Recent posts

#1

For Sale - Cars / Re: 1937 Series 75 Fleetwood, ...

Last post by Lexi - Today at 11:18:57 PM

Sadly, the high cost of parts (some of which could take years to possibly locate), and low demand-often makes the decision for us whether to save, part out or scrap, a "project" car. Clay/Lexi

#2

General Discussion / Re: Making parts when you can ...

Last post by Lexi - Today at 11:10:50 PM

Bill,

I have a vintage (1935) 9 inch South Bend Lathe with a milling attachment that I've owned for 25+ years as well as a modern Taig mini lathe.  I was never a professional machinist like you and what little machining skill I have I learned by taking a night course at a local technical college.  Parts for my 1949 Cadillac are fairly plentiful, so I've never had to make many parts as you have.  Nonetheless, I've made a few small and simple parts for the car as well as some metal parts to replace broken plastic parts on household items. 

I have heard that a Hardinge is the Cadillac of lathes. 

Jay

Well. I took the plunge and bought a vintage South Bend Model A machinist's lathe. Already I am wondering how I got along without one for so long. Between that, my industrial metal cutter and my MIG welder, as well as other tooling, I have lots of projects on the go including some Cadillac. For the hardcore out there, many will eventually have the need to make some parts and even the occassional tool to keep our Caddies on the road. Clay/Lexi

#3

General Discussion / Re: Rear main seal 68 Eldorado...

Last post by cadillacmike68 - Today at 10:54:22 PM

TH425.

Bruce.    

That's what I thought, but if its an Engine main seal, TH400 or TH425 doesn't matter.

#4

General Discussion / Re: Why Did I Receive This???

Last post by cadillacmike68 - Today at 10:53:20 PM

And now my Profile will be updated so it is not viewable to non-members accessing our Forum.

A little paranoid are we??   

#5

General Discussion / Re: Missing 1968 Cadillac trim...

Last post by cadillacmike68 - Today at 10:51:41 PM

Thank you Mike. Actually I did not drill and tap the part, I epoxied it in place. Secure. 

Ok, but remember the heat factor here. Check it once in a while anyway.

#6

General Discussion / Re: The Real cost of operating...

Last post by cadillacmike68 - Today at 10:50:55 PM

Actually Mike I so called afforded the 1968 partly from the sale of a previous car and the rest I put on a Home equity line with the thought of refinancing my basic mortgage due to the increased value of the house, however when the mortgage rates rose so rapidly then I was in trouble because the new mortgage would be as expensive as just leaving the current one in place and paying the monthly HELOC hoping that someday the rates will come down. If not, no end to working or sell the car. We will see what transpires.

I'm in a similar situation here. Good luck.

#7

General Discussion / Re: The Real cost of operating...

Last post by billyoung - Today at 10:32:55 PM

Actually Mike I so called afforded the 1968 partly from the sale of a previous car and the rest I put on a Home equity line with the thought of refinancing my basic mortgage due to the increased value of the house, however when the mortgage rates rose so rapidly then I was in trouble because the new mortgage would be as expensive as just leaving the current one in place and paying the monthly HELOC hoping that someday the rates will come down. If not, no end to working or sell the car. We will see what transpires.

#8

General Discussion / Re: Missing 1968 Cadillac trim...

Last post by billyoung - Today at 10:25:58 PM

Thank you Mike. Actually I did not drill and tap the part, I epoxied it in place. Secure.

#9

For Sale - Cars / Re: 1937 Series 75 Fleetwood, ...

Last post by Bryan J Moran - Today at 10:13:03 PM

Yes and what's left would be scrapped.  I'm all for saving it but how
Much would you want for the motor plus transport?  $4,000? (Just a guess). Then add transmission and what if linkages are missing?   

#10

General Discussion / Re: The Real cost of operating...

Last post by cadillacmike68 - Today at 09:54:42 PM

Unfortunately Oil for plastic and fuel does not work that way. Oil goes into a distillation tower where it is separated by its molecular weight. There is a certain band of weight that can be used for fuel, Then there are bands that separate out into the different grades of raw chemicals used for plastics and other things. The bottom of the distillation tower is what is used for Asphalt. The prices we currently pay is at an equilibrium with the volumes of raw materials that exit that distillation tower. If you need more ABS resin it does not divert oil away from Gas. We would need to pump more oil and the gas becomes a byproduct that may then reduce in price.

Now if we were to have a drastic reduction in the amount of fuel we need for transportation. If that reduces the amount of oil pumped then that is less raw material for Asphalt and plastic resins. If we need plastic at the same rate then we would still pump the same amount of oil but fuel grades would be a waste byproduct. We could reprocess into new things. As long as we do not burn it we do not release the carbon.

I was on a research project that looked at using waste molasses from processing sugar beets as an organic carbon source to make plastic. The project started in Italy where they were actually pumping the waste molasses directly to a land fill. So the raw material was free for them to process into plastic. We wanted to replicate the process in Michigan since we have a large sugar beet processing operation here. The problem is for America this is not a waste product. We have already found other uses, so as a commodity waste molasses was in the hundreds of dollars a ton. Oil for plastic is much cheaper at that rate. Side note the company in Italy was also involved in some form of scam and was shut down and investigated.

I do not see ANY grade of fuel oil being a "waste byproduct" in the next several hundred years.