Weird distributor?? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Purs · 02-03-2003, 12:13 AM

Can someone tell me what this is? It was in a '72 my dad is wanting to buy but I've never seen this before. The glove box says it has a 350 V8. Can someone help?

Purs · 02-03-2003, 12:15 AM

closeup

mikep · 02-03-2003, 12:20 AM

Well I'm sure the truck HAD a 350 at one time. Looks like theres something way different in there now. Maybe one of the Cadillac guys on the board would know. It looks like a caddy engine. Maybe a 472 or a 500. I dont know how to tell the difference. Got to be a torque monster.

GMC Jim · 02-03-2003, 12:38 AM

you might want to get some numbers fromm the engine... casting numbers etc.... would be interesting to find out just what this engine is .....

*racedvl* · 02-03-2003, 12:41 AM

It could be a pont. engine as well. . .

sgtjed · 02-03-2003, 12:46 AM

pontiac or buick engine,looks like to me.

mikep · 02-03-2003, 12:53 AM

When did pontiac start putting their distributors in front. I have vague recolections of the 3 pontiacs I have owned all having distributors in the rear and sunk down fairly low .

Thats a Cadillac

crazy longhorn · 02-03-2003, 12:59 AM

its Cad, or Buick.....need a better shot of the valve covers...crazyL

mikep · 02-03-2003, 01:05 AM

Buick distributors are centered more and a lot lower,

Didnt your dads take you to junkyards when you were kids?

Heres a buick

On second thought it might actually be a buick. Hard to tell from that picture of the truck . damned hoses all over the place. What do all those hoses do?

crazy longhorn · 02-03-2003, 01:16 AM

Buick dist 's are also canted like the cad.....yes they do sit alittle lower.......but with it covered with all that Chit....you cant tell what it is better than I can. Didnt your dad tell you you had to see what you were trying to identify?

Longhorn Man · 02-03-2003, 01:21 AM

lol...

Purs · 02-03-2003, 01:26 AM

sorry, I thought I had gotten a better picture. thanks for the clues. I'll see if I can get some numbers off the block.

Longhorn Man · 02-03-2003, 01:35 AM

I think a good valve cover shot would tell the story the best.

mikep · 02-03-2003, 01:40 AM

Haha

My moneys on the caddy. Anyone want to start an office pool here.

Longhorn Man · 02-03-2003, 01:51 AM

too cold to take a dip in a pool.

Hardrock2 · 02-03-2003, 01:55 AM

Hi all, from IL!

Just cruzin' the new posts and had to give my$.02 worth.HA

Judging from the deep air cleaner base, the position of the dist.,CW rotation,the fuel line coming from the RH side of the
block,ETC, my guess is CADDY, mid 70's.

OK, I cheated just a little, that and I had a 500 CAD in my old 73 crewcab.

WHAT DO i WIN????

crazy longhorn · 02-03-2003, 01:58 AM

Theres too much chit on the top to tell, but the top rad hose to water out let doesnt look like cad to me. tell you what Mike......Ill bet you its one or the other!

Longhorn Man · 02-03-2003, 02:01 AM

How can you see a fuel line with all tht crap and real poor lighting?
Besides, the fuel pump is on the drivers side of a caddy motor. I have one in my one ton.

The brackets don't look quite right to be a caddy to me, but I wanna see more pics first.

crazy longhorn · 02-03-2003, 02:08 AM

I have a shot with caddy in my longhorn, check out the top rad hose..... http://community.webshots.com/user/hotrodhorn the ac compressor sat right next to the dist(smack middle of the intake)

Hardrock2 · 02-03-2003, 02:29 AM

I'm with you, Mikep, It's a CADDY.

Hey, longhornmail, which end you lookin' at, if ya stand in front of it, the pump IS on the RH side.HeHe!!

Sorry, my mistake, you're right, everything is usually viewed from the driving position. Although I'll agree, the AC/Alt. brackets don't look quite right for a Caddy. Definitely a GM something!!!!

**COBALT** · 02-03-2003, 04:46 AM

Crap. We should have gotten together and conspired to tell him it was a FORD engine! Sure, he would have protested, but with this many of us we could have convinced him...

Another joke opportunity rides off into the sunset.

Purs · 02-03-2003, 08:53 AM

This is getting good. So lets assume that it is a caddy for the moment. What are the chances it's a 500???? Are any of the other caddy engines any good?

crazy longhorn · 02-03-2003, 09:08 AM

Purs, take a look at the valve covers in Andy's pic. those are the earlier 472/500 covers. If you look in webshots on my longhorn pics, there is a shot of a 425, with the later covers. The ends look a little different(mine was a 78 eng). The Cads also have a steel plate for timing chain cover, whereas the Buicks have an aluminum cover.........I really couldnt say for sure on what it is till I saw what was under all those hoses tho!

crazyL

Earl Junior · 02-03-2003, 01:00 PM

My official guess is Cad. Which is cool. Tire shredding torque is a good thing, unless you can't afford new tires.

sgtjed · 02-03-2003, 06:13 PM

i know the buick 455 looks like this,out of my old 67 riviera.
i thought that the pontiac 455 sd was a front mount dist also,but i could be wrong as i know nothing on the pontiac engines. but the buick looks alot like the caddy motor.

if you look at the water hose on top of the motor,you can see it goes into the intake vs the pic of the cad motr. where the cad motor goes in mor on the pass side.

02-03-2003, 12:13 AM	#1
Purs Got Big Block? Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: West Texas Posts: 1,510	Weird distributor?? Can someone tell me what this is? It was in a '72 my dad is wanting to buy but I've never seen this before. The glove box says it has a 350 V8. Can someone help? Attached Images __________________ "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."

02-03-2003, 12:15 AM	#2
Purs Got Big Block? Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: West Texas Posts: 1,510	closeup Attached Images __________________ "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."

02-03-2003, 12:20 AM	#3
mikep Used to have a truck Join Date: May 2002 Location: port orchard WA Posts: 1,552	Well I'm sure the truck HAD a 350 at one time. Looks like theres something way different in there now. Maybe one of the Cadillac guys on the board would know. It looks like a caddy engine. Maybe a 472 or a 500. I dont know how to tell the difference. Got to be a torque monster. __________________ No truck :-( Last edited by mikep; 02-03-2003 at 12:29 AM.

02-03-2003, 12:38 AM	#4
GMC Jim Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 901	you might want to get some numbers fromm the engine... casting numbers etc.... would be interesting to find out just what this engine is ..... __________________ '71 GMC;fleetside;PB/PS/AC/CC/402 Eng./Custom Paint/110,000act miles/3 fuel tanks(52gal).

02-03-2003, 12:53 AM	#7
mikep Used to have a truck Join Date: May 2002 Location: port orchard WA Posts: 1,552	When did pontiac start putting their distributors in front. I have vague recolections of the 3 pontiacs I have owned all having distributors in the rear and sunk down fairly low . Thats a Cadillac __________________ No truck :-(

02-03-2003, 12:41 AM	#5
racedvl Account Suspended Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Woodstock, IL Posts: 7,020	It could be a pont. engine as well. . .

02-03-2003, 12:46 AM	#6
sgtjed What if? Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Choctaw,Oklahoma Posts: 649	pontiac or buick engine,looks like to me.

02-03-2003, 12:59 AM	#8
crazy longhorn Fabricate till you "puke" Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ill Posts: 9,402	its Cad, or Buick.....need a better shot of the valve covers...crazyL __________________ 69 longhorn,4" chop,3/5 drop, 1/2 ton suspension/disc brakes,1 1/2" body drop,steel tilt clip, 5.3/Edelbrock rpm intake/600 carb, Hooker streetrod shorties,2 1/2" exhaust/ H pipe/50's Flows , 6 spd Richmond trans,12 bolt/ 3.40 gears....

02-03-2003, 01:05 AM	#9
mikep Used to have a truck Join Date: May 2002 Location: port orchard WA Posts: 1,552	Buick distributors are centered more and a lot lower, Didnt your dads take you to junkyards when you were kids? Heres a buick On second thought it might actually be a buick. Hard to tell from that picture of the truck . damned hoses all over the place. What do all those hoses do? __________________ No truck :-( Last edited by mikep; 02-03-2003 at 01:11 AM.

02-03-2003, 01:16 AM	#10
crazy longhorn Fabricate till you "puke" Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ill Posts: 9,402	Buick dist 's are also canted like the cad.....yes they do sit alittle lower.......but with it covered with all that Chit....you cant tell what it is better than I can. Didnt your dad tell you you had to see what you were trying to identify? __________________ 69 longhorn,4" chop,3/5 drop, 1/2 ton suspension/disc brakes,1 1/2" body drop,steel tilt clip, 5.3/Edelbrock rpm intake/600 carb, Hooker streetrod shorties,2 1/2" exhaust/ H pipe/50's Flows , 6 spd Richmond trans,12 bolt/ 3.40 gears....

02-03-2003, 01:21 AM	#11
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	lol...

02-03-2003, 01:26 AM	#12
Purs Got Big Block? Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: West Texas Posts: 1,510	sorry, I thought I had gotten a better picture. thanks for the clues. I'll see if I can get some numbers off the block. __________________ "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."

02-03-2003, 01:35 AM	#13
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	I think a good valve cover shot would tell the story the best.

02-03-2003, 01:40 AM	#14
mikep Used to have a truck Join Date: May 2002 Location: port orchard WA Posts: 1,552	Haha My moneys on the caddy. Anyone want to start an office pool here. __________________ No truck :-(

02-03-2003, 01:51 AM	#15
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	too cold to take a dip in a pool.



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02-03-2003, 01:55 AM	#16
Hardrock2 A$$ deep into trucks Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Central Illinois,USA Posts: 249	Hi all, from IL! Just cruzin' the new posts and had to give my$.02 worth.HA Judging from the deep air cleaner base, the position of the dist.,CW rotation,the fuel line coming from the RH side of the block,ETC, my guess is CADDY, mid 70's. OK, I cheated just a little, that and I had a 500 CAD in my old 73 crewcab. WHAT DO i WIN???? __________________ hardrock2

02-03-2003, 01:58 AM	#17
crazy longhorn Fabricate till you "puke" Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ill Posts: 9,402	Theres too much chit on the top to tell, but the top rad hose to water out let doesnt look like cad to me. tell you what Mike......Ill bet you its one or the other! __________________ 69 longhorn,4" chop,3/5 drop, 1/2 ton suspension/disc brakes,1 1/2" body drop,steel tilt clip, 5.3/Edelbrock rpm intake/600 carb, Hooker streetrod shorties,2 1/2" exhaust/ H pipe/50's Flows , 6 spd Richmond trans,12 bolt/ 3.40 gears....

02-03-2003, 02:01 AM	#18
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	How can you see a fuel line with all tht crap and real poor lighting? Besides, the fuel pump is on the drivers side of a caddy motor. I have one in my one ton. The brackets don't look quite right to be a caddy to me, but I wanna see more pics first.

02-03-2003, 02:08 AM	#19
crazy longhorn Fabricate till you "puke" Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ill Posts: 9,402	I have a shot with caddy in my longhorn, check out the top rad hose..... http://community.webshots.com/user/hotrodhorn the ac compressor sat right next to the dist(smack middle of the intake) __________________ 69 longhorn,4" chop,3/5 drop, 1/2 ton suspension/disc brakes,1 1/2" body drop,steel tilt clip, 5.3/Edelbrock rpm intake/600 carb, Hooker streetrod shorties,2 1/2" exhaust/ H pipe/50's Flows , 6 spd Richmond trans,12 bolt/ 3.40 gears.... Last edited by crazy longhorn; 02-03-2003 at 02:10 AM.

02-03-2003, 02:29 AM	#20
Hardrock2 A$$ deep into trucks Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Central Illinois,USA Posts: 249	I'm with you, Mikep, It's a CADDY. Hey, longhornmail, which end you lookin' at, if ya stand in front of it, the pump IS on the RH side.HeHe!! Sorry, my mistake, you're right, everything is usually viewed from the driving position. Although I'll agree, the AC/Alt. brackets don't look quite right for a Caddy. Definitely a GM something!!!! __________________ hardrock2

02-03-2003, 04:46 AM	#21
COBALT Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Seattle, WA, USA Posts: 5,817	Crap. We should have gotten together and conspired to tell him it was a FORD engine! Sure, he would have protested, but with this many of us we could have convinced him... Another joke opportunity rides off into the sunset. __________________ '69 3/4 ton C20 2wd-350ci/TH400 '69 3/4 ton Custom 20 2wd-350ci/4sp Manual '99 2wd 5.7 Chevy Tahoe Seattle, WA.

02-03-2003, 08:53 AM	#22
Purs Got Big Block? Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: West Texas Posts: 1,510	This is getting good. So lets assume that it is a caddy for the moment. What are the chances it's a 500???? Are any of the other caddy engines any good? __________________ "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."

02-03-2003, 09:08 AM	#23
crazy longhorn Fabricate till you "puke" Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ill Posts: 9,402	Purs, take a look at the valve covers in Andy's pic. those are the earlier 472/500 covers. If you look in webshots on my longhorn pics, there is a shot of a 425, with the later covers. The ends look a little different(mine was a 78 eng). The Cads also have a steel plate for timing chain cover, whereas the Buicks have an aluminum cover.........I really couldnt say for sure on what it is till I saw what was under all those hoses tho! crazyL __________________ 69 longhorn,4" chop,3/5 drop, 1/2 ton suspension/disc brakes,1 1/2" body drop,steel tilt clip, 5.3/Edelbrock rpm intake/600 carb, Hooker streetrod shorties,2 1/2" exhaust/ H pipe/50's Flows , 6 spd Richmond trans,12 bolt/ 3.40 gears....

02-03-2003, 01:00 PM	#24
Earl Junior Cadillac power Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North Idaho Posts: 296	My official guess is Cad. Which is cool. Tire shredding torque is a good thing, unless you can't afford new tires. Attached Images __________________ Just for the record, if I'm down to my last potato, I'm not sharing it with a guy who wants to kill me so he can get a better supply of virgins in paradise. That lesson is a little thing I call Economics 101, infidel style. --Scott Adams author of Dilbert

02-03-2003, 06:13 PM	#25
sgtjed What if? Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Choctaw,Oklahoma Posts: 649	i know the buick 455 looks like this,out of my old 67 riviera. i thought that the pontiac 455 sd was a front mount dist also,but i could be wrong as i know nothing on the pontiac engines. but the buick looks alot like the caddy motor. if you look at the water hose on top of the motor,you can see it goes into the intake vs the pic of the cad motr. where the cad motor goes in mor on the pass side. Attached Images Last edited by sgtjed; 02-03-2003 at 06:18 PM.

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