1961 Eldorado Concept Motorama Show Car

[N Kahn]

Thank you Bruce for having more confidence in me than I have in myself.

Today's work so far

I made one vertical bar out of stainless steel, I've gotta make 16 more exactly the same. It actually went easier than I thought, I'm gonna clamp several strips together and cut the slits with my chopsaw.





Marked with Roman numerals so I can remember how they go back together after I sand each bar to get rid of the corrosion.

[Walter Youshock]

Incredible work you have done so far.  If that grille is anodized aluminum like the standard cars, you don't want to sand it.

[N Kahn]

I'm pleased to say it's not anodized, Walter, I've polished some of the pieces, the leading edges of the horizontal bars were polished with a brushed finish along the tops, knowing the car was likely not going to be sold to the public there was no protection given to the aluminum trim. It's a real pain to remove anodizing and even harder to get it re-anodized properly.

I'm wondering if you folks have had any luck with any protective waxes or coatings for polished aluminum?

[N Kahn]

I stacked all the stainless strips I cut from a sheet bought for $7 from my favorite store, Skycraft Military Surplus, and welded them together along the bottom with the template at the front, now all I have to do is cut the slits on my chopsaw, grind away the weld and sand and polish the pieces. It's a lot of work but it's easier than cutting each piece individually.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Nadeen,

I would be making a very solid backing place to cut against so there can be no chance of the thin pieces chattering.

By Solid, I am talking up to 3/8".

Bruce.

[N Kahn]

The clamp in my chopsaw is super sturdy, it should be ok, I'll go slow and be very careful.

[INTMD8]

That is a lot of work. Just a thought but you could always take/send a pattern out and have those pieces cut out on a water jet. Not too expensive and they would end up identical to one another.

[Walter Youshock]

Odd that it wasn't originally anodized as every other '62.  The extrusion was done before the anodizing, then the pieces were cut and/or bent to shape.

I really hope I get to see this magnificent automobile in person one day!  The taillight treatment should have been STANDARD for the regular Cadillac line.

[N Kahn]

The vertical strips were a failure, I'm having them professionally cut on a waterjet.
I took the fender signal housings off because they were really nasty inside, of course many studs broke, but I got em apart.
They are very heavy cast pieces and they're in great condition, I'll give em a good polish. The SO number is cast into the back, I can't imagine the dollars that were spent on this car.

[N Kahn]

I polished the housings, they came out nice. The grille was never anodized so it was easy to polish but now I've got to protect the aluminum does anyone know of a good product?
The lenses for the fender signals are not molded they are built like a Lucite purse from the 50s in sheets glued together, a lot of work for sure.

[Walter Youshock]

WOW! Are you using Eastwood's buffing kit?  Multiple compounds or just the white rouge?

All I can think of is a good clear paint to protect it.  Or some clear dipping process?  You don't want that to corrode again.

I've GOT to see this car!

[N Kahn]

I bought some compounds from The Chrome Shop up in Wildwood, I have an ancient Baldor buffer I bought at a garage sale, it's a great old machine, but it uses those jewelers buffs that go on a spiral spindle and they're kinda hard to find, I really need a new set.

[Walter Youshock]

I use a bench grinder with buffing wheels.  Works great for stainless.  Small areas get the Dremel treatment.

Keep up the great work!

[N Kahn]

Merry Christmas everyone, I'm having a great day with my family but I couldn't resist going outside and getting some work done.
I painted the hood bar too, it came out nice.
I masked, sanded and painted the moldings that go under the front fenders and hood, the one on the right is the one I made from scratch, waiting for them to dry so I can bolt them in.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Merry Christmas everyone, I'm having a great day with my family but I couldn't resist going outside and getting some work done.

Merry Christmas Nadeem.

I know the feeling.   Just can't get away from doing nothing on Christmas Day.

Bruce.

[N Kahn]

Now I'm gonna go watch Mr. Bean with my young un.

Here's the hood bar done, I installed everything, it's too dark to take pics, I'll post some tomorrow.

[N Kahn]

Took the front turn signals apart to clean out 51 years of grime and to polish the plastic lenses, more usage of the Special Order # 50110 was found, these things are really beautifully made and have remained almost perfect.

[N Kahn]

I polished the lenses and reassembled my turn signals, now they're shiny and look like jewelry.

[Quentin Hall]

G'day Nadeem,  I bet there came a point around Dec 24 when your wife said in exasperation, "No Nadeem, you cannot hang those bloody parklights from the Christmas tree, despite the fact that you think they look like baubles." hehe I was trying to work out how they were made. Are they a pressed metal or cast? either way an expensive item to make for "one of ". Development cost would have been interesting/phenomenal. I wonder if the accountants kept the build costs related to each SO car, now that would be an eye opener.
     Let me apolgise for mis-spelling your name with an N on the end in one or two of my posts.  I should know better to get it right as I often get Quinton , Quinten, Quonton, heck I even got Guentin recently from the electricity dept. Just don't call me late for dinner.
      Trying to get motivated to pull the engine and box from my 57 Biarritz today, looks like a scorcher already. Q u e n t i n .
       

[David King (kz78hy)]

Q,

The costs were, and are tracked today.  Probably better today.  That is why the SO 50110 is assigned so the project cost is accounted for.

All one off cars are very expensive to produce.  Even the preproduction cars today can cost 250k and those are built in the hundreds.  The show cars go way up from there.

David