Here is kind of a sneak peak to the Coupe De"Velle". I thought this would be a lot easier than it was (don't we always). This should keep Randy off my back! ;) j/k bud!

It's a stock long block '76 500 with an Eddy intake (shaved the markings off) and homebuilt headers. I will probably throw a cam in it once I get it running again (I want to make sure it's not going to overheat or have any problems during cam break-in). Here are a few pictures....It's a fairly straight forward swap, although there are a few pains...

Overall shot (no headers in)....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/69chevelle355/S7300329.jpg

Here is a shot of the passenger side header. I used Cadillac flanges off ebay and BB chevelle headers. I ended up cutting and re-routing the first two tubes. Shows how tight things can get.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/69chevelle355/S7300326.jpg

Depending on what motor you get, you may have to run a remote mount oil filter like I did. This isn't a very good angle, but It's less than an inch from the swaybar.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/69chevelle355/S7300331.jpg

A picture of my sophisticated motor mounts! The upper part is the Caddy mounts cut open with all the rubber torched out. The bottom in a piece of 1/4" angled steel. Kinda hard to see...Sorry
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/69chevelle355/S7300330.jpg


I'm not sure why everything looks rusty in the pictures? This weekend I will toss the drivers side header back in and show ground clearance and a few other things. Hopefully it will start to look like a whole car on Monday.

I owe a HUGE thanks to the dudes over at http://www.cowboyseven.us/forum/ as well as TC. Sharp fella's on both forums.

Looks sweet, Jay. :thumbsup:

That 500'll be fun! There's no replacement for displacement!

Thanks Brent. It's really the first time I have had to fabricate anything, so most of my money has been spent on tools to do the work, rather than parts. I'll just keep plugging away...It'll roar to life one day!

Your next project will be a Ford 9" and tubs to handle that TORQUE!!! What a good problem to have :)

Looks great Jay!! Keep up the good work. I'm glad I know a fab guy now!

Your next project will be a Ford 9" and tubs to handle that TORQUE!!! What a good problem to have :)

You ain't kidding! I'm gonna see how long it will live with the 10 bolt on street tires. Got a 9" sitting behind the shop, but I just want to DRIVE the dang thing!

Looks great Jay!! Keep up the good work. I'm glad I know a fab guy now!

Haha I wouldn't call myself a fab guy. Just a "too damn cheap to pay someone else to do it" guy!

Thanks for the compliments!

I have done a few caddy swaps, heres what I learned. Go to the junkyard and lift the hood on some later model caddys like the mid 80s - early 90s there are 3 different oil filter mounts they all point in different directions, this may help with the sway bar clearance problem. Eldorados have a rear sump oil pan that will clear a Chevelle frame, don't forget to get the oil pump pickup tube and the dipstick and tube from the Eldo. Get some stiffer valve springs as the stock ones are soft as marsh mellows and will limit rpm big time! Be prepared to break driveline parts with all that torque.

Another Caddy guy!

My previous project was a 83 Grand Prix with a '70 472 in it. I kept the engine more or less stock and focused on getting it in and making it look like it belonged. Larry at CMD was a big help since there was really only a couple places supporting stuff back when I did it. Edelbrock was still working on an intake, and didn't have it released yet. I had it running through a TH400 (BOP bolt pattern) and out through a Mopar 8-3/4" rear that I found through trading times. It was already cut and welded to fit a G body and had 373 posi too. PST took care of the front suspension and Hotchkis out back with air bags in the coils. Still had a traction problem. Here's a pic:
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u165/Bowtie-Bry/carpics/scans002.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u165/Bowtie-Bry/carpics/scans001.jpg

I really like to see swaps like this. This is how they used to do it in the old days. Didn't have to get a 2nd mortgage on the house to buy a good big motor.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted..

Looking good Jay! Glad you are finally getting some time to work on it.

Looking great there Jay.....keep on plugging away at it :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Nice job Jay :thumbsup:
Dare to be different!

i have a 472 and turbo 400 with a later hei if anyones interested. ill give it to anyone that wants it. i also have a swap mount kit a new really nice rear sump pan and pump from cmd but i would like to sell those

Nice...and lighter than a BBC too. Welcome to torque city.

Someday you can add a roller cam, and maybe aluminum heads and embarrass guys with tons of money into their BBC's!

Wow, pretty neat, Dress it out like a 396 and that fuel Pump's going to freak a few guys out.

i got 3 472 caddys laying around for projects. One is going on my T coupe. Cool motors and keep it on the downlow so we can keep buying them cheap. ;)

I had a 472 in one of my Chevy pickups. I caught alot of people off guard with that one. When I blew that up, I put a 500 in it. The '70 472 ran one heck of alot better than the '75 500. I also put a 500 in my wifes Camaro, I took it back out because the motor plates were too tricky to fab around the front steer in the Camaro chassis, I thought. I think I can take that engine and trans set up off your hands, Gary. A friend of mine goes to Mo. alot. That would make my budget prostreet '74 pick up kinda fun. Let me know!

its yours if you want it. its a 71 so it has the smaller cc heads. its never been apart. ill even help you load it lol

Hey Jay,

That motor looks great in there. Any other headaches besides headers and steering shaft? Did you have to shorten your driveshaft?

Thanks,

Paul

I have done a few caddy swaps, heres what I learned. Go to the junkyard and lift the hood on some later model caddys like the mid 80s - early 90s there are 3 different oil filter mounts they all point in different directions, this may help with the sway bar clearance problem. Eldorados have a rear sump oil pan that will clear a Chevelle frame, don't forget to get the oil pump pickup tube and the dipstick and tube from the Eldo. Get some stiffer valve springs as the stock ones are soft as marsh mellows and will limit rpm big time! Be prepared to break driveline parts with all that torque.

I got the remote mount for free from my brother, so I just went that route. You are right about the mounts though, just be sure to get the right gasket! I am also using the eldo pan...couldn't find any at the lame junkyards around here so I bought one of a board member. Driveline breakage is in the game plan!! ;)

Nice...and lighter than a BBC too. Welcome to torque city.

Someday you can add a roller cam, and maybe aluminum heads and embarrass guys with tons of money into their BBC's!

I almost bought a turbo for the thing off an old detroit diesel. Then I got some sense and realized I was too young to die.

i got 3 472 caddys laying around for projects. One is going on my T coupe. Cool motors and keep it on the downlow so we can keep buying them cheap. ;)

I've got a 70 472 out of an eldorado, but it's in another car and I almost snagged a 500 a coupe weeks back, but there's too much junk in the garage already.

Hey Jay,

That motor looks great in there. Any other headaches besides headers and steering shaft? Did you have to shorten your driveshaft?

Thanks,

Paul

I did have to shorten my d-shaft. I got a long tailshaft th-400 for free from a buddy and I mounted the engine and trans as low and far back as possible. I haven't measured how much shorter it is just yet, but it's on my list of things to do. I'm not going to be running and stock hood and I'm not sure I could. I'm hoping to fit everything under a 2" cowl. I can run pretty tight clearances on everything since there won't be hardly any engine movement. I will let you know of anymore potential problem areas as they come along.

Thanks again for the compliments! :thumbsup:

I thought there was a header being made for this swap. None of the less, it looks nice so far.

There are Sanderson 600's which are supposed to fit, but nobody really knew for sure...I wasn't about to buy $600 headers and have to cut them up. I just kinda wanted to see if I could make my own anyways (always up for learning something new)....Thanks!

Haha I wouldn't call myself a fab guy. Just a "too damn cheap to pay someone else to do it" guy!


We might've been separated at birth. :D :thumbsup:

I almost bought a turbo for the thing off an old detroit diesel. Then I got some sense and realized I was too young to die.


My buddy gave me a new Holset HX40 turbo from one of his projects, he's selling the motor to a guy who wants to go twin turbo with it. I have plans for it, rings are gapped appropriately on the new 461 stroker I'm assembling for my Firebird in my sig. :yes:

I thought there was a header being made for this swap. None of the less, it looks nice so far.

I think you can buy teh flange, then have headers made or modified. I wanna say it was BBC headers for the same application, but I forget-it's been @ 12 years.

I think you can buy teh flange, then have headers made or modified. I wanna say it was BBC headers for the same application, but I forget-it's been @ 12 years.

That's what I did. It wasn't just a hack off old flanges and weld up new ones though....It involved lots of cutting of primaries and moving things around. If I ever do this again, I think I will just buy a kit full of bends and make my own. A little more time consuming, but the end product would probably come out better. The other thing to remember is that BBC have round ports and BB Caddy's have square ports. I tack the flanges on, heated up the tubes with a torch and took a punch and beat them into a square.....No walk in the park for sure!

I put a 472 in a 39 ford sedan back in the early 80s. Never could solve the cooling issue, but we didn't have the after market stuff that is available these days back then. Those Caddy engines will run, and talk about grunt. :eek:

I really like to see swaps like this. This is how they used to do it in the old days. Didn't have to get a 2nd mortgage on the house to buy a good big motor.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted..


I had a 79 Malibu with a 455 Olds in it. Used Cutlass mounts and a rad from a diesel Cutlass. It had the stock rear with 2:41 gears and a turbo 350. Worked good as a daily driver until the body got too rusty. I scrapped it in '90. I was one of those guys with not a lot of money and my swaps were usually out of necessity. I had a '74 Ford F250 that had a 400 Chrysler/727 and then a 250 Chevy/turbo350 in it. My next Ford pickup ended up with the 305 and trans from my father in law's Monte Carlo. It was a LOT better on gas than the 300 six! My current Chevy truck went from a 4.3 V-6 to a 305 and now a 6.2 diesel. Guys at work say I should just buy a newer truck, but I say I have no payments and don't want any.

Paul