Cadillac 500 picture

[lux hauler]

Here's the motor (and trans)as it is now. I just pulled it from the Eldorado.
It'll be going to the machine shop soon for a rebuild. The only mods will be a mild cam, intake and carb.

[Vern]

Cool Personally I think it is one of if not the best platform from which to build a gas motor for a truck. What year Eldo is it from and do you plan to do any pulling with it?

PS I am from Dayton what part of Ohio are you in?

[lux hauler]

I'm in the Lorain/Elyria area........about 40 miles west of Cleveland.
The motor is from a '72 Eldorado covertible. I got the car from a local auction house. It was never taken care of the way it should have been which is too bad. At one time, it was a really nice car. It just needed too much work. If it wouldn't have needed so much work, I would have restored it.
I don't plan to do any towing with the truck. It's going to be a weekend cruiser with a trip to the drag strip every now and then.

[Vern]

Just finished rebuilding mine. Mine is going in an 88 Cutlass that will be a 442 cloan. Its also a weekend driver that will see a little test & tune action at the strip. The 72 is good it has the 76cc heads. I went .40 over to use the less expensive 10-1 cast pistons. I also did & would recommend a basic inexpensive street/strip port job since you will have the heads off. I sent them off to a guy that knows the big Cads. Bigger valves is also worth alot on a big cube motor but will run you an extra $200. For the carb I had my stock Q-jet sent to the Carb Shop to have an overhall and have it set up for my vehicle. Inexpensive and ideal for a streeter. FWIW I believe MTS has headers for your truck. If you have the stock exhaust manifolds they often crack so look for a hairline crack before you reinstall them. If you want to keep the manifolds but would like them ported Greg Gessler on the v8buick board does good work. Ok I will stop blathering good luck. PS You are going to like that motor.

[lux hauler]

Your project sounds like fun. The 442's are nice looking cars.
Thanks for the info on the motor. I might have the heads ported and larger valves put in if I can find a machine shop around here that knows the motor.
Keep us posted on the progress of your car. I'd like to know how it runs.

[lux hauler]

I got the motor and trans separated last night. Now I just have to wait for the funds to have the 500 and trans re-built.
I hope to have it running by the middle of summer
I'll have some more pics in a few days........I'll also post some pics of the truck that the motor's going into.

[Scrapyard]

Nice project Lux Hauler. Maybe I should do a 500 swap in my car?! I don't know. Probably be cheaper then rebuilding the LT1.

[Vern]

Shaun A well built 500 might move that large & in charge ride of yours around like that LT1 on the nos. But what you would save in nos bottles you would forfeit at the gas pump.

[lux hauler]

It would be a whole lot easier to upgrade the LT1 than it would be to retro fit one of the older big blocks........but you know what they say, "there's no replacement for displacement".
But really, with all the computer stuff that's on the newer cars, I don't think I'd want to try it...but that's just me.
Most people swap these motors into cars because they're big, powerful and for the most part, inexpensive.
Vern's right, your gas mileage would go down the tubes.
It would be kinda cool though

[Scrapyard]

Honestly, I'm getting real sick of this computer controlled, Gov't mandaded garbage. I sold most of my N20 system. I didn't use it that much. And all this electrical crap keeps breaking. Gota love GM electronics . I love the car, but it's getting too exspensive to fix all this stuff. And my gas milage isn't all that great really. On the freeway it's great but around town 10mpg is a good day. I got a couple motorcycles so it kinda evens out .My buddy had a 73 Eldo conv't. now that was a fun car to roll around in. There's something about the big 500cid that screams, "You've just been Humiliated by 2 1/2 tons of American pride!" . I think it's time to get back to basics Anyone got a decent 59, 60 or 70 coupe DeVille they want to trade?