Guest Tht1KSguy Posted February 20, 2003 Share Posted February 20, 2003 Alrighty, I thought I needed a catchy title since we can't read a little blurb about the thread anymore. I've decided I'm going to go ahead and build up my '74 260Z. In recent months the bellhousing from Weir products has become available to mate a BOP engine to the T-56. The only problem I have with it is it's aluminum. Visions of flywheel and clutch parts grenading into my legs fill my head. Option 2 would be to bolt a blowproof bellhousing (ala: Lakewood, McLeod) and machine an adapter to mate to the T-56. My understanding is the LS1 transmission has a longer input shaft that went back to the non pull style clutch from the LT1's. I'm seriously considering a Quartermaster dual disk 7.25" clutch and bolt it directly to a flexplate. I know a couple of ppl running these on the street I posted about it in Drivetrain forum but no responses yet. I'd probably have to go ahead and do the 3.54 R230 swap to get the limited slip and CV's since i don't have a R200 yet anyway. This would put my cruising rpm around 1700 at 75mph which even with a 500 i'm hoping for 15+mpg since I've heard of actual gigantic caddy's that pull off 23mpg. Wheels, I've been thinking about replicas of the new Cobra wheels or the older Cobra R's that a few others are running around here. Only problem is they have SVT caps on them. I'd have to figure something else out. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted February 20, 2003 Share Posted February 20, 2003 I hope you have a full welded in rollcage on your list! Those motors put up some serious HP/TQ #'s!!! Otherwise I say go for it! Should be one heck of a ride when you are done! Just buy lots of extra underwear cause you are going to be changing them often! LOL Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tht1KSguy Posted February 20, 2003 Share Posted February 20, 2003 We don't need no stinking rollcage... naa, I'll have to have a full cage, strut tower braces front & rear and i'll probably do subframe connectors too. Coilovers all around and haven't decided on what bigger brake upgrade I'd go with yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay1970Z Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 Caddy Big Block!!!! Yeah!! Finally someone is doing yet, this will be one great project to watch, and yeah you better have a subframe, they have like 510 ft/lbs stock. Keep us updated, if you can get traction, that thing will be a monster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tht1KSguy Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 I'm looking forward to the engine most but I need to get all the body stuff out of the way first. I think i'm going to put a rotissare together in the next couple of weeks and strip the car so i can get it on and flipped over. Get all the undercoating stripped off and fix whatever rust problems and i'm either going to POR-15 the whole underside or maybe use that bedliner material over the whole thing for noise reduction. I want a car I'll be able to drive alot so interior noise is a consideration. For the engine I need to find a 472 or 500... i know where there are a couple just need to get one bought. I'll probably do the Performer intake and a Q-jet for now. Need to do some research on cams. I want the widest power band i can come up with on the lowest octane. Since this thing is going to burn alot of gas i'm thinking of building it lower compression so i can use 87 octane. Later i'll convert a 460 intake over to install injectors and probably run a Megasquirt efi. Hopefully it'll get me even better drivability along w/ some fuel economy since eventually gas prices are going to be sky high. I hope to have the chassis complete by late spring and the engine in early summer so i can enjoy the rest of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jens Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 MTS http://www.500cid.com / http://www.hwforums.com/2089/ has the parts you need and soon he is going to sell some nice alu heads flowing 330 cfm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tht1KSguy Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 Whoa... aluminum heads, yummy. Jens thanks for posting the link to their forum, I had forgotten it even existed. I'm sure I'll be going to MTS for some parts and advice along the way. Spent a several hours over the last year combing over their site. My dad has a 472/400 combo he's putting into a '48 Chevy COE. On our forum the only other caddy's i know of are Racingator and staledale. Grumpyvette keeps dropping hints but he needs to just go ahead and jump on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z ya Posted February 22, 2003 Share Posted February 22, 2003 I am runnign a 76 Caddy 500 in my Jeep. I went with the Performer Intake,260 comp cam and a Carb Shop Q jet. The motor is pretty sweet. Lots of bottom end and mid range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted February 22, 2003 Share Posted February 22, 2003 Don't know if this got mentioned already or not, but there's a fellow in the Los Angeles area who did the Caddy 500 swap about 5-10 years ago. He showed his car every year at the Motorsport show in Orange County. I believe he's the same guy who recently set the top-speed record with a sorta-stock 2+2 Z at Bonneville. Anyway, back around 1998 I had a conversation with him. He claimed a 50/50 weight distribution, with aluminum intake but stock heads (if I recall correctly; also, I think he used a GM corporate TH-400, or maybe 700R4) and stock firewall location. The distributor location makes engine setback easier. He may have had a custom sump. I have a photo of his car (but nowhere to post it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tht1KSguy Posted February 22, 2003 Share Posted February 22, 2003 Well well... Lucky for us the wonderful world of HybrdZ has space to host photos now. Just go to the main page and look for the button, go from there. I'd love to see the Caddy engine under the hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tht1KSguy Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 Update!!! As usual things are progressing slowly. I've had to spend most of the last couple months in Chicago for work, I can't believe it's June. Kinda puts a damper on working on the Z. Anyway, this last weekend I bought a complete '76 caddy for $200. 90k miles it runs but the tranny is not working (TH-400) which i won't be using anyway. Next on the list i'm looking for a LS1 style T-56 that'll bolt up to Mcleod's new modular blowproof bellhousing. Luckily being held up for awhile has helped me there. It should be released in the next month or so. I was kinda worried about the cast bellhousing from Weir... So this will make the swap easier to have the whole car. Not even sure I'll tear into the engine at this point. I get "while i'm at it" syndrome bad. Might just swap intakes and add the headers and play with it like that for a bit depending on how quickly the rest of the car goes together. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z ya Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 Dont forget to get the crank drilled for a pilot bearing since no caddy ever was offered with a stick shift! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tht1KSguy Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 Yeah I'll have to look for it but a guy put a caddy into a 70ish monte carlo w/ a 4spd. He had this design that you could just use a drill and then insert his machined bushing for the input shaft. Looked pretty nifty without having to take the crank out. I'll explore that possibility before pulling the engine apart to have the crank drilled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay1970Z Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 I love your project, I need to get my hands on a Caddy 500. I really have no use for it right now, but it couldn't hurt to have one around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zfan Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 TORQUE MONSTER Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trickz Posted June 13, 2003 Share Posted June 13, 2003 I've been working on a Cad 500 swap (nicknamed "SpeedZ"). It should be really sweet. I've been running a big caddy in my 79 El Camino for many years. It runs great with the turbo 400 and 229 rear. Great burnouts and passing gear at 110. You know, the bb cad is lighter than the bb chev. It also has much more stable cylinder walls (more nickle). I have recently updated my El Camino to a comp 268 cam, but it's still sitting in the basement. Be sure and get rid of the manifold, cause it's a boat anchor. Elderbrock is the way to go. A good machinist can help you with spring pressures and valves. The big caddy guys will cost you big money, but this baby will give you maximum torque in your pants!!! Please email me if you need any help. John/trickz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy 77zt Posted June 14, 2003 Share Posted June 14, 2003 500 cad build up article in july 2000 issue of hot rod.i like torque-i have a turbo car but my next motor will have lots of cubes and turn slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToplessZ Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 How hard do you guys think it would be to fab motor mounts for something like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trickz Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 this will be easy!Trial fit your motor and tranny. Allow for 1/2" to 3/4" gap at the bellhousing transmission tunnel. Next remove the Datsun motor mount stanchons; make a crossmember with stanchons to support the caddy motor mounts. then use angle iron to rest it on the frame rails. drill mounting holes through the angle iron and the frame weld nuts on the bottom of the frame. Remember to put the motor as low and far back as you can, and level the carburetor mounting surface. You should be able to fabricate a simple tranny mount and a short drive shaft. Now you'll have a torque monster on the street. John/trickz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest drahgonking Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 I do not mean to be a wet blanket but I have done this swap that is why I am known as zeecad500@yahoo.com some info on this subject: the 500 caddy with stock factory cam and non flowing exhaust and 10 to 1 comp puts out 400 horses and 550 ft lbs of torque all below five thousand rpms. This means they do not make a datsun /nissan rearend that can handle the caddy. the 9 inch ford rear end works fine also, but if you do not tie the subframes together and install a full roll cage which ties the front frame rails together, and put a brace across the strut towers, you will have a Datsun Z car that the left front wheel has a permanent 2 to 4 inch gap between the left front tire and the ground. Can we say twist the frame like a wet rag???? You also get a shattered windshield because of the warping of the uni body and you will find that neither of your doors will open. And if you do not install at least an 8 inch rear end, preferably a nine inch rearend, you will have to pick the Nissan rearend up with a dust buster. Also, the caddy engine weighs only 45 pounds more than a small block chevy and because of its shape, fits in the chasis with better steering clearance and exhaust clearance, than a chevy. Get exhaust headers from Sanderson Headers, they are spendy, but are ceramic coated and fit real nice. You have to modify the trans tunnel and floorpans and the trans mount to fit what I consider the best tranny, the 400 turbo. But my newest project, I will adapt a 700 R4 to the 500 Caddy. And I am looking at ways to use a third member with adapters to the driveshaft so I can keep the fully independent rearend instead of using a solid 9 inch like last time. I'm not saying you can't use a stock rearend, or the large 280ZX rearend the R200, but if you hammer it and it catches traction...you will need the dustbuster to pick up your rearend. I hope I have helped somebody here without hurting anybody's feelings, but I have been working with caddy's for years and put them in a variety of things. Hope I was of some help. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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