An yone know of a Hudson/Caddy 500 combo?

[Deleted User]

I'm looking to see if anyone has done it yet and what transmission they used...TH400 or is that to big to fit? I'm going thie Caddy 500 route with my Super-Six this winter. Doing my research now.



Herb in PA

Unknown

I have used the Ford 460 and there are quite a few using the Chevrolet big blocks in Hudsons. The Cad mill is similar dimentionally, may be even smaller. There should be no problem using the TH400. I don't know what year you're working with but the Hydramatic in Hudsons from '51 on is dimentionally bigger than the TH400 I believe. The C6 Ford transmission worked fine once a transmission crossmember was fabricated and I know that it is bigger than the TH400. Hope this helps, good luck with your project!

rambos_ride

ndustrl wrote:

I'm looking to see if anyone has done it yet and what transmission they used...TH400 or is that to big to fit? I'm going thie Caddy 500 route with my Super-Six this winter. Doing my research now.

Herb in PA

Hello,

The problem won't be fitting the TH400 in - it's getting the clearances for the motor that take the time to work out. Especially if you are trying to retain the original steering and suspension.

Note the great looking car Bill had on that link is using a Nova subframe.

I'm using a GM454/TH400 combo in my 49 and with only a couple of mods I was able to get it to fit with the stock subframe, steering and suspension.

Depending on what your goals are if the Caddy engine has similar (but not larger) dimensions as a 454 you should be able to take my example and make it work.

Tons of pictures to look at on www.49C8.com look for links...

Custom How To -> 454 Exhaust
Restoration -> Chassis
Restoration -> Steering

[Deleted User]

Herb, are you building a stepdown? If so, I think as Dan said, you'll have to watch that cross steering set-up. When Dany Spring and I pulled the engine/tranny out of my Pace, we had to remove the floor tunnel, gas pedal, and even then it was a tight fit getting the oil pan and tranny to clear the center steering pin area. Scraped everything on the way out. Didn't bug me though since I'm using a 4L60e and will have to build a new tranny tunnel anyway.

Have you decided whether you're going to use the stock suspension yet? Sounds like a fun project. I almost bought a '50 Pacemaker with a Caddy 500 on Nova subframe from eBay last year, but didn't make the bids. Its okay, as I like my set-up now, if I can ever get it finished! :-)

Post some pics!

Jay

[Deleted User]

Here's some pictures of a stepdown that Bill Albright has (or had) that has a Caddy engine/trans in it. Too bad it is on the other side of the U.S. from you -

http://www.classiccar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5317&highlight=Pictures

Thanks! The only problem is there's no pictures of the motor and it's using the 429 which is really a completely different beast then the 500. a 500 dosn't swap into a 429 Caddy well so I doubt if there were even pics that I couldn't use them for reference.



Thanks anyway.

[Deleted User]

backtohudsons wrote:

I have used the Ford 460 and there are quite a few using the Chevrolet big blocks in Hudsons. The Cad mill is similar dimentionally, may be even smaller. There should be no problem using the TH400. I don't know what year you're working with but the Hydramatic in Hudsons from '51 on is dimentionally bigger than the TH400 I believe. The C6 Ford transmission worked fine once a transmission crossmember was fabricated and I know that it is bigger than the TH400. Hope this helps, good luck with your project!

Thanks,



I was told the TH400 was huge compared to the 51 trans I have now..."the Hudson trans is the size of a fist, the TH400 will never fit in a Hudson"... so I am glad to hear that wasn't a correct statement. I'm putting this Cad 500 in a 1951 Super-Six. I am also considering a 460/C6 if the Cad won't work, so I hope I can get some advice and direction from you if I go that route. I'm a Caddy and Ford fan almost as much as I am a Hudson fan :-)



Thanks again!



Herb in PA

[Deleted User]

rambos_ride wrote:

Hello,



The problem won't be fitting the TH400 in - it's getting the clearances for the motor that take the time to work out. Especially if you are trying to retain the original steering and suspension.



Note the great looking car Bill had on that link is using a Nova subframe.



I'm using a GM454/TH400 combo in my 49 and with only a couple of mods I was able to get it to fit with the stock subframe, steering and suspension.



Depending on what your goals are if the Caddy engine has similar (but not larger) dimensions as a 454 you should be able to take my example and make it work.





I want to keep the current suspension and steering rack, but a fatman front stub and air ride equipment are in the "I'm pinching pennies" stage right now to get enough money for a major suspension upgrade down the road.



I do believe the Cad 500 is smaller then the 454, I know it's a good bit lighter somehow. If I didn't know what I do about tuning and building a big Cad 500 to 500 HP 600 TQ (that still runs on pump gas) on a budget I'd be looking at Ford or Chevy Big Blocks for my swap.



Your info will be very helpful THANKS!!!

[Deleted User]

I loved that Caddy 500. When I was in High School, I drove an old '71 Caddy Hearse to haul high school kids to and from marching band practice. Once had 21 people in it, 16 in the back, 5 in the front (3 to the right of me and a skinny chick to the left of me) I could never get more than 5 mpg with that big of a load, but it had tons of power.

Unknown

The Cad 500 is a great motor with plenty of torque. Torque is what is needed to get a heavy car moving anyway. There's nothing wrong with the Chev 454 but it's a "cookie cutter" solution. Don't count out the 455 Buick, Olds and Pontiac engines for something a little different either.



The Ford 460 has a couple of things to be mentioned. I used the stock Hudson suspension and steering geometry. You will have to use a rear sump pan and dip stick from a 4X4 truck and the pan will still need modification for steering clearance. Not a really big issue but a little fabrication... One of the big plusses to the Ford is that the distributor is up front on the engine so you don't have firewall clearance issues. I know, the newest motors use sequential coils with no distributor but there are plenty of the older engines out there for reasonable prices. The C6 transmission is virtually indestructible so you won't have any issues there.

TwinH

Wasn't there a 500 Caddy/Hudson on Ebay a while back? If not here then maybe at

www.Cadillacpower.com forum. Neat choice, I've got a 65 Impala wagon with a 72 500"

Cad mill. Apparently repowered by previous owner in 1974 to pull RV's/boats. Presently

being rebuilt for that 500hp,600 ft.lb. combo and a GV overdrive on the back of the

Thm 400 trans. I vote Cad power...

50C8DAN

I am not a big fan of transplants, but if I were to re-engine a Hudson stepdown it would be with either a Cad 500 or Buick 455, seems like Hudson would have opted for some sort of major torque monster V8 if they had done it.

Unknown

ndustrl wrote:

I'm looking to see if anyone has done it yet and what transmission they used...TH400 or is that to big to fit? I'm going thie Caddy 500 route with my Super-Six this winter. Doing my research now.



Herb in PA

Running a olds 455 in my 49 2 door super six. Valore front end and rear end. Had to make new floor pans in the front to get the tranny to fit also had to cut away the original tranny cross member and put in a new one for the old tranny. No pics yet on this. I think i may have a few or will have to wait untill laster this summer early fall after its off the rotisorie? (spell check). It will work may have to make a new tranny hump floor board but they will fit.

Park_W

Just to show this sort of thing has been going on for a while, here's a pic of the '53 Caddy (331) we put in a friend's '51 Hornet ... in 1955! Note how nice it was for the right exhaust manifold to "tuck in" right where the firewall-to-frame brace is. The engine really looked like it was made to fit in there!

Unknown

50C8DAN wrote:

I am not a big fan of transplants, but if I were to re-engine a Hudson stepdown it would be with either a Cad 500 or Buick 455, seems like Hudson would have opted for some sort of major torque monster V8 if they had done it.

Better hope your ticker holds out. Or were you talking about engine transplants? :rolleyes

Unknown

I've got a 500 ci caddy sitting in my garage now with a TH400 bolted to it that will go into my '52 Hornet. I've got so many other projects going on that I don't yet have a schedule to start on it. Also haven't decided on a rear end to use with it. Some day.