59 CDV

[Claudio]

1959 CDV project
I have everything to get it running and I have all the metal to fix it..... It's in south Florida
$15K
Thanks

UPDATE
I AM SELLING MY CADILLAC IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED.......

I'm in south Florida....[attach
   

[Moody]

The quarter panel repairs alone are going to be a challenge. Besides the outer panel, there's the outer wheel well, front and back fender skirt mounts, inner wheel well brace (that starts at the B pillar), rear lower trunk panel, and a front inner stiffener. Five of those parts are not reproduced.
Patience is a must to achieve acceptable results.

[Roger Zimmermann]

The Pontiac Trans Sport in the back will not have those issues as the body is plastic!

[Chicken Coupe]

Roger , hahahaha

[Claudio]

The quarter panel repairs alone are going to be a challenge. Besides the outer panel, there's the outer wheel well, front and back fender skirt mounts, inner wheel well brace (that starts at the B pillar), rear lower trunk panel, and a front inner stiffener. Five of those parts are not reproduced.
Patience is a must to achieve acceptable results.

I have all the metal panels required...... even the complete trunk floor..... just need to find someone who has done a 59 before...

[Claudio]

The Pontiac Trans Sport in the back will not have those issues as the body is plastic!

That's my daily driver..........

[Roger Zimmermann]

That's my daily driver..........

During my years at GM, I had several as company cars. The first one was with the 3.1 liter engine which was totally underpowered. The others ones I drove were with the 3.8 liter engines; I loved them!

[Moody]

Claudio,
You have all these panels?
Well then you're on your way! Get busy and get it going!

[Claudio]

During my years at GM, I had several as company cars. The first one was with the 3.1 liter engine which was totally underpowered. The others ones I drove were with the 3.8 liter engines; I loved them!

Yes My 92 is a 3.8l.... Awesome engine.....

[Claudio]

Claudio,
You have all these panels?
Well then you're on your way! Get busy and get it going!

I do everything but weld.... I did however acquire a new Lincoln welder and tank.... Just need a little coaching or a welder that wants to work... lol 🤪

[Lexi]

I do everything but weld.... I did however acquire a new Lincoln welder and tank.... Just need a little coaching or a welder that wants to work... lol 🤪

So sounds like you bought a Lincoln MIG with gas shielding. Good stuff. Even their MIG Pak 140 (120 v) would in my opinion be fine for most if not all body work. Even frame repair in the right hands. There is a definite "knack" to welding, (it is a Trade after all), and can take a while for some to catch on and develop their own technique and flow. Make sure you always protect yourself from the harsh UV rays and arc/flash burn which can happen quickly especially to your eyes. Buy a good auto dark helmet and make sure it is dialed in to the proper level of protection. Never expose any unprotected part of your body to the flash of light when welding, or to curious onlookers. Like painting, preparation is key and always try to weld with clean surfaces. As welding generates a ton of heat you must always be mindful of that and often tack weld first to stabilize the 2 pieces to be joined, or even to the metal table, to control movement due to heat expansion. Have fun. Clay/Lexi

Edit: Have lots of spare contact tips on hand!

[Cadman-iac]

  Hey! A tee shirt tan from welding isn't all that bad, at least if you don't weld for very long anyway. The only problem is it's only in the front, unless you can figure out how to weld behind your back,  lol!!
But Clay is right, protect yourself if you're going to be welding for more than a minute. And always use a good helmet.
I bought a really good one in the late 80's with the auto-dark feature and I still use it. It's a Speedglas XL with what at the time was an extra large lens. It's about an inch taller than the standard size which is 2x4". Now you can get one that's something like 4x6", with side windows. But the sides are just dark glass. My son bought one like that about 6 years ago and I used it a couple times. I really liked it but I couldn't justify buying one while my old one still works.
  If you have the bottle, you are probably using CO2 as your inert gas. I would recommend that you at least try it with a CO2/argon mix at 75/25%. In my opinion it produces a better weld with less spatter.
I don't really like the flux-core wire unless you are outside in the wind. It's a lot more to clean up after, like welding with a stick.
I'm not that familiar with the Lincoln welders,I prefer Miller myself. That's what I learned with, and I bought a Miller 200 as soon as I could afford it. That was also in the late 80's, and I've never had a bit of problem with it.
The only drawback is its size, it's HUGE compared to what they're making today. My bottle sits on the back of the machine, and it's a "K" cylinder I think. Stands about 5ft tall. Lifting it on and off the welder is a pain.
Are you using a regulator or a flow meter on yours?
And what duty cycle does your machine have? You want to be sure that you don't exceed that so it lasts. The biggest problem with extensive welding is that the torch, (your cable), will get really hot. They make liquid cooled ones, but you're talking lots more money.
But for body work a small welder is ideal. I  almost bought a Miller Cricket, a 120V unit for just that, but decided that it was a duplication so I passed.
If you really get into this type of work, look into a TIG welder. You can do a much nicer job on sheet metal with a lot less distortion because your heat affected zone is so much smaller. It's kinda like gas welding in that you are feeding the filler metal in by hand, but so much cleaner. That's one machine that I wish I had bought years ago.

Anyway, good luck with your project. Please post some pictures as you're going along. Sounds like you will have a great car when you're done.

Rick


 Edit: To add here, get yourself a welding jacket if you're going to be doing much welding.  You can use a long sleeve shirt, but if it's made of anything other than leather, you will burn holes in it just from spatter.  And if it's thin enough, you can still get a welders tan through it. Ask me how I know,  lol!!
 Oh, and if you're in an awkward position when you're welding and maybe leaning on your work too much, that shirt might go up in flames. I found that out at 16ft in the air while welding beams on my dad's garage back when I could still move normally.

[Lexi]

As usual Rick is correct and welds far better than I. Some of his projects are quite impressive. Yes, get a welding shirt or dress accordingly in UV aborbant material, but fire and burning holes in the material is always a danger. I was out in 90 degree heat yesterday, welding wearing my black leather jacket. Hotter than the "hubs of hell". A week earlier I made the mistake of wearing just a long sleeve polyester shirt which doesn't stop a lot of the UV and can melt easily. I got a weird, uneven tan on my chest. Clearly visible was where the material was doubled, ie: where my shirt pockets were and the button trim area. LOL. But repetitive UV burns can mutate the cell structure of the skin and eventually cause skin cancer.

Another issue I found, probably age related, is that I don't see as well in the dark and welding with only a strong UV filter means you see basically "squat". So this year I upgraded and bought a Lincoln Viking helmet with their latest 4C lens technology. Their slogan is "See Clearly Now", (remember the old Johnny Nash song?). Advertised as providing the best vision/view with the same protection. There is a net gain, so good as every little bit helps. Don't go cheap on your personal safety equipment. Lincoln, Miller and Hobart are probably the "Cadillacs" of welding equipment especially for us. Again, Rick nailed it with the Argon/Co2 mix. Standard for MIG. But unless you have a generously sized shop that is well ventillated, with welding blankets boxing you in and containing the fire hazard, MIG welding for most of us is basically an outdoor pursuit. Wind can also play havoc with your gas shielding. Never welded with TIG but preferred for aluminum I hear but more difficult to master. I am doing more welding now that I bought my new cold cut mitre saw for metal fabrication. See related post in this Forum for details and pics. A nice addition to a general hobbyist's or professionel restorer's garage. Clay/Lexi

[Moody]

Interested to know what kind of repair panels you have? Are they new reproduced panels, or sections from a donor car? Donor sections are by far easier to replace, since they are factory parts, and line up pretty well without a lot of adjustments.
I see in another post you have a new trunk floor. That installation is mostly spot welds, which is a good place to start learning welding. It's a steep learning curve, but achievable if you learn the basics to start with.

[Cadman-iac]

  Claudio,

Something that you may want to invest in to make your job easier, is a set of what's called a "Cleco". They're a really handy tool that will keep your panels aligned as you weld them.
Here are a few pictures of what I'm talking about. I can't remember how many come in a set, but well worth the price.
You have to drill an 1/8" hole and insert it, and it acts like a temporary rivet. There's also one that can clamp your panels together from an edge if needed.
You can also use the clamp style to hold two panels parallel and keep the gap even, but you have to have an open end on your gap in order to remove them. The shaft acts like a spacer, with a jaw on each side holding the panels in place.
I don't remember for sure, but I think you can get them from Eastwood Co. or Jegs, someplace like that. Also available from Amazon.
It sure beats trying to run screws through everything, and they don't leave any sharp edges or little barbs sticking out to cut you.

 Personality I hate doing bodywork. I'd rather be welding on heavy stuff. In the late 80's I certified in structural steel and pipe up to 2 feet in diameter, with a stick welder no less. I don't miss the sticks, MIG is so much better, cleaner, faster, and in most cases stronger. It depends on what wire you're using. But it's really easy to learn to MIG weld. You'll be happy with your choice.

Hope this is helpful.

Rick

[Lexi]

So you got your skin now covered, no UV penetration through the material and no burn potential. Eyes also now protected - check. But you can also get "Welder's flu" from too much exposure-think via inhalation. Ingestion probably also not good, so don't eat it. LOL. But the fumes can be dangerous. Not sure if all the same welding types have the same TLVs - Threshold limit values, & type of metal that releases the most toxins, but not pleasant. Had it once about 1990. Not fun. Think was doing arc-stick and oxy acetylene then. Don't remember what materials I was welding. If doing a lot, best to have an approved mask. Not close to mine right now, but welding supply places have them. Clay/Lexi

[Cadman-iac]

Clay is right, try not to breath the fumes from the welding. The one I remember most is welding on galvanized metal. The gas it puts off is toxic, and you will get sick if you inhale too much of it.
Something else to watch out for when you're welding is if the metal has been cleaned with brake cleaner or another kind of cleaner with chlorine, or chlorinated hydrocarbons in it. This will put off phosgene gas, which is like mustard gas that was used in WW1.
If your metal was cleaned with this, you should wash it with a soap and water to remove any residual chemicals before you weld on it.
I got sick myself briefly from welding galvanized metal. I was using a buzz box and either a 6011 or a 6013 stick, (can't remember now), outside and still managed to get enough of a whiff of the fumes to make me feel bad. It was on a movable A-frame for lifting engines and car bodies that I had built with steering so I could move it around the yard.
Clay has seen pictures of it. Not something I'd want to experience again.
I know it's not very interesting reading, but the MSDS information that you get with your welding wire is something that you should at least look over.

Now that you've heard all the "don'ts", "do" go out and enjoy working on your car.
Wish you the best of luck with it.

Rick

[Lexi]

Rick's last post might just be the most important one ever put on this Forum. Heating a part that has been sprayed by brake clean is hugely dangerous for the reason Rick gave. Below is an article that everyone who works in a shop and/or uses brake clean, must read. Learn what happened to this individual who just got a whif of the phosgene gas that formed after welding a part with residual brake clean. You will never feel safe around brake clean again. Not directly Cadillac related but this is major shop safety for all of us. Thank you Rick for pointing out. Clay/Lexi

https://www.brewracingframes.com/safety-alert-brake-cleaner--phosgene-gas.html

[Cadman-iac]

  I don't know where you guys get your brake cleaner and carb cleaner from, I usually get mine from Walmart because they are cheaper than the competition, and their brand is less than the other stuff available.
However, I used to use a ton of the carb cleaner because it didn't have the chlorine in it, but for whatever reason it became difficult to find, and I began using the brake cleaner instead.
Another thing I've noticed after switching to brake cleaner is how much it feels like it burns my skin if I get any splash back while spraying it.
Like most guys would, I just sucked it up and soldiered on, instead of taking the precautions recommended on the can in case of contact, thinking that it was just a little bit, no harm done, unless I get a lot of course, then I'll go and wash it off. But I still didn't stand there for 15 minutes with the water running over the affected area.  A little soap, a little water, all good, right?
Now recently I've been getting a rash on my arm around where my watch is. I've had enough of it run down my hand from the run off when I've been underneath something and spraying this junk, and I'm  wondering if it's related now.
So just be careful when you use any kind of chemical spray, you never know what it may do to you. Take precautions!!

Rick

[Claudio]

Thank you guys
Please 🙏🏼 keep posting on here as I am reading through all of it and picking up a thing or two.....
I must point out that I am a mechanic by trade and worked at a hotrod shop and also helped the many different welders we went through.... Lol 😝🤪......
That being said I have had my oops 😬 moments here and there .....!! Oh and break cleaner I think 🤔 I'm immune to it.... 🤪🤪🤪.... As it's my go to cleaner for everything.....
I still have ALL my body parts.... Ha ha ha.... I just need to familiarize myself with my new welder and practice a little bit.... My only welding job is going to be this caddy and maybe 🤔 a spot or to on my 69 Firebird..... then I'm done.....
My biggest problem is that I live in south Florida and it's ******* HOT 🥵 outside ( that Cadillac is never going to fit in my house garage.... I'm lucky ☺️ enough to have fit my bird 🦅 in there on a rotisserie.....!! ) so I can only last like an hour or two then it's time to go back inside...... oh and I forgot to mention that my ass is stuck on the couch 🛋� since COVID.... I'm afraid 😱 someone might steal it.... 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪....... Wife says I have couchitis..... AKA *****n LAZY...!!!
Oh and I'm getting older so my body will not work as it used to but in my mind I can fix just about anything.....!!!!

My new welder is a Lincoln handy mig kit and yes I will be getting the 75/25 mixture.....
All the panels came from different locations.... The floors and trunk are generic.... But the 59 only panels came from Finland 🇫🇮 ... Canada 🇨🇦... Sweden 🇸🇪..... and they look 👀 and fit great.... ( those guys are 59 caddy addicted....!!! )
Any one in the south Florida area...??
Come by chill and talk shop oh and maybe 🤔 work on the caddy......
Hopefully 🙏🏼 i covered everything....
Thanks ☺️