Hello everyone! This is my first post and first Cadillac project. I work for The Honest Charley Garage and have been restoring and working on old cars most of my life! At the shop, I'm the body shop manager, but also do pretty much everything else that has to do with restoration. I also run our woodgraining service as well as make wood spoke wheels.
Three months ago I started on this wonderful project, a 47 Cadillac barn find with 32,000 original miles. It was purchased while we were filming an episode of a new television series called "Back Road Gold" It's a show that will be airing October 23rd. on the History Channel. It stars my boss Corky Coker and his son-in law Greg Cunningham ( my other boss) as they travel the country looking for that elusive barn find and other pieces of automobile related history. Anyway, This car was not used in the show as Corky wanted to keep it for himself and use it as one of his drivers.
The original plan was to just keep the car in it's original patina and just drive it, but several poor paint touch ups over the years and some ones great idea of spray painting everything in the engine compartment flat black, including the engine, belts,hoses wiring, EVERYTHING, It was decided to do a body on frame full cosmetic restoration, So now nearly Three months later I have decided to join this forum! I wish I would have joined it from the start as I have had a lot of questions through this process and I know I will have many more! I have grown quite attached to this car and have developed a new interest in Cadillacs! I hope to hear from some of you guy's on here, especially anyone that has experience with the late forties Cadillacs.
Jonathan Myren (honestcaddy)
some more pics. taken before the restoration
Welcome to the club!!
You have done a beautiful job so far - these are great looking and excellent touring cars, and I am sure you will enjoy it.
It is always hard to decide whether to keep a nice low mileage original car in its original condition, or go for it and do the full restoration -
I think we would all love to hear more about your wood graining, and see how the dash in your 47 comes out. Some have gone for the dipping method, but that is not always an option (I have a 1942 with tiger grain dash that would not be a candidate for dipping).
Pictures - we love pictures.
Hello Jonathan
Welcome to the CLC Forum!
Here is some data:
1947 Cadillac 6269
Price $2523
Production 25,834
Weight 4235
CLC International Directory 37
CCCA Full Classic
Please keep us abreast of your project.
Quote from: TMoore - NTCLC on September 21, 2013, 03:52:27 PM
Welcome to the club!!
You have done a beautiful job so far - these are great looking and excellent touring cars, and I am sure you will enjoy it.
It is always hard to decide whether to keep a nice low mileage original car in its original condition, or go for it and do the full restoration -
I think we would all love to hear more about your wood graining, and see how the dash in your 47 comes out. Some have gone for the dipping method, but that is not always an option (I have a 1942 with tiger grain dash that would not be a candidate for dipping).
Pictures - we love pictures. TMoore, I will gladly post more picture. I Tried sending several but only half of them loaded.
I take great pride in our wood graining program! We have always done all our own graining for our cars in the Coker museum as well as our customers restoration projects, but recently we decided to offer this service to everyone! We have most all of the original graining plates used by the auto manufacturers from the early twenties through the mid fifties and have an extensive database of the original base colors and ink colors, so getting the proper and correct color is guarenteed!
The customer sends us the parts they want grained. once we receive them they are media blasted then etch primed. We then repair any damage, dents, rust holes etc. once the body work is complete the parts are epoxy primed, oven baked then wet sanded. base color is applied then the wood graining process is done then baked again. After that we apply three coats of clear and bake again. all this is done in our new state the art full downdraft booth. The average turn around time is two weeks. We have just finished filming a video about our service with details about the entire process, once it's edited I will post a link to it.
Jonathan Myren
Absolutely Beautiful - yes, please post a link to the video as soon as it is complete -
Here are some more pics
C.R. Patton, Thanks for the information!
Jonathan Looks great.
We'd love to have you as a CLC member. Check out member info on home page.
Next convention will be Lake George, NY summer 2014. Bring that sweet car with you. I believe we had 309 cars registered at this years show.
Mike
Mike, thanks! I will look into that.
Jonathan m.
Some more pics. I wish they were in order.
I can only upload two at a time, if any more they won't load.
We got a lot done on the 47 today!
Buffed the hood and started to put some of her jewelry on.
I'm still having some issues fitting the front fenders to the doors, but we will get lined out!
We got the trunk interior done today!
And some more parts put on.
Putting the hood on ;D
Here's another picture
Hi Jonathan, Nice ride you're working on. NICE work. A Cadillac for Corky, we'll just call it "CORKY'S CADDY".
Is this the Corky Coker from Vegas????
L Bryant LeFlyer@yahoo.com 239-410-4513
'79 Eldo Biarritz
Quote from: LeFlyer1 on September 25, 2013, 07:29:00 PM
Hi Jonathan, Nice ride you're working on. NICE work. A Cadillac for Corky, we'll just call it "CORKY'S CADDY".
Is this the Corky Coker from Vegas????
L Bryant LeFlyer@yahoo.com 239-410-4513
'79 Eldo Biarritz
Thanks! This is for the Corky Coker from Chattanooga, TN owner of Coker Tire.
Very cool. I have a set on the 52. Will you be using Coker tires on your ride? Haha
Mike
You bet! Nothing looks better than a set of wide (5")Firestone's!
We took the 47 for a little test drive yesterday! We just had to see what she looked like out in the natural light.
You are to be congratulated on a good looking restoration and I bet it drives as good as it looks. One comment from a safety stand point. The first picture of this posting showing the engine also shows a carb overflow line routed in the wrong direction. The overflow line leaves the carb on the right side of the carb then makes a 90 degree turn and goes back on the right side of the engine to the back of the engine, Then the line starts down and crosses over to the left side of the bell housing and straight down. A small clamp holds the line to the left side of the bell housing. Routing of the over flow is routed this way to keep any chance of fuel away from the exhaust pipe. Picture below Bill
Bill, Thanks for that information! I will get that fixed! Here at the Honest Charley Garage we restore all makes of vehicles from the American Underslung to Zephers. So help from forums are always appreciated. Luckily our Caddy started off as a 32,000 mile car and not to many things have been messed with, however the carb and fuel lines had been at one time.
Looks as though you have a beautiful restoration going on as well!
and your right! our car drives like a new one! can't believe how smooth it shifts and rides!
wonderfull car. and restoration
i've watched corky on youtube numbers of times :)
Jonathan Great looking car, I have been restoring my 1947 sedan for a while now. I have been trying to do the woodgraining and finally gave up ready to paint it a solid color. All of my pieces are in really good shape and you know how many there are, what would be a average price for your company to do this? I would like to know before I go any farther thanks. Marty