Stovebolt.com Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Sad Story

Well, I don't really have a question. A counseling session maybe.... I've pretty much finished a frame off and now my 1950 sits with an empty engine bay. It came with a 390 Cadillac engine that my grandfather had originally installed in the late 60's. For nostalgic purposes I really wanted to keep the Cadillac motor but man I have had a real hard time finding reliable machine shops and parts are really getting hard to find with these early Cadillac motors. The motor had two cracked heads so I spent a long time trying locate those, finally got the motor installed and running but I'm still getting exhaust gasses into the radiator so now I'm wondering if the block may actually have a crack. The first machine shop said the block was good but he is out of business now..... so.... I've sunk a lot of money into this caddy motor but I'm really starting to think of just going with a belly button motor and going on my merry way..... Anyone in the southern California area that knows a builder that specializes in old caddy motors? I've googled and googled and haven't come up with much....

You need to go talk to the guys at the CLC forum. It's the Cadillac and LaSalle Club of America. They help Cadillac people like Stovebolt helps Chevy truck people.

Which 390 is it? Is it the "good" one with the 331/365/390 geometry? Or is it the pre 429 version?

https://www.cadillaclasalleclub.org/page/forum

The guys on the Modified Cadillac forum might be able to help as well. The Modified chapter is a part of the CLC.

http://www.modifiedcadillac.org/

There is also a performance shop called MTS that builds vintage Cadillac engines.

It’s the good the one, 1960. I have been on that site, it’s how I located my heads. Their best guess was a cracked block.

Rats!

Maybe you'll be able to find another 390.

Salvage all accessories and parts from motor and sell them on Ebay or to that forum. Throw the rest away and install a SBC or BBC. Stuck with this predicament in 2023, your Grand Father would do the same. You have given a gallant try. Time to get it on the road. Stay away from Buick, Pontiac, Cad, Olds old motors. No parts. Too heavy. Too hybrid. Chevy Chevy Chevy. After about 1962, Every trans fits every motor. More HiPo available.
Stop fighting this. Turn sad to happy.

Ha! You’re probably right. Was just hoping to do something a bit different. I’m kind of a “send good money after bad” kind of guy….

Check your PM's.
Jerry

Look at it as a challange which is part of the fun. If you are so inclined, take the motor apart. Should not take you more then half a day. Take photos and keep the parts organized. Get it down to a bare block. Get the block to a reasonably decent machine shop, tell them what is going on and have them throughly mag the block. If the block is painted, they may want to shot clean it just to get the paint off and do a through job of magging it. If it passes mag, and it might, have them check the decks and make sure they are flat. If not, have them cut a bit and put the motor back together.

A caddy motor of all things. How cool!

Ya, and a '60 390 is rated at 325 hp. It'll launch a 5000 lb Cadillac without breaking a sweat. It should make a lightweight '50 Chevy truck fly!

I assume its hooked up to the the Hydramatic?

X2.

A Caddy motor in an old truck, that was modded that way 60 years ago by your grandfather….is a novelty worth recreating.

It will be the opposite of convenient or easy. But the result will be worth the pain, IMO.