New to Cadillacs? Things you should know:

In our experience, the most vital performance modifications are a good camshaft and the correct size valves. The head work will, in effect, amplify the effect of most other upgrades.

The Cadillac 472/500/425/368 firing order is not the same as most other engines. #1 is on the passenger side, and #4 (2nd cylinder on the driver’s side) is the companion.

There are at least 6 different timing pointers, with 6 different ‘0’ locations.
When in doubt, or if changing pulleys, find true TDC and check/ change the marks on the pulley.
For details on this procedure, see this article – Ignition Timing PDF.

Cad Company’s Universal Motor Mount Kit works in 95% of side-mount applications, and can be used to install the Cad motors into just about anything, with no welding required in most cases! Our transmission adapter kits will let you bolt up a Chevrolet trans to the Cadillac block. We stock steel billet flywheels and Oilite pilot bushings, so there’s no problem in that area, either. We also offer a rear sump 7 quart oil pan that works almost anywhere, and is worth substantial power over the restrictive factory rear sump pan.

When spending your hard earned dollars, good information is invaluable. Bad information can kill a project. Be careful who you listen to, and consider the following:

While computer simulations are not perfect, they are rarely even close on Cads

When the books, simulations, and ‘THEY’ all say something different, remember that years of experience and data from street, race, and dyno proven (or failed) combos beats guess work and rumors.

Yes, we’ve tried many things over the last 30 years, both on the dyno and at the track, that didn’t work…

There are many ways of doing things. We can’t test every possibility, but we use what we KNOW works.

The Dyno says: A stock 10:1 (76cc head) 500 makes 323 HP

The Dyno says: A stock 8:1 (120cc head) 500 makes 302 HP

The Dyno says: A serious, professionally prepped, bracket style stroker can make well over 800 HP without a power adder, through ported iron heads.

Always keep in mind while planning your project that the Caddy is a very unique engine in the performance world. Things you expect to have to do on a mild performance engine to make it work are not always necessary, even on a serious bracket engine.

Cadillacs build torque first. High RPMs to get big mathematical HP numbers are not necessarily required to make your car as fast as it can be within your limitations of suspension and traction. Especially on street tires.

Building a race car? We’ve got you covered there, too. Though some of the rules are different than those mentioned above, big power is yours for the taking – without as much exotic, high-dollar stuff as most engine families require. Properly built, the 472 / 500 Cadillac engine family is one of the fastest production engines, ever.