1954 Fleetwood

[Cogs]

I just picked up this 54 to do some custom stuff with. My 57 was a little too nice to modify so I figured I can do whatever I want with this car and it wont bother me. So far the plan is to put in a 390 with 700R4 transmission and as far as what I'm going to do with the body. I have a lot of plans, but we'll see how that goes.


The other 54 Fleetwood is my roommate's car.

There was a 59 390 with a 59 transmission already in the car when I got it.

But that got pulled out to clean everything up.


This is the rebuilt 1961 390 that will be going back in.

A little bit of the chrome has already been removed and filled in

Used to look like this

[Carnut]

I like '50s cars. This ought to be a nice cruiser. Are you going to put the oem trim back on?

[The Tassie Devil (Bruce Reynolds)]

I don't think he is because he has filled in the attachment holes.

Bruce.

[Cogs]

Some trim is going back on. The trim from the front of the car to the door is staying, the rocker trim will probably stay and the trim around the windows will stay.

[Gary]

Neat project.
Keep the pics coming.
Have you already mated the 390 to the 700R4?

Gary

[Cogs]

I originally had the 700r4 hooked up to a 365 in a '57 Coupe de Ville with a wilcap adapter. It worked really well.

[EZ]

I like the early 50's  Cadillacs.  How about more info on putting the 700R4 behind a Cadillac motor?  Would one fit behind the 429?

[Cogs]

I don't really know about the 429s. I'm using a Wilcap transmission adapter to bolt them together there should be pictures up within the next couple of weeks.

[Gary]

EZ
you did know about this article concerning a 700R4 and a 390, right?
http://www.modifiedcadillac.org/articles/Cadillac_700R4/Cadillac700R4.html

Gary

[olds34dude]

hello, I have a 700 behind the 429 in my 37 caddy, it was just a matter of a (less than) $100 adapter for that motor. I,ve done the same with oldsmobile motors and paid $80 for the adapter. d. varney

[Gary]

D Varney
where did you find the cheap adapters?

Gary

[EZ]

EZ
you did know about this article concerning a 700R4 and a 390, right?
http://www.modifiedcadillac.org/articles/Cadillac_700R4/Cadillac700R4.html

Gary

Nope.  I didn't.  Thanks for the link!

[olds34dude]

hello again, to answer Gary, the adapter for my Olds motor cam from the same place as the 700, 4th gear overdrive is the name of the shop and I believe that it's in Apopka, FL.  Of course that was a couple of three or four years gone by. The  one on the 429 was on it when I got it but iremember talkig to the previous owner about it a couple of years  before we traded cars and he had told me he'd paid less than a hundredfor it.  From what I understand ther is a big difference between whats needed for 390 conversion- I think because of the starter location? and I hear that gets pretty pricey. Unless you're going to put on an awful lot of miles you'll probably not recoup the cost in fuel savings ,and if you have a nice highway gear and a 400 trans you should do ok.  On a recent 250 mile trip in my '37 I only got a little under 15mpg so I wasn't real impressed but it has a 3:73 gear- my 49 Olds that I sold a few years back had a 350 Olds motor, 400 trans and 2:56 gear and delivered 18mpg on the highway at 70 with the a/c on. anyway thats about all I can tell you but the next time I speak to my friend who had the car before I'lll ask where he got it. D Varney

[Geoff]

4th Gear Transmissions are the same people that built up the 700R4 in Big Red.  I can recommend them.
Geoff

http://www.fourthgearinc.com/