Bought this 68 Convertible a year and a half ago. Tired of seeing it sitting in the driveway, I got a sudden urge to get it going and take a break from piecing together my 59 Coupe.
Transmission slips, front end is out of whack, you can see the wheels are out of alignment looking at the front of the car. Rust in trunk, floors, and battery tray. The usual rust bottom of front fenders. Quarters look okay. Bad top and interior. Climate Control, Tilt Telescopic, AM FM Stereo, but strangely, only a single speaker on the dash. Incorrect wheel covers, they appear to be 66-67 vintage.
What made me want to get going on it finally was finding someone who had a complete red leather interior for sale, and a fender AND a rad cradle complete with battery tray. That, and one of the tool stores had transmission jacks on sale!
So I put it up on stands, rolling my 59 to one side for the time being, and in about three and a half hours, including coffee break, removed the trans. The one thing I can never seem to do with this job is to remove the driveshaft first. So I lowered the trans, pulled it forward and free, and then pulled the driveshaft off. Different perhaps but it works for me. Took it in to the rebuilders, took the driveshaft in for inspection, and cleaned and painted parts like the crossmember and dust shield.
I have to say, these transmission jacks are a snap to use, don't pull a transmission without one. Basically a floor jack with two knobs that let you fine tune the tilt of the plaform that goes under the transmission pan. The only catch is that the combined height of the jack and transmission is more than you can raise the car with most jacks and jackstands. You can buy a King Kong jack and jackstands that raise the car over 30", or slide the trans onto a conventional floor jack, and then to a piece of heavy cardboard and pull it free of the car.
So while I have the trans out and the car up on stands, I decide to take a better look at the front end. Well, I found the right lower control arm had been pushed rearward, probably the previous owner hit a curb pretty hard. So here's the strange part. Control arm does not look bent, BUT - bracket attaching the control arm to the frame is almost completely torn off. (Tried to take a picture, but couldn't yet - keep reading!)
So I know that it will need welding. But you can hardly see the darn thing, and anyway you don't want to weld right near the engine oil pan... so you know what's coming next. I have to remove the engine! I have the local body/frame shop guy come over (yes - house calls!) and he confirms my diagnosis.
Here is the engine coming out. Actually pretty easy. The only goof I made was thinking the two pairs of engine to mount bolts should come out, when the right way to do it is to remove the nuts on the frame mounts from the bottom, thru the holes in the frame. So I removed the AIR pump and alternator when I didn't have to, not a big deal. I also removed the water pump to clear the rad support, even tho I will replace the rad support at some time in the future. Just don't want to get too far ahead of myself yet!
This didn't take long, about 5 hours working slowly and carefully.
Removing the seats and carpet will be next.
I removed the seats, sill plates, and carpet. Now you can see the rusted floorboards. Just the low spots are rusted, probably from the carpet staying wet. Three of the four floorboards will need to be replaced - the fourth, right front is fine, probably because it is higher.
What looks like a patch panel in the bottom picture is actually a heating duct for rear seat heat. Yes, even in 68 they had this! Gotta love Cadillac for being a Cadillac.
Note the hole where the gas pedal is supposed to be!
I found a few things when I took out the interior:
The body build sheet, showing original options of "AIR COND, EZI GLASS, 6 WAY SEAT." This was folded and left somewhere under the rear seat area. I will add it to my binder o' documentation for the car.
A bunch of miscellaneous junk: Laffy Taffy, screwdriver, pliers, an amusement park token saying "round and round she goes, where she stops, nobody knows", a golf tee, a name plate, a lighter, $1.12 in change...
...and four empty shell casings from a .38 Special.
Now that the engine is out you can see the lower control arm brackets, looking down thru the engine compartment while standing in front of the car.
She must have been moving pretty good when she hit that curb!
bOB,
THANKS for sharing your adventure. I am following the progress!
Regards,
Hi Bob,
You post is good to watch. Glad to see someone else is having fun too.
I feel lucky to have a big shed with a hoist.
Enjoy your rebuild.
Ken
Hi Bob,
Regarding your front suspension problem, I have just discovered the exact same problem on my '66 Convertible here in Australia. I have had the car 3 years and it would appear the 77,000 mi on the odometer is genuine. I have had a small noise in the front end for a while. A recent club run took in about 4 mi of dirt roads. When we did a U-turn later there was a loud bang. On checking I found the 'ear' on the RHS rear of the cross member completely broken off! On dissassembly I also found the inner mount through the cross member was also totally torn out - it was all hanging on by....nothing!
I had driven home at 60 MPH and was very lucky.
Cheers, Neil Sommers-Cain, Adelaide, South Australia.
Hi Neil, agree, it does not seem to be a bulletproof design. Definitely can be fixed though.
The "carcass" - car without engine, trans, or interior - is at the local body shop to be welded.
It is minus 8 degrees today in Minnesota and my garage is not heated :-(
The trans is back from the rebuilders. The driveshaft was good as is, they checked the CV joints on it and said they were fine.
Can't wait till warmer weather so I can get started again! My goal is to be driving the car by Labor Day. We'll see.
Bob
It's been a long winter...
I have heard of "White-walls" but White sides and trunk as well?
Sure looks like good weather to be inside.
Bruce. >:D
Hi All, Just letting you know this 67-68 Cadillac only website is back up and running. It may help with restoration and parts info.
http://grou.ps/67_68cadillaccommunity
thanks, Jeff
The Easter Bunny brought(mostly) warmer weather and my garage potato is back from the body shop. They did an awesome job, especially considering how poorly made the panels were. They replaced three floor panels and welded the control arm mount back on. We decided to leave the trunk as is for now. Rob the body guy was almost apologetic for taking money to fix such an old car - he does mostly late model frame and collision, and doesn't understand why anyone in their right mind would spend time and money on something that may never be finished. Well, friends, my goal is to have this car on the road and driving - not concours, just driving - by Labor Day. I have three kids and a full time job. Think I can do it?
Here is a shot of the repaired control arm mount. I also installed the red seat, part of a lot of parts I bought last year. Yes, I know it'll look funky with a mix of gold and red parts until I can convert the whole car to a red/white paint scheme. The leather was in much better condition than what came with the car so easy decision to switch everything out. I'll be selling off the light brown seat as soon as I can prove that the motors on the red seat work.
I could not believe how heavy this seat was! But I got it in and bolted down. No carpet yet. Carpet and top are supposed to be done after paint.
Attended the All GM Show in St. Paul 6/05/11 with the Northstar Cadillac-Lasalle club. Met a guy named Steve who showed his white/red 68 Convertible DeVille. I hope mine looks as nice as that one day! I found out I have to take a certification for work, so I won't get much time in on my car this summer. Would rather be turning wrenches than studying... At least there's lots of shows in the summer here. MSRA Back to the 50's and Car Craft are coming up, those are the big ones, then there are the Cadillac club shows and cruises, weekly shows in Anoka and St. Francis, and our local Culvers frozen custard restaurants put on car shows as well. Ideally, a guy would work on the cars in winter and spend summer taking your car(s) to shows.
Certification is done and still have half the summer left - time to get to work! With the hood off and engine out, there will never be a better time to replace the leaking heater core. When I was done I left it off the car, to have more room when replacing the engine.
Engine number matches the number on the car indicating it is original. Corvette owners get excited about matching numbers - Cadillac owners, not so much. For me, knowing the engine is original makes the trouble I am about to get into seem worth it! Interestingly there was a change to some engine accessories after number 197766. Mine is one of these "late 68" models. Anyone know more about this?
Continuing to tear into engine and inspect. Bottom end looks okay, no blueing. Bunch of plastic pieces in the oil pickup. From timing gear maybe?
Think I need a new timing chain?
First obstacle to getting at the timing chain was the crank snout. I broke the bolts supplied with the puller. After replacing them with some Grade 8 bolts and using an impact wrench on the tool - even though the instructions say not to - I was able to get it off.
Exhaust manifold bolts are thoroughly rusted and all of them broke off. I managed to drill and tap about half of them. This was the my least favorite part so far. For the ones that I couldn't tap properly I will add a gasket and see if that muffles the noise well enough. I didn't attempt to remove the other manifold. Sitting on the fence as to whether to just replace the heads and be done with it. Will do a leak down test soon.
I built lots of model cars and planes as a kid and sometimes I feel like this is just a big model kit, like when I'm painting these individual parts. They were blasted by my friends at Proven Force, then primered with hi heat paint. The engine block was not primered. Cast iron with its rough texture takes paint well without primer. Paint used was Bill Hirsch Cadillac Blue.
I had a problem where the Rustoleum primer I used mixed with the Hirsch top coat, even after a week's drying. I called and was surprised to be connecteed with Bill Hirsch himself. He was very friendly and helpful. He is a Cadillac (and Packard) enthusiast himself, owning a 49, a 69 convertible, a 73 Eldorado and a 75 de Ville.
He said that there is some ingredient in Rustoleum, think it was fish oil? that reacts. His advice was to strip everything and start over, using their brand of grey primer(Seymour Spruce), and to spray, not brush, the steel parts. The first coat of primer should be very light, then a second coat two minutes later. You can color coat the next day. While I was on the phone I also ordered the correct gold paint(actually Ford Gold) for the air cleaner lid, and cast iron grey for the manifolds.
Back to the timing set...
The next hurdle was the distributor. It was so stuck that lifting it with the cherry picker only lifted the whole engine. I removed the compressor and PS pump for better access and hit the gap with a chisel. This only raised the distro about an eight of an inch. After checking the price and availability of new distributors, I decided it had to come out even if I had to smash it to bits! Pounding on it from both top and bottom only resulted in damaging it beyond repair. All this time I was spraying PB blaster where I thought it might do some good.. Finally I read a tip that someone had posted on this board: remove the oil pump and hit it from the bottom with a drift. I didn't have the right size drift but a deep socket and 1/2" extension fit. I had to rotate the engine upside down and hit it with the big sledge to apply enough force, but she finally popped out. Tool police, you know where I live.
The rest of it was duck soup. The crank gear came out with gentle prying and a 3 jaw puller. The cam gear is held by two bolts.
While this was going on my oldest son, 7, said, "Dad, I think I'm old enough to start helping you with the fixing the car."
While waiting for the paint, the new distributor, and other stuff to arrive, I thought I'd do a quick leak down test. Had to get a special 14mm "long reach" fitting as the one supplied with the OTC brand tester would not fit the spark plug socket. All seemed fine except for a leaking exhaust valve on the number one (passenger side front) cylinder... at this point I'm going to say "good enough" (for now) and not tear the engine apart. I want to be driving this thing! The full frame off restoration will have to wait.
Installed new freeze plugs... it had some kind of weird expanding type from before that was probably easier to install with engine still in car. I removed these and put in brass ones. Never did this before but it was easy. Put red loctite on them for insurance. Car must have had some cooling issues because there was no thermostat, the water jackets were full of rust - which I mostly pulled out with a magnet, the heater core leaked, and there was one of these silly flush taps in line with the heater hose. Also it was missing the fan shroud. I'll put everything together the right way including the factory recommended 195 degree thermostat... and see what happens!
Trying to determine if my carburetor is original . The stamp on the left side by the secondaries reads "7029232" with smaller numbers below that reading "1926."
From information on cliffshighperformance.com:
702 is Federal, 65-69
9 indicates 1969
2 indicates Federal emissions
3 indicates division is Cadillac, at least that's right
2 indicates transmission, even numbers are usually automatic
So everything sounds right except that it's a 1969 model. Probably a safe bet that it's not original - dang!
The transmission is a replacement as well. At least the engine block is original. Anyone know of any other numbers on the car that can be verified?
Another good weekend. Replaced the fuel pump and painted about half the remaining engine parts - ran out of paint! Found an original fuel filter on eBay.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then Yogi Bear is the father. Anyway, check out my homemade tool for installing the crank gear. Also check out the difference between old and new cam gear! Last shot is of everything together before reinstalling timing cover.
Installed the oil pump, timing cover with new front seal, balancer and pulley. Installed the oil pan, rocker covers, exhaust manifolds (painted cast iron grey) and new starter. Also painted and installed the brackets for the air pump, alternator, and power steering.
Can't buy a new power steering cooler and the one on it looks bad (bent fins, rusty) - maybe the local radiator shop can restore it?
Missing the brace for the starter, think one from a Chevy will fit, looking...
Authenticity manual says there was no ground strap by the starter, but mine has one. You can never have enough grounds on the engine. When I do the frame off restoration many years from now maybe I will remove it!
I'm always pleasantly surprised how easy it is to get mechanical parts for my '68, and how reasonably priced they are. Soon it will be time to put the engine back in the car!
Had a problem where the oil pump wouldn't turn. I installed a new oil pump and gasket after cleaning the mating surface again. Before I installed it I dipped the gears in oil. I was able to turn the pump by hand. I filled the oil filter and put a few more quarts of oil in the engine. I was able to bring the pressure up to 60 psi by turning the distributor shaft with my impact wrench.
Looking back I think I might have nicked the oil pump mating area on the block when I pounded on the extension to get the distributor out! But, it never hurts anything to replace the oil pump, and the old one did have a few score marks inside.
Installed engine - much easier without heater box or water pump! Fired it up just for a minute. Will need timing adjustment, some backfiring but seems okay otherwise. Next weekend I will install the transmission and whatever else I find time for.
This weekend, I installed the trans and driveshaft. Trans was rebuilt by Proven Force of Brooklyn Park, MN. Good guys to deal with.
Again, pretty easy if you have a transmission jack and tall jackstands. My four year old watched the whole thing. He's going to be a car guy, I can tell!
Radiator and power steering cooler were cleaned out and painted by Tom's Radiator in Anoka, MN. If you're in the area I recommend him highly as well.
Engine accessories are next.
Exhaust system ordered from Classic Exhaust, ETA is 2-3 weeks so Oct 14th or so. Hoping the weather stays nice!
Bob,
Your progress is impressive. I hope you post a review of your exhaust when you get it. I'm debating getting an exhaust from the same company.
Hi Aaron, thanks for your comment. I will write about the exhaust when I get it. Progress isn't as fast as I'd like but it feels good to finally be putting it all together.
Yesterday I bolted in the alternator, and the power steering pump - lockwashers on all the PS bolts? Is this correct? Maybe somebody in the past added them.
Because of the belt configuration, neither the water pump nor the alternator will run unless the Air Injection Reactor (AIR) pump belt is also in place. Clever way to prevent you from ever disconnecting the AIR! Since my AIR pump is seized, and I want to keep the car totally stock I ordered a new pump from RockAuto right away. If I weren't interested in being correct I'd reposition the alternator or get a deeper water pump pulley and use a longer belt.
Next: Putting the heater box back in. It is still convertible weather today in Minnesota but that could change soon.
AIR pump is in. Greenies, rejoice!
All belts and accessories hooked up: A/C compressor, power steering, AIR pump, water pump, alternator. The replacement alternator has a "bump" on it where the old one had none, making it hard to get the belt on without removing the clip for the AIR tube. When the belt stretches out I'll be able to add the clip and bolt back in, behind the alternator. Also installed the heater hose over the alternator, along with the A/C hose. This has to be the most crowded part of the engine room.
Installed heater box, pretty easy. Connected radiator hoses, heater hoses. 5/8 hose from block to valve requires a molded hose with 90 degree bend. My 3/4 hose appears to be a molded hose as well. Left it original since parts store did not have any 3/4 hose. Should replace later.
Filled cooling system. Noticed a leak from one expansion plug, fortunately it was the rear drivers side, not hard to reach if you turn the steering all the way right. Drain the coolant again with the neighborhood kids and dogs watching. Put in a steel plug instead of brass, that was all I could find on a Sunday morning! Re filled coolant and ran the engine, again without exhaust system - it sounds like four Harleys at once but no one has complained yet. Problemo solved.
Next: exhaust system, brakes, fan shroud, drag link, shocks, tires. Temp gauge inop, as are power windows. It never ends!
I had a sticking wheel cylinder? so I replaced one brake hose and wheel cylinder. Shoes and drums look fairly new. The exhaust system arrived today (10/24/11.) More to come including photos.
Hey Bob, from your blog I can see why we haven't seen much of you since early summer. Maybe you can get the family out of the house this weekend and join us for the FALL BRUNCH at GULDEN'S. Sounds like you all can use a day off!
Duane
Hey Duane, I didn't see your post until now.
The exhaust system is in. This was easy to do and didn't take that long. The parts were all of good quality and look like the original, at least what I had left of it (see photos.) The parts that are not included are the clamps - available from any auto parts store - and the hangers, which are a little trickier.
I used four 2 1/2" clamps and one 2 1/4" clamp for the resonator hanger.
There are three hangers and they are unique to Cadillac. One was fabricated, one was scored NOS on eBay, and the middle one I just sort of cobbled together.
Once the parts were all bolted together finger tight, I checked the alignment and clearance, then tightened.
Then drove the old beast out of the garage into cold storage. Something is still funky with the brakes, maybe they need adjustment?
Here are a couple of pictures of the installed exhaust. I was so happy to be finished that I forgot to take pictures while it was up on stands, so these will have to do for now. I'm sure I'll be under the car again next spring!
I found this model kit that I can build over the winter with my boys.
Oh man, I'd love to find a model kit for my '68 Eldo.
Hey bob , I have 68 coupe soft top resto. Do you have vacuum, and wiring diagrams pics. I'm having problems with vacuum on trans. I do not know where it connects to. I will send pics.
Quote from: Carl Glass on December 04, 2011, 09:41:34 AM
Oh man, I'd love to find a model kit for my '68 Eldo.
I don’t know if there were any 68 Eldo model kits, if there were they are very rare. But sometimes on Ebay you can find a promo. These were made by JoHan IIRC and were available at the dealer. Usually in the same colors as the real cars. The promos came in two types, with or without the friction motor.
These promos can be expensive and over the years the plastic can warp so they are distorted. I have two, one 68 and one 69. The 67 and 70 are more available in the kit form.
Memorial Day weekend and time to get going again. New battery cables, set the timing and idle speed, installed Pertronix Flamethrower II ignition and coil, new rotor, cap, and wires. It purrs like a kitten! A 4600 pound kitten.
There were two 1968 convertibles at the Mancini's dinner so I'm freshly inspired to get this beast on the road.
Replaced the center link to remove steering play, but it's not all gone - I need to replace the idler arm and probably the steering box, too.
More work to do, much more.
Replaced steering box, drag link, and idler arm. The bolt holding the flex coupling is 12 point. The pitman arm pulls off with this handy tool (and a lot of force.) Had trouble bleeding the power steering system at first - lots of groaning from the pump - but got it right the second time.
Also replaced the wiper transmission and both wiper arms (obtained from a parts car.) The old ones had stripped splines and spun useslessly when the wipers were turned on. Wiper arms remove/install by putting a DRILL BIT in the little hole, something you wouldn't know unless you read the manual!
Thanks for the u[date Bob! The pictures really help. Keep on keep on!
Bob, nice work! Now get that air cleaner cleaned and repainted! ;D The air cleaner lid on our Calais looked like the one on your vert. I cleaned it and painted it so it looks pretty original. Although not original, I did clearcoat over the gold basecoat in an effort to keep it from getting rusty like the OEM paint job did. That looked so good I started on the air cleaner base. Although I'm having a real problem getting the black paint to lay down well (I'm now about to start my third paint strip job)I think when I get it finished it will really dress things up under the hood. I located a vendor online who stocked the '472' as a vinyl decal, but have opted to have a friend who does vinyl recreate it only as a 'negative' so I can use it as a mask to paint the label on so it looks more like OEM.
Do it, you'll be glad you did.
Hi Gene and fellow club members
It has been very hot and humid all summer, not good painting weather. That has changed now so I am working on painting the interior parts. Sometimes I think part of what drives this project is the parts that I happen to find for sale. More about that later.
I replaced the right rear control arm. Somehow that got bent too by the previous owner. Only explanantion is this car was used in The Dukes of Hazzard for jumping canyons. Now I know why the back of the car did not sit level!
It took a sawzall and four hacksaw blades to get the bolt off, but I got it off and replaced the arm. Finally she was sitting level.
I also replaced the front shocks. Old ones were from K-Mart, with a groovy rainbow logo.
Then today Andover Frame was able to successfully align the front end. That's what I would call a major milestone!
My money is on someone trying to lift the car putting one of the arms of the lift on that LCA. That's pretty far under the car to not have any other damage to neighboring parts. The arm doesn't have much strength in the direction it's bent, and the back of a Cadillac, even being the light end, is still a lot of weight.
Nice work so far.
Found a dash with stereo speakers! Painted it with vinyl paint - took me a few tries to get the right shade of red. Painted the A pillars and replaced lower dash with red dash. Painted steering column. I already had a red steering wheel but had to swap parts around to keep the tilt/tele. Even painted the rear seat leather red with vinyl paint. It doesn't work as well on leather.
Installed the seatbelts (still tan, not red) and rear seat. Backed off the timing just a hair, so it wouldn't knock. Then went for a few drives with everyone! It feels so good to be finally driving this thing. Still lots of work to do. But she rides so nice! So smooth, tracks so straight, engine is powerful and quiet.
Next: (2 year plan)
Trunk Floor
Top Mechanism
Convertible Top
Replace rad cradle, front fenders
Cylinder Heads? Carburetor?
Strip and paint!
Gene - good theory about bending the control arm on a lift, that makes sense.
Now comes the fun part - driving! The idea is to begin with short trips and gradually build up more confidence in the car, as I go longer distances without any major problems.
Drove to work this morning, with the top down (wore a hat.) Saw 80 on the speedometer. Slight shake, possible wheel imbalance, otherwise drives great. This may be the smoothest riding car I've ever been in.
Took my coworkers for a lunchtime drive, then four car shows in three daya! Northstar Cadillac Club, Culvers, Ramsey (bottom picture), and Anoka.
Im doing a 68 conv too and when I shook out my oil pump it looked just like yours. Ha crazy and my car still ran pretty good. Not sure how.
William
Hi William,
I suppose the chunks of plastic from the timing gear are big enough that the screen on the pump stops them from going further. I just remember being amazed when I shook it out - what is all this crap? Ha ha ha....
Where are you and how far along is your convertible? I'm in Minneapolis - St. Paul area. Isn't 68 a classic year? I just love it. Last year of the old school style, first year of the new engine!
Confirmed I had the incorrect wheels on the car, thanks to fellow club members! This club is the greatest for restoration information.
See the photos below.
1. A regular rim from a Chevy or other GM car - not a Cadillac. Note how narrow the outer "lip" of the rim is.
2. The correct Cadillac rim. The lip is wider than in the first picture. Note marks where the "teeth" of the wheel cover have contacted the lip.
3. The special Cadillac balancing weight. It is "inboard" to clear the wheel cover when it is installed on the wheel.
Without 2. and 3. above, the wheel cover will not fit. This is what I love about restoration work, you have to track down details like this and get them right.
I am getting some rims off a 68 that I think are original, will find out next week.
Quote from "Cadillac Tim:"
"The 68 rims were similar to the 65-67, with the inside hub area four "tabs" welded to the outer rim from the front. In other words, the welded tabs are visible from the front of the rim. The tabs on 69 and up rims are welded on the backside of the outer rim.
The 68 rim is different from the 65-67 in that it has a deeper and flatter recess for the disc brakes. The rims from a 69-76 will work fine on your 68, just aren't technically correct."
Quote from: Bob Steur on September 18, 2012, 04:46:04 PM
Even painted the rear seat leather red with vinyl paint. It doesn't work as well on leather.
For Leather SEM makes their Sure Coat line. It is water based vs the solvent based Color Coat you are using. Red is a hard color to respray because it is somewhat transparent. It requires multiple light coats. Looks nice though even the leather.
Hi 66 Eldo, thanks for your comment, I will try that! Water based sounds like it would be gentler on the leather, letting it breathe and not drying it out... Should I strip the Color Coat off the leather first, and if so, what is the right way to do this - without harming the leather?
Yes I totally agree on 68 being one of the classic years. It is surely one of my all time favorites, and still relatively affordable. Some people like the 67's better. Not me I think they made the 68 so much more elegant by redoing the grill area and hiding the windshield wipers. Although I do have plans to put in 67 door panels and side mirror. The interior is the only downfall of the 68's in my opinion. Yea when I started seeing the plastic pieces coming out of the oil pump they just kept coming and coming.
I have redone most of my motor, I have a bad ground that is keeping my battery from charging some how. I hope soon to install a new under hood harness. My most recent fun has been getting my windows to operate fully. I heard for disc brake conversions the later wheels are what you need.
William
Looking good! The more you drive it, the better you'll like it.
I had to use the later wheels to fit discs. My spare had a disc compatible type wheel but the others were drum-style. I'm pretty sure those were the wheels the car was shipped with in 68.
Hi Bob,
I'm enjoying your blog. I agree that '68 is one of my favorite Caddy years, and a convertible is always my favorite body style. The gold over red color scheme actually looks pretty nice, though I think you said your long term plan is to paint it white. Seems like in that era every car on the road was gold. Back then I hated it, but now I kind of like gold for the nostalgia of it.
Enjoy your good work!
-mB
Bob,
Your blog is great and appreciate your time to posting pictures and insights on doing the repairs. I recently bought `68 DeVille Convertible myself and truly love the style and ride; the 472 is a nice plus! 8).
This upcoming summer I need to replace exhaust gaskets on mine as the passenger bank is starting to leak. I'm looking for a shop here is the St Paul (MN) area that can do this as I do not have the equipment tapping and drilling out the bolts that will most likely snap off. Any advice in a reputable shop would be appreciated.
Matt
Hi Matt! This is a common problem as the head bolts on 68 are smaller than on later years and can easily snap off. If you can't just live with the leak, you are looking at removing the head to take it to a machine shop. I can't recommend anyone as so far I have done most of the work on my car by myself - not always the best, but I'm learning.
My plan is to remove both my heads and replace them with exchange rebuilt heads, thus solving the exhaust leak problem as well as the sticking exhaust valve I have on one cylinder. I might do this in summer, stay tuned, and good luck with your car. Agree these are great cars, so easy to work on and so nice to cruise in.
Awesome work Bob, And to think you did most of it yourself!
I really like my 1968 DVC, some great firsts and lasts with them:
Firsts:
All new V8 472 CI engine with accessories like AC compressor provisioned fro the start
Longer hood hiding the wipers
Shrouded rectangular mirrors (with an optional and hard to find right side)
Front disc brakes as an option in the RWDs
Lasts:
Real wood trim in the interior (for many years)
Vent windows (and power rear vents on Fleetwood 60 series)
Plus that awesome rear bumper will the fully chromed lower and chromed tail light housings.
I had to have most of the work one mine done by others, but I had a large hand in exactly how things were done. I really admire what you've done with yours. I might have to start a thread on mine - which underwent a the scenic route on restoration!
At the Sonic Drive In with my sons. First time I took the car out this summer. I have done no work except to change the oil and put air in the tires.
Thanks to everyone for your kind comments. I hope to get going on the restoration again before too much longer.