I found my luck! (maybe)

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Gerard! As you know, the GE is not sure at all. Anyway, I bought a more recent car to be able to participate at such event with less stress.

[bcroe]

Good luck.  Last time I got a stored car into first class service took me
3 full time months (OK I am slow).  More often I get the brakes, tires,
mastered locks, and timing chain done immediately to be roadable, then
do lessor stuff (radiator, hoses, wiring, suspension, and accessory
upgrades, bearings, belts, SS exhaust, etc) along the way.  Bruce Roe

[Scot Minesinger]

Awesome Cadillac, the 1971, 2 and 3's are my favorite Cadillac closed car style. 

Second on what Bruce wrote, timing chain, trans, breaks and add just about everything rubber.

Green is good because green cars are not on the road much, makes it unique and visible to other drivers.  I have a "Patina Silver" 1970 SDV, and if it were not for the dark blue vinyl top, it would blend in a little too much for me with modern traffic.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Of course, the timing gears/chain were on the list of things to do. Brian saw also a bad eccentric for the fuel pump, rear engine support and many little things which were replaced. Mechanically, it should be like a new car.

[Roger Zimmermann]

On July 18, the car arrived at the Swiss customs in Zürich. At about 2 PM, the man who arranged the shipping and me went with a trailer to load the car. If the drive to Zürich went well (less than 2 hours drive), the drive back to Bienne was another matter: when we drove over 60 km/h, (about 38MPH), the trailer began to swing! Due to the shape of the front bumper, the car was not forward enough, plus the trunk was full of material! After a while, we left the freeway to take "normal" roads. We were lucky: a few miles after the freeway exit we used, a small truck went in fire. The delay to cross this incident was 1 1/2 hour! Even with our rather slow pace, we arrived safely in Bienne at the man's shop. Anyway, it was a long day as I got home at 8 PM.

And the car? Well, I can say it's in a good shape. Sure, there are here or there some imperfections, but this is an original car not repainted, except for the hood (and it shows it: the color is a tad different…). In other words, I'm happy!

Now, the man you see in one of the pictures will let install the new tires which were in the trunk, check for the front end alignement and do what's needed to get the car licensed. Maybe I can drive it at the end of next week!

[35-709]

Congratulations, Roger, Popeye looks great!
Geoff N.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Geoff!

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Wow!

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

Roger,

Congratulations....looks like a real nice find. Also it has the hard to find right side mirror

Ralph

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Ralph! In the actual trafic situation, I'm indeed glad to have that mirror.

[Big Fins]

I have a plot of ground that I use to rent space for RV and boat parking. Many of the people that come in have these monstrous hitch connections that incorporate sway bars in them. Until a year ago, I'd never seen this. One man explained to me that on some of the larger RV's, the tongue weight on the towing vehicle wasn't always heavy enough to stop the trailer sway at speed.

With this hitch, he said he could tow the RV at 70 mph and it would sit rock steady behind him. Prior to the anti-sway hitch he said over 45 mph would cause him problems and even worse on windy days or when semi truck would blast by him.

The first time I ever towed a car was a couple of years ago. I was told not to look at the car in the mirror. I did a few times and watched it bouncing and swaying, but never felt a thing in the truck I was using to tow it with. Still I just ran up the right lane at 60 mph.
Thanks Geoff! 

[35-709]

   Any time I can help!

[Big Fins]

 

  Any time I can help!

  Maybe I'll be able to pay it back sometime. You have my number and go by here all the time.

[G Pennington]

Roger,
Rule of thumb is tounge weight should be 10% to 15% of the loaded trailer weight.  That's going to work out to around 600 lbs to 1000 lbs of tounge weight, which probably going to need an equalizer hitch if you are pulling it with a 1/2 ton Surburban.
Gary Pennington

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Thankfully the vehicle got to the destination without damage.

Using a tandem axle trailer, the tongue weight doesn't need to be that high, but the biggest problem I saw with this loading was all the weight in the trunk.   Really give the pendulum effect to the towing mass.

Too much weight on the tongue will raise the front of the towing vehicle, thus making for an uneven loading.

Plus, with radials on the towing vehicle, plus radials on the trailer, once sideways movement starts, it would be hard to control.

I always recommend Cross Ply tyres on a trailer.

Bruce.

[DeVille68]

Nice Roger!
What happened to the emblems on the hood? Had you removed them such that they not get stolen?

Gruess
Nicolas

[Roger Zimmermann]

Nice Roger!
What happened to the emblems on the hood? Had you removed them such that they not get stolen?

Thanks Nicolas! Yes, it was recommended by the man who arranged the shipping. The parts were into the trunk and will be installed again. Same procedure with the wheelcovers.
If you are coming to the 2-days meeting at the end of August, you will see it.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Using a tandem axle trailer, the tongue weight doesn't need to be that high, but the biggest problem I saw with this loading was all the weight in the trunk.   Really give the pendulum effect to the towing mass.

Bruce, the man who towed the car is well equipped and he towing cars on a regular basis. On the same trailer, he can load a '59 Cadillac and drive much faster because the front overhang is smaller, therefore the car is a tad more forwards. Plus, as you noted, the heavy weight in the trunk (56 kg just for both brake drums and both rotors, plus 4 new tires and numerous various items.

[Roger Zimmermann]

One of my motivation to let overhaul the car in the USA was the timing sprockets. I asked Brian to put the assembly into the trunk to have a good view from those parts. Indeed the nylon sprocket is looking like new, but how long? I'm glad I did the move!

[Lexi]

Always a good idea to change items like that out, for piece of mind. Hope the new-old car drives well and meets with your expectations Roger! Good luck with your August drive and meet. Clay