I'd like to put a 500cid Cadillac V8 in my 77 Camaro. I have one that I'm going to go look at tomorrow. It has a transmission with it.
I have been told that a swap will include a 4 core radiator, moving the transmission crossmember farther back, shortening or buying a shorter drive shaft, and fabricating new motor mounts.
Has anyone else here done this and is there anything else that I would need to do to fit this motor in the Camaro?
If anyone has done this and they have pictures of the motor mounts they made I wouldn't mind seeing pictures of them so I have an idea of what I should make.
Thanks for any help.

 

Why? A 500 Cadillac is a popular engine for old rodders, but not a good choice for a Camaro. A 454 would be as powerful and not cost you an arm and a leg to build up, or rebuild. Checked Caddy performance parts lately? Even an intake is twice as much as a big block Chevy.

 

LOL Yeah my Caddie power Camaro is in the garage next to my turbo Buick Chevette.

 

No technical advice here, but I remember a friend back in the 80's put one in a chevelle, after a gear change or two it was a pretty fast car.

 

Years ago my mom had a 71 Eldorado with the 500. That big tank was a fast car, and surprised a few people at the stop light, while smoking the front tires! Make sure you find out what car that 500 came out of. If it's from an Eldo, then the trans is a front wheel drive, and you'll need to find a different one. All the other models were rear wheel drive. But still, if you want a big engine, you'd be better off with a Chevy BB as suggested. Both for less hassle to install, and better parts availability/cost.

 

I think Hot Rod mag did a 472 in an El Camino. I wanted to do a big Caddy swap in my `80 just for the dumbfounded look on people's faces once I open the hood. With real performance parts out there for those engines, what the hell go for it.

 

Props for the old school style but If you are doing this on a tight budget you want to make sure you have a plan for the exhaust. Camaro headers are very tight and unforgiving, if you want headers they will need custom made. If you stick with the stock manifolds forget about any type of high RPMs but you still going to need some custom pipe bending. The fabrication will cost more then the mount and cross member mods unless your doing it all.

After you get your driveshaft made up (your not going to find one) your going to have to fix your driveline angles. The angle between the transmission and the driver shaft needs to equal the angle between the rear and the driveshaft. Since you are "repositioning" the engine and using a longer trans this will need addressed or the car will shake and eat Ujoints. Just search google for Drive line angles.

As said above way easyer to install a BB but let us know if we can help with anything else.

 

There is a guy here who stuffed a 500 in a early 90's Caviler. Bone stock it goes 12's. Looks a little odd with an axle out back and jacked up too. I give him props for his skill and he said well, its all I had.

 

Even if the 500 Caddy is free, it will still cost so much more to install it in a Camaro that you could buy a stock 454 for the same money. If you get into doing performance upgrades it will break the bank quickly!
BBC headers are dirt cheap, but Caddy headers are pendy, even in a Cadillac car/engine install. Start getting into engine swap custom headers and the pieces to build them will run as much as a set of high end BBC headers, plus labor to weld them on top!
Intakes for a Cadillac will run about the same as any other make, but you'll have maybe two choices at best. Cams, performance pistons, and anything internal will cost many times more than a Chevy.
Considering the cool factor when you open the hood and see a BBC, vs. a BB Caddy, I'd not think it's worth the extra money.

 

Most people at shows won't know the difference. I could have a Hemi and people wouldn't know!