer intake and a set of headers, and you'll be looking at an axis-of-the-Earth-shifting, 540 cubic inch big block that actually weighs less than an iron-headed 350 small block.

mike667 · Poncho Master!

4SPEED427 wrote:
73SC wrote:
Having said that I have a 500 Caddy and THM 400 under the bench waiting for some project.

I found just what you need....

The big block Cadillac is one of the biggest and most underrated V-8 engines ever produced. Although this may have something to do with the fact that Cadillacs so equipped were expensive and unlikely to be torn apart, it probably has a lot more to do with the lack of aftermarket support for these amazing behemoths. With 500+ cubic inches, earth-moving torque and potentially similar weight to traditional 350s, why more people do not build them borders on the ridiculous.

Crankshaft
The simplest and cheapest way to bring your Cadillac 500 or 472 up to its full potential is also probably the most distasteful to Caddy enthusiasts. Big block Chevy parts are plentiful, cheap and race-tested and are an easy fit after a little machining. The Caddy crankshaft has more than enough material to have it off-set ground to .300 smaller than its original diameter. Off-set grinding moves the center of the crankshaft rod pins outward, effectively making the crankshaft's arms longer. Machining the crank in this way will get you another 35 cubic inches; combined with an .030 overbore, that gives you 40 more cubes for a total of 540.

Rods
With the crank throws machined, you can now utilize any one of several 6.800-inch Chevy H-beam rods. Callies Compstar H-Beams are bullet-proof and will keep your engine safe above 5,000 RPM (the point at which your stock rods will break). Other options are Eagle ESP rods or Howards Billet Steel. Whatever you do, stay away from those trick full-race aluminum rods that are commonly used in big block Chevys. They're overkill for the RPM range you'll be looking at and are really no stronger.
Heads
You can use your engine's original heads, but there's a lot of power to be had by using small-chamber 1974-76 heads with 2.19 inch intake and 1.84 inch exhaust Chevy valves. The heads will need some porting work around the bowl area and push-rod pinch. When doing the port work, it might help to think of the big Caddy as you might a diesel engine; they're designed to pull, not rev. If you're building an all-out race engine, consider replacing your stock iron heads with Bulldog aluminum heads. A really good set of stock ported heads can support over 700 horsepower (naturally aspirated), but aluminum heads will shed over 100 pounds from your engine. Combine those heads with an aluminum Edelbrock Performer intake and a set of headers, and you'll be looking at an axis-of-the-Earth-shifting, 540 cubic inch big block that actually weighs less than an iron-headed 350 small block.

Oh my gosh, now your mixing me up too now. I dont want to hijack Bills thread, should I go with a Caddy engine or LS?

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

I'm very close to getting a 2000 Northstar as well, I'm likely in a minority but I love the Northstar, especially the Code 9.

This is a 281 CID premium engine that pulls like a big block and will rev right up to 6,500 in 300 HP street tune. A 300/300 engine.

I've seen Northstars in Fieros, Cavaliers and other big FWD GM cars like Bonnevilles and Buicks.

MC · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

73SC wrote:
I've been driving a 76 Fleetwood lately with a 500, obviously not a fast or nimble car but its got gobs of torque and they are a real engine.I suppose in a smaller vehicle it would be dangerous.

Cool. Has that been your daily winter driver, or only out on salt-free days? Love to see some pics if you have a minute to share them.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

MC wrote:
73SC wrote:
I've been driving a 76 Fleetwood lately with a 500, obviously not a fast or nimble car but its got gobs of torque and they are a real engine.I suppose in a smaller vehicle it would be dangerous.
Cool. Has that been your daily winter driver, or only out on salt-free days? Love to see some pics if you have a minute to share them.

Its a restored 1976 Fleetwood Ambulance owned by a friend. It has just been removed from the shop after three years work. A friend owns it and he is meticulous, I've helped him source NOS and near perfect OEM parts as he is not computer literate. Ted Holcombe, the Cadillac King of the Eastern Seaboard has been in my living room for coffee and visit after delivering parts here. I don't exactly know why, and he won't say, but my friend has me drive the car every time its taken out. There are a few details we need to finish like the top vintage cherry has to go on some door alignment and a few chrome bits and roof signage. The original siren in absolutely HAUNTING at full wail. The Cops and Paramedics pull us over just to see it and learn about the car.