1984 Chevrolet C10 LWB - 507" Cadillac

[CanadianC10]

Hey guys, new to Bangshift.

From Nova Scotia, Canada.

My project is a 1984 Chevrolet C10 Long wheel base, with a Cadillac 507"

Little bit on the truck:

Had it since I was 16, paid 500 dollars for a cab and frame, along with a burnt out th350 tranny. Cab was rotten and tranny was burnt up ( didn't know much just wanted a square body )
picked at it here and there, stripped it down, wire brushed the frame and painted it with tremclad. put new shocks on, put a donor cab on and swapped in a 305 along with a 4 speed Muncie.
drove it around the field for a few years..

then I did some reading on Cadillacs, grand father had many throughout his mid life crisis so there was many left around the fields, ranging for 56's to 76's. After learning the 68-76's had 472/500 cubic inches, that was all a 17 year old needed to hear. I WANT ONE.

After learning all the engines in the cars we had were froze.. I bought a 68 Cadillac with a 472 and TH400.

swapped that in along with a cam, springs and a rebuild kit. had some fun with that until it broke 2 connecting rods.
truck ran a best of 14.6 at 90mph with a 2.80 60'.

over the previous winter I began building a new motor. pulled a 500 from a 72 eldo, and that was my base. began porting heads and intake manifold, cutting the spring bosses for larger dual springs. Have about 60 to 80 hours in the heads, including spring seat machining and seal boss cutting.

So here's whats done to the motor:

500" .30 Over = 507"
Forged Probe Pistons
6.75 Eagle Rods
Stock Crank .10/.10
Balanced Rotating Assembly
Stock 68 Heads - 2.15 Intake/1.75 Exhaust
Comp 930 Dual Springs
Howards Solid : 260@50 -- .642 at valve Single Pattern.
Howards EDM lifters.
MTS Adjustable Shaft Rocker Assembly.
Holley 4781-2 850

Done to the Truck:

TH400 with Transgo Shift Kit
1500 stall shit converter
4.10 8 1/2 Ten Bolt
MSD 6AL2 Programmable
B/M Megashifter
Holley Blue

Truck weighs in at 4300 Pounds

Best 1/4 : 12.59 @ 108.44 Mph - 1.947 60' shifting at 6000rpm
on its second day of running. lots of tunning yet.

STOCK MANIFOLDS LOL

projects for this winter:

4000 Stall Coan Converter
Cal Trac Bars
90/10 front Shocks
standard steering
standard brakes
electric water pump
body work
headers 1 7/8

Here is a video of me racing my buddy in his 383 Buick Regal
http://youtube.com./watch?v=Iw5AZuM5Co4

truck was slower, running straight pump less timing.

looking forward to some input on what you guys have done to make things lighter and faster.

[DanStokes]

Excellent project! Sounds like you're having fun. I'd get busy harvesting Grampa's old Caddy engines. You can pound them apart and have them bored just like you did with the 500.

Dan

[nesabo]

Cool! Cannot wait to see more pics. We like pictures here in BS.

[yellomalibu]

Cool project.

Is that a hydraboost power brake? I like that. To work right, manual brakes will require lots of changes beside just changing out the master cylinder - so if that's your plan, do your homework. Line size, caliper piston diameter, and wheel cylinder diameter MAY be different than what you currently have. Lots of work for minimal gains in ET.

In the search for more speed, less weight, less parasitic drag on my Chevelle, I got rid of the power steering and installed a manual steering box. It did cut some weight, but didn't seem to make me go any faster. It seems that power steering doesn't put much drag on the engine if you're not turning the steering wheel. On a street/ strip car, I like power steering.

When you put a 4000 rpm converter in that truck, assuming it hooks, you will likely find some weaker links in your drivetrain. Axles, driveshaft, differential... It may be cheaper to find a donor Dana 60 than it would be to bullet-proof the 8.5" 10 bolt.

[68scott385]

pics

hole saw

boost or nitrous


in that order

[CanadianC10]

Trying to post some pictures, but it the site will not let me reply on my computer. It is a hydro boost unit, the only problem is I cannot remove my valve cover without removing the m/c & booster first, which becomes a pain when you want to keep an eye on valve lash. As for power steering I just want to clean things up, one less thing to leak and belt to fly off (v belt). It is a street vehicle, but it's definitely more performance oriented. The 4000 converter will definitely break something, drive shaft I'm safe, it's a aftermarket 3 inch steel unit from a truck parts dealer. 28 spline axles will break, I have a 12 bolt out of an 81 to do me this year, just need 4.30 gears and a spool.

[yellomalibu]

Trying to post some pictures, but it the site will not let me reply on my computer. It is a hydro boost unit, the only problem is I cannot remove my valve cover without removing the m/c & booster first, which becomes a pain when you want to keep an eye on valve lash. As for power steering I just want to clean things up, one less thing to leak and belt to fly off (v belt). It is a street vehicle, but it's definitely more performance oriented. The 4000 converter will definitely break something, drive shaft I'm safe, it's a aftermarket 3 inch steel unit from a truck parts dealer. 28 spline axles will break, I have a 12 bolt out of an 81 to do me this year, just need 4.30 gears and a spool.

The truck 12 bolts aren't as strong as the 8.5" 10 bolts. The pinion gear diameter is smaller/ weaker. Since spool is your goal, just stick with the 10 bolt, order larger axles, and install a girdle to help prevent deflection of the posi/ spool. Another way to add strength is to use a solid collar rather than a crush collar on the pinion gear. They take a good bit longer to get set just right, but they trick the pinion gear into thinking it's a larger diameter which also helps to reduce deflection. When the gears deflect, the teeth aren't fully meshed into each other - when that happens, it's more likely to rip the teeth off the gears.

[nesabo]

I think you need 5 posts or so before you can post pics.

[CanadianC10]

I think it would be a waste to order big spline axles on a 8 1/2, I would much rather order custom length axles for a 9 inch and go right to it, I was looking at 62 olds rear end, strong and have same lug pattern. Or use the kits to swap the car gears in to the 12 bolt, easier to find performance parts for I'm sure. Although I know a few guys running truck pinion and haven't encountered problems. But I have takin a rear apart and found a twisted pinion.. It will on depend on the money situation towards the spring

[Beagle]

If you have a photobucket account, you can copy and paste the pictures to here pretty easily.

I think Chad and David Freiburger took a 9" out of a F150 and put it under the Muscle Truck, can't remember what it took. A big Lincoln 9" might be worth looking at, they already have the same bolt circle as a C series Chevy (5x5)

[STINEY]

Nice! Glad to have yet one more Cadillac 500 nut on board.

Those are neat valve covers..............any idea what they are? They strongly resemble mine except for the fins....

[CanadianC10]

They are cast aluminum covers from mts, they had some flashing on them so I got a screaming deal, maybe 180$

[Deaf Bob]

Yellowmalibu hit the nail squarely on the head concerning 12 bolt versus 10.5! All we run is 28 spline axles with a spool in our derby rears... 28's because we have spares.. When you have the covers off the rears, the size differences become obvious that the 10.5 is beefier.. You can get gears way into the high 5's lfor 10.5's ..

If it were me, I'd build a 10.5 with larger axles and a spool.. Weld the tubes to the center .. If you want several carriers for different ratios then go to the 9 inch.. Stock Caddy rears DO NOT have gears other than what is stock, but they do have large axles, but they are long/short

[STINEY]

They are cast aluminum covers from mts, they had some flashing on them so I got a screaming deal, maybe 180$

That explains it then. I believe mine came from TorqueInc based in Ashland Ohio..........who is the other 1/2 of MTS, before MTS and TorqueInc merged forces. I'll bet Marty Lane had the fins added for a bit more selling power.

Can't wait to see more. 6000 rpm is getting up there for the 500, sounds like you have a good combo going.

(most of us here host our pictures on an external site and link to them. Click on the big "A" to the upper right of the reply box, then find the "image" tab by hovering over it - it is to the left of the piece of film" - then copy/paste the URL from the external site. Hope this helps, we love pictures!)

[CanadianC10]

It will not let me reply to a post on my computer.. That is where all my photos are