Roof autopsy today on The Ark

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

copy/past/edit from my Facebook page:


I'm so glad I got up at 0500 for an 0830 ramp truck that finally arrived at 1030. And the driver squished my hideously expensive Diamond Back Classics tires with the straps, I was screaming. No tow driver has EVER squished the tires like that, I took pictures, if those tires are damaged, Silver Cloud Towing is buying me 2 new ones. Tagging my insurance company here, Hagerty Classic Cars.

This evolution DID have a very happy ending, I was sure, I was convinced, The Ark would have holes in the outside corners of the rear window necessitating expensive and time consuming repairs. When Michael had a chance (the place was hopping on a Sunday, they are THAT busy) he came at The Ark with his Marine Corps switchblade (No novocaine?) and sliced the roof in the corners... no holes. Praise to God with Him everything is possible. No one saw my tears of joy behind the big sunglasses. PRAISE GOD! I feel like I hit the lottery, The Ark does nothing wrong, I'm just over the moon happy. Pics below of the left and right corners, very fixable. Oh Praise God in Heaven, what a break, what a ... MIRACLE. (tears)

Came home and started leaf blowing, especially the gutters with major rain and real wind in the forecast. Such will be a good test of the 3 additional guy lines I added to the Lair. And no Ark inside to be in peril if they fail.

Arkless... I know my baby is safe and with people he knows at a place he's been before. But still... my baby.

The pain in my back and shoulders is so bad nothing is helping. And my brain tumor has been playing with me all day, making things spin, I fell a couple of times blowing leaves. Whatever. Other's have it worse.

New power steering pump bracket got its 2nd coat of paint tonight. When its dry, that and the 2 new belts will go to Michael too, he'll do that work. I may have them do the paint job on the chrome 'halo' as well, the script showed me I don't have the patience for that much detail.

On a scale of 1-10 today is a 20, hope you all had/are having a Blessed Sunday. *PATRIOTS*!

\m/
Laurie

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

And all those months of anguish over what the condition of the metal would be.  See, worry works.  The things we worry about never seem to happen. 
Greg Surfas

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

And all those months of anguish over what the condition of the metal would be.  See, worry works.  The things we worry about never seem to happen. 
Greg Surfas

Greg you sound like my loving Mom (RIP). "Worrying is paying interest on a debt not yet incurred."
So lucky I am, so blessed.

\m/
Laurie

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Laurie,
The most optimistic thing my Mom said was "nothing bad happened today".  The longer we wait before starting a task the larger the task seems to grow.
Greg Surfas

[Cadillac Fleetwood]

This evolution DID have a very happy ending, I was sure, I was convinced, The Ark would have holes in the outside corners of the rear window necessitating expensive and time consuming repairs. When Michael had a chance (the place was hopping on a Sunday, they are THAT busy) he came at The Ark with his Marine Corps switchblade (No novocaine?) and sliced the roof in the corners... no holes. Praise to God with Him everything is possible. No one saw my tears of joy behind the big sunglasses. PRAISE GOD! I feel like I hit the lottery, The Ark does nothing wrong, I'm just over the moon happy. Pics below of the left and right corners, very fixable. Oh Praise God in Heaven, what a break, what a ... MIRACLE. (tears)

Laurie,

Glad to read and see that the moisture damage was not as extensive as it could have been, and often is.  I can't resist a comment on the title to this thread, though, if you'll pardon the pedantry:  An autopsy is performed upon the deceased, a biopsy is performed upon the living. The Ark clearly is amongst the living.

-Charles Fares

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Laurie,

Glad to read and see that the moisture damage was not as extensive as it could have been, and often is.  I can't resist a comment on the title to this thread, though, if you'll pardon the pedantry:  An autopsy is performed upon the deceased, a biopsy is performed upon the living. The Ark clearly is amongst the living.

-Charles Fares

Charles thank you for medical linguistic precision lesson and I agree! LOL!

\m/
Laurie

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Laurie,
The most optimistic thing my Mom said was "nothing bad happened today".  The longer we wait before starting a task the larger the task seems to grow.
Greg Surfas

True dat Greg

\m/
Laurei

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

copy/edit/paste from my FB page...

I was DANG LUCKY when that roof was taken all the way off, DANG lucky. Praise God!

*********************************

...everything got way more betterer when I saw The Ark for the first time since Sunday at the world famous Hyannis Vintage Auto and chatted with restoration God Michael Amster. The Ark has been scalped! There are a couple of holes, largest not bigger than a dime, that don't belong there. "easy to fix" I was damn lucky. Dropped off the new power steering bracket I just painted, 2 new accessory drive belts and some tranny fluid if he needs it for the steering pump job. And left some munchies for the guys, they are working SO HARD, they are SO BUSY. I'm so blessed to have The Ark there now.

Michael said to take the roof chrome home, its in the trunk, and paint it... "halo". OK, where's the car? Out back in the dumpster. 
"BESIDE THE DUMPSTER"! 
Not easy being deaf in one ear and not being able to see out the other.

I really wanted to hang around for a bit and just gawk at the cars finishing their face lifts, just mesmerizing. But I could tell they were busy, REALLY BUSY, so I departed quickly. Damn it was so good to see The Ark, puts everything into perspective for me.

********************
\m/
Laurie

[WTL]

What type of paint are you using for the chrome highlights and hubcaps?

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

What type of paint are you using for the chrome highlights and hubcaps?

I doubt I'm doing the hubcaps, I don't have that level of patience.

I was told to use Rustoleum "ultra cover" black semi-gloss on the trim after I clean the trim. There's still quite a bit of debris 'stuck' to pieces. Scrape off where safe to do so, remove any original paint, wash, dry well, tape off the halo, spray. One proper coat.

\m/
Laurie

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Got these pics from Michael today, they found a few more holes when the started grinding.
Some will be welded, others chemically treated, what ever Michael says is fine.

\m/
Laurie

[67_Eldo]

Yup. That's the lesson I learned on my Eldorado (which had been repeated ad nauseam by all the body folks I dealt with): Poking a vinyl top with a knife won't tell you much. The whole area has to be taken down to bare metal before you'll know what you've gotten yourself into. And by then, you're already in all the way!

Good luck!

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Saw the Ark today! Though just for a few minutes, they're busy. I brought snacks, always a good move. And I'll swear I heard The Ark say "Mama"! when he saw me. LOL! They've made amazing progress on the holes, lots of welding. And a piece of sheet metal is about to be fabricated for the lower left corner of the rear window. I hope people are still reading this thread...

\m/
Laurie

[Carl Fielding]

Of course we are following your progress, 'Fleetwood ! Your positive "can do" attitude makes you another one of the heroes of Cadillac preservation. I wish I had 10% of your energy. Keep up the good work !   -   CC

[chrisntam]

Yes, following, looking forward to seeing it in Louisville!  It'll be a brand new car by then, right???

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Thanks Chris, thanks Carl!
I can guarantee the Ark won't be in Louisville.
NEXT winter (assuming I have the work from THIS winter paid off by then, LOL!) the Ark
will be painted its correct #93. New skirts, a new left rear door, 'some' trim replaced, etc.
That should complete the body. Inside I'm just replacing the headliner, that's happening
this winter when the new roof is installed. World Of Wheels in Boston, 2020, is the show
I'm really looking forward to, the Ark will be DONE.

\m/
Laurie

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

And they did this in 2 weeks...
The Ark is suddenly home for Thanksgiving! Michael called me this morning, this first phase is done.  And with family due at any moment for the holiday I still managed to re-arrange the day to bring my baby home, including some upgrades on the Lair. You can see the 'before' pics above, check out what's below... Craftsmanship level - NINJA

This restoration thang ain't so bad... as long as you have a great shop and an AmEx card.

Paul's Upholstery has pushed us back to late December/January, they'll install the roof and headliner. Then back to Michael to install the rear window and roof trim. He loaned me a car cover until I get one, hoping for a good deal on Black Friday.

\m/
Laurie

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Looking good.

With the door glass down, you will definitely have good "flow-through" ventilation.

Bruce.

[chrisntam]

You just gotta love the new metal!

Looks great compared to the before pics.

Progress!

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Thanks guys 

Looking forward for this to be *OVER*.
Roof this winter, paint and body next winter.

Happy Turkey!

\m/
Laurie