Overhauling my hearse soon. advice needed.

[fatboy]

Hi. I have an old hearse that I'm hoping to breath some new life into. I Have an uncle who has some experience in Engine/trans repair that will be helping me with the project (Just as soon as Me and the hearse get to his place).
Here is my hearse's current spec's:

1980 Cadillac Fleetwood, Superior.
Engine:
368 ci. 6.0 liter, 8 cylinder. Quadrajet 4-barrel carb, stock exhaust manifolds.
Transmission: Unknown. The 1980 cadillac dealer's repair manual shows three transmissions for this year: series 400, 325, and 200 C. I'm parked on the street and don't really know how to check which one I have.
Exhaust: single pipe (Unfortunately).

After I get set up at my uncle's place, we plan on pulling and rebuilding the current engine, assuming the block isn't cracked or something catastrophic like that. after that, I'd like to get rid of the manifolds and single exhaust and replace with headers and dual exhaust. I think I'm going to keep the Q-jet carb, I'm sure that after a rebuild, it will be just fine for my needs.

Now, although I'm trying to learn as much as I can, I don't have much experience with car repairs, so I don't know if a lot of this is even possible.

1. Has any one here ever done custom exhaust on an 80's era hearse? Will headers even fit in the engine compartment?
2. Are strait-pipes possable on this chassis?
3. If I need/want to swap the engine, could something bigger be dropped in without much hassle?
4. How many licks DOES it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

Any help is appreciated.

[Boogeyman Con Carne]

The trans is a 400 I'll bet. Mushroom shaped pan?

1. Not me
2. As it sits, not without a LOT of work
3. Probably so
4. Average is around 400 +/- 50

[jlprigmore]

I like tootsie pops! Cept I'm way too impatient after about two licks i just eat the whole thing.

[BIGEVIL]

Hey FB,
Welcome to our sic little group.
Some like to keep thier coaches stock, others love to build to suit (I go way over the top).

1. I doubt there are any header manuf for that engine. But you can have a good cat back (if your local laws require cats) built at any good muffler shop for about $250-300. I have a single 3", sounds and performs fine.

2. A small race muffler will sound great and keep you from getting tickets. http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

3. I don't care what they say, engine swaps are always a pian in the ass. Not for the inexperienced.

4. I just like to watch the hot chicks try to figure it out for me.

[fatboy]

Thanks for the help so far folks, I appreciate it!
As far as the trans pan goes, I don't know. Due to the fact that I'm
1: A lazy bastard,
2: Am currently working 3rd shift (so no sunlight to see with), and
3: I don't care much for laying in the street to crawl under my car and check (To much broken glass and coke-heads around).
I'll know soon enough though, My uncle used to rebuild transmissions at his last job, and has done engine swaps on his own cars in the past, So I'll be relying on his experience A LOT for this project (I'm stoopids).
I know duel exhaust might be overkill, but I use my hearse as a daily-driver a lot, so even without the strait-pipes and headers, I could still use the added performance and better gas mileage that duel exhaust would give me.
Now, I don't expect a hearse to handle like a sports car, and normaly I'm just slow cruising anyway, but there have been times when I could have really used some extra power, like getting up to speed on the highway, or turning onto a busy street.
That, And I have unhealthy daydreams about having a "Sleeper Hearse". Something that looks slow, until I stomp the gas pedal and take off like a chunky bat out of hell. It's a sickness.

Keep the advice come'n folks!

[Boogeyman Con Carne]

If you want the best performance out of dual exhaust, make sure you install a proper crossover between the pipes...

[Morella]

Your transmission should be a 400, unless someone was stupid enough to pussify it with something weaker.

Your engine is a 368, the smallest of the BBC engines. Here's where it gets exciting. The 500, 472 or 425 have the same exterior dimensions, and any one can easily be made to fit in your car. If you are going to overhaul that engine, forget it. Pull a 500 and drop it in. The 400 transmission will handle it stock, no problem, but if you're beefing up your 500 over about 500 horsepower or trailering, you should get some advice from a transmission spec. Get everything with the 500, timing pointer, oil pan, dip stick, etc., and save it all until you're done. BTW, if you find an early 472 lower pulley you don't need, it's worth something to me...maybe not a blow job, but something.

Very few headers will fit this car, but this is complicated. To put a 500 into a later car, you have to either cut the upper A-frame bolt back a little or use the 425 or 368 manifolds (which might cut your flow a little). That is easy to do, but if you want duals, just take it to an exhaust shop, or measure your single pipe diameter, do a little "pie" math, and ask yourself if that's really a valid performance mod for the buck. It will be a small bang for the buck compared to finding a good cam that matches your gears.


-denise

[Morella]

I could still use the added performance and better gas mileage that duel exhaust would give me.

Unfortunately, you have to choose between a hearse and gas mileage. Properly done, a dual system will give you better flow, but I don't know about gas mileage. What most people get out of duals is the sound that they like.

If you're going to start spending money, get all the info you can, because you can buy a part to get something that you're after and end up with the opposite effect.

Never one to take my own advice, I put a Magnum cam, 10.8:1 compression and Edelbrock carb in a New Yorker. The top end is 5000 or better, which is as high as you want to go if you want it to last. There are two problems:

1.) The low end is weak. Most people would try to tune the carb or set the timing, but that's not it. I have a very heavy car with 70's cruising gears. The cam kicks in at about 1800. (BTW, my husband says that cams don't "kick in". Anybody want to debate, or put up video?) I might just put smaller tires on it and live with it. It's kind of fun when a rice boy has been through a couple of gears, and then shift up into second and leave him in my rear view mirror, sucking about two gallons out of the tank.

2.) I cannot get my transmission to shift at anywhere but 3800, which happens to be the top end of the stock engine. I thought that I could adjust the TV rod, but it makes no difference. Because of the gearing, if I want to pass a car very quickly, I shift manually into first gear. I can do it even at 45 mph or more.

[BIGEVIL]

Once again, sound advice from Denise.

If you opt for the 472 or 500, a cam may not be necessary. Good exhaust and intake/carb will make a mountain of power. Getting all the emmission stuff hooked back up may be a pain though.

Here is a link for cheap headers fro a 472 or 500.

http://www.cad500parts.com/catalog/page28.htm

[hearseballer]

Your transmission should be a 400, unless someone was stupid enough to pussify it with something weaker.

Your engine is a 368, the smallest of the BBC engines. Here's where it gets exciting. The 500, 472 or 425 have the same exterior dimensions, and any one can easily be made to fit in your car. If you are going to overhaul that engine, forget it. Pull a 500 and drop it in. The 400 transmission will handle it stock, no problem, but if you're beefing up your 500 over about 500 horsepower or trailering, you should get some advice from a transmission spec. Get everything with the 500, timing pointer, oil pan, dip stick, etc., and save it all until you're done. BTW, if you find an early 472 lower pulley you don't need, it's worth something to me...maybe not a blow job, but something.

Very few headers will fit this car, but this is complicated. To put a 500 into a later car, you have to either cut the upper A-frame bolt back a little or use the 425 or 368 manifolds (which might cut your flow a little). That is easy to do, but if you want duals, just take it to an exhaust shop, or measure your single pipe diameter, do a little "pie" math, and ask yourself if that's really a valid performance mod for the buck. It will be a small bang for the buck compared to finding a good cam that matches your gears.


-denise

that made my day

[fatboy]

Great advice, looks like I've got a lot of options available to me. Considering the usual time, money, and skill restraints that come with a project like this, I didn't think I could get away with all of the modifications I had hoped for, at least not with the current 368 engine. When I get down to Alabama (Where my uncle is) I'll check out the local bone-yards and newspaper listings to see what kind of engines are available. Here's another thought:
What about a new GM 350 Crate engine? I've done some shopping around, And I figure for what it would cost me to pull and rebuild a larger-but-older engine, I could spend a little more and get a complete long-block with all the Misc. parts. And since this engine is popular, there's a plethora of after market bolt-on parts available for it. It may not be as impressive as an old big-block, but it would be easier to upgrade down the road.
I guess it will all hang on what's available and how long it will take to scrape the extra money together for it. (uhg, there's that whole "money" thing again...)

I'd like to avoid swaping cam shafts for the time being, I hear that sort of thing can get complicated, and this is my first time doing anything like this.

Thanks for everything so far, folks.

[BIGEVIL]

What about a new GM 350 Crate engine? I've done some shopping around, And I figure for what it would cost me to pull and rebuild a larger-but-older engine, I could spend a little more and get a complete long-block with all the Misc. parts. And since this engine is popular, there's a plethora of after market bolt-on parts available for it. It may not be as impressive as an old big-block, but it would be easier to upgrade down the road.

Thats exactly what I did (except a 383 stroker). It was a pain in the ass. I have to say if I had it to do all over again, I probably would have stayed Caddy.