Do Cadillac engines have nicknames?

[chrisntam]

Being a car guy starting in the mid '70s, engines had nicknames.

The small block chevy was the mouse motor.

The big block chevy was the rat motor.

The hemi was the elephant.

Do Cadillac engines have nicknames?

Certainly the 346 engine used in WWII (The Big One / Archie Bunker reference) had a nickname.

The 500?  'cept it was known as an 8.2 litre.....

What are the 4.1 or the Northstar's nicknames?     Ap cray?  Unk Jay?  (pig-latin)

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

I've heard the term "One Lunger" in reference to the single cylinder Cadillac engine.

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

What we out here call them is 1 thing. I sure would like to hear the nicknames Cadillac engineering, Customer Service and Warranty departments called them.  Something tells me they didn't just refer to it as the 4100.
Jeff

[Ken Perry]

I have heard the 4100 called lots of names,,,none of them good ! Ken Perry

[Quentin Hall]

The  flathead 346 engine in my 39 has been crudely hand painted on the manifold “Daddy Long Legs”. I’m not sure  if they were referring to the manifold looking a bit like a spider or that it has a bit of get up and go once it’s wound up.
I prefer to think the latter.

[Jon S]

When they start up as they should we call them baby.  When they don't we have a wide assortment of names for them.

[D.Smith]

My 2007 DTSs Northstar engine was often called the Exxon Valdez.

[Scot Minesinger]

I call the engine in my 1970 Cadillac a "472" and so do most people on this forum.  Not very unique, but everyone knows what we are discussing.  Non Cadillac people do not usually know what the "472" means, so seems like a good name to me.  I think that is the convention for the 40's thru 1980; 346, 331, 365, 390, 429, 472, 500, 425, & 368.

[Jeepers Creepers]

When they start up as they should we call them baby.  When they don't we have a wide assortment of names for them.

Funny you should say that, last year, when I rebuilt our 429..... I had it all ready to fire.
A mate was sitting inside to turn the key so I could hold the throttle and start the camshaft break-in procedure.

I looked at the mate, you ready?
I looked at the engine and said, ok baby, you ready too?

First hit, I doubt we even got a full revolution and she sprang straight into life.
My mate just looked at me, shaking his head while yelling.... Did you just ask car if it was ready and call it baby?

Over the following week, he told just about everyone we both know what i'd done.

[jaxops]

Sure they do!

• Leaky
• Won't start
• Unreliable (my favorite)
• Hot, Hot, Hot!!!
• Gas Hog

Mostly kidding although I did go through these like the "stages of restoration."

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Since the 30's, Cadillacs were known as Luxury cars that had "adequate" performance.  VERY FEW of the purchasers had much interest in what was under the hood because they knew they would not be disappointed by Cadillac's standard offerings.  The various motor series were known to Cadillac Engineering by some obscure numbering system as were all the experimental motors, but names were for motors of cars that had less to offer than the Cadillac.
Greg Surfas