I have seen this sort of thread / subject on other car forums and it usually is entertaining and or interesting reading. This is where you post about something that may be interesting or unique that doesn't quite deserve its own thread. I will start us out.
Today I was out driving the 73 and got the first full tank of the season. $2.35 for non ethanol premium which some stations really seem to emphasize the premium part when it comes to the price . I have seen it lower especially for the ethanol stuff but its already pretty low so I just got it at a spot that was convenient. I plan to do enough driving that the ethanol won't likely make much difference. I suppose I could even try regular since I have a low compression motor and can easily mess with the 'tune' if I needed to on my EFI system.
Near the end of the otherwise nice day out I decided to swing by a local big box store and see if the crowds were down to a more typical level. Nope so I decided to go out the back way and apparently my brain was still calibrated for the VW I had driven earlier and cut around a median in the parking lot too sharp and ran the back tire over it. Other than looking pretty stupid no apparent damage done.
I called up my mechanic to tell him that I found a job so I am pouring (more) money into "The Beast". He will pull the engine to replace soft plugs and anything else needing a change.
Today I spun a new cork gasket on my lathe, for the carburetor to Air Cleaner, in an attempt to stop the AC cleaner from moving around while driving, (as reported in the Technical thread of this Forum). For those following that thread, the unit has all the gaskets but this new one may grab better, (and fit tighter), and I will also try Jose and Jon's idea as a fix as well.
Making gaskets can be fun, and on the lathe I mounted a flat sacrificial board onto the lathe's steel face plate with 4 screws. Outside, I sprayed the receiving side of the wood (on the face plate), with Elmer's spray adhesive and let it sit for about 5 minutes to let it partially dry. I pre-cut a swatch of gasket material and placed it on the tacky backing to hold it in place. It accepts machining, but because I let the adhesive partially dry, everything can be peeled off the mounting board when done, and is ready for use. Now I got a great looking, perfect and extra thick gasket that should hold up longer. It was also cheaper than buying a replacement, which are not only getting hard to find, but those still available are micro thin and easily damaged as well as expensive. See attached pic of the new cork one made on the lathe, which I dry fitted onto a spare Rochester 4GC to ensure a proper fit. Clay/Lexi
Edit: If your gasket material is too thin, you could always bond them together, let dry, then proceed. So you can have basically any gasket thickness you want. As a word of caution, machining soft materials is not as precise as working with wood, or especially metal. There is material movement and flex, so accurate measurements and a bit of luck helps. Today I got "lucky", but don't follow me around if you plan on buying lottery tickets...
I try to adjust the choke on my 56. But now it is too rich as it won’t step down to slow idle. It just go to half on the idle cam. So when I turned the ignition off, it started dieseling.😂. I think i’m gonna remove some tension to the thermostat coil!
I took our 64 to do the weekly shopping. 8)
Took the 49 to my mechanic friend to check the speedometer which was growling like an electric drill with a bad bearing. Lubed it using a device that starts from the transmission end. Helped some, so went ahead and dismantled the Speedo using instructions from Jay Friedman. A bit of sewing machine oil and it’s just like new.
I've been using the pandemic time to address a huge list of things I've been wanting to do on my 1962 Coupe Deville. Over the last 2 months the list of accomplishments (and setbacks) is getting pretty long. Yesterday I pulled the evaporator core for the AC to see if that is where my refrigerant leak was coming from. Of course, it wasn't.
Fortunately, by the end of the day I identified the problem as being my newly rebuilt suction throttling valve. I apparently damaged the gasket when I put it together. Now I'm waiting on another gasket to rebuild the valve yet again and recharge the system.
Hopefully, I'll have functional AC by this time next week.
Johnny
I started up 3 cars today.
Took each of them around the neighborhood.
The 60 started right up as well as the 70 Eldo that lives on the lift about it.
A pleasant surprise on the 70 Eldo was the blast of ice cold air coming out of the dash.
An even better surprise was finding a small bottle of Purell in the console.
The 70 DeVille also started right up and I took they one for a short ride as well.
A pleasant day but the weekend is going to be wet and cold again.
Looked at mine as I walked past it. ;)
Bruce. >:D
I spent the afternoon shining up and checking over Big Red in preparation for a Saturday cruise/parade passing by many of the assisted living facilities in my area (Indian River County, Florida). We will stay in our cars, there will be lots of horn blowing and waving. The facilities are aware we are coming and will have the residents out or at their room windows as much as possible. Probably take a good 2 hours. Should be a fun time, weather should be warm and sunny. Should be a lot of cars participating and we will be escorted by the Indian River County Sheriff's Department. Also taking the '68 Bonneville convertible, with the top down of course.
Drove to the bank with my business associate pictured. He is one of the best, never complains, works for reasonable compensation, and only speaks when he is something worthwhile to contribute.
I took the STS out to get a smog check for registration. Every 2 years it’s required here in California. Car had been driven 633 miles in the last 2 years.
I guess the plate is appropriate... “NVR DRVNâ€.
Now at approximately 25,000 miles.
The Bruce Roe switch pitch controller for my '65 CDV came today. I was able to get it installed and working this afternoon. Was able to go for a short ride just before dinner time, and it is working as advertised. Now that I know it is working I'll make the wiring a bit neater tomorrow and give it another, longer test drive!
Waited on FedEx for the fourth day in a row for a 'bay ordered rebuildable 1950 Cadillac "Westclox" dash clock. Seller shipped said clock last Friday and the clock was at my local FedEx depot in Sacramento on Sunday. Was to have been delivered Monday, then Tuesday, then Wednesday, then today...Nothing doing, unmet promises and hour waits on the last four calls to FedEx. Crazy times these be! I'll keep on patiently waiting...
Suffice to say FedEx is BUSY these days as their trucks have gone by my house on a cul-de-sac at least two times a day over the last four days.
Ordered another clock from another seller that is using the USPS and that clock will be here tomorrow. I should have an extra clock in a month or so...patience...
Going to turn the used clock right around to be converted to a quartz movement. Clockworks seems to have the best turnaround and rep here on the board. Mine is perfect except for two small cracks on the clock face.
Love these darn Cadillacs!
Quote from: bctexas on May 07, 2020, 11:33:12 PM
The Bruce Roe switch pitch controller for my '65 CDV came today. I was able to get it installed and working this afternoon. Was able to go for a short ride just before dinner time, and it is working as advertised. Now that I know it is working I'll make the wiring a bit neater tomorrow and give it another, longer test drive!
Interesting. I still have to look into this. I bought a kickdown switch off of a forum member and that still didn't do the trick so I have to dig deeper.
Let's see, nothing has happened yet today, but yesterday, I received a new completed trunk kit from Jenkins Interiors.
Picked it up from dealer for exhaust leak, which will need an intake manifold to fix it. Also did one wire alt, new rear Monroe HD air shocks, which helped hugely to make this ole gurl less nautical. Now this car rides like I remember that these could. I probably haven't been in a 65 or 66 Fleetwood for 50 years or so.
So little by little, well actually, as fast as I can, I'm working through the numerous issues I had on this 66 Fleetwood I received three week ago. I've gotten it to where it does shine a little better (after letting it sit for a couple of weeks in the body shop for a paint correction and the car just sat there) so I brought it home and did it myself.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KWpojKTHfX8ejYV2A
Figured out why there's always heat on it the '61 DeVille- took the little door off about the middle of the car, near the AC center outlet and found the Bowden cable disconnected from the heat control valve. Hooked it up and went for about a 75 mile drive. BTW, TJ , we're getting premium non-oxy gas up here at $1.94. (Duluth,MN) T.Irvin
I didn't drive it very far, but the '81 Seville started right up and I backed it out of the garage so I could get the lawn tractor out and mow the lawn. Did the whole thing so I had to move the two cars parked on the grass in front of the garage so I could mow there, too. Then picked up sticks after attaching the trailer to the tractor. This old person was quite tired when he got through.
We have a running commentary on the American Station Wagon Owners Assoc site.
I replaced my spark plug wires today on the 56 Cadillac. Some of them are too short to weave through the spreader/holders though. I sent Fusick a note that not all models can have the same length wires. Everything works though as a finale to the oil change, spark plugs, points/condenser, and rotor I did over the last 2 weeks.
It's good to stay busy. I'm running out of projects......uh-oh!
Quote from: K_Cassutt on May 07, 2020, 02:33:12 PM
I called up my mechanic to tell him that I found a job so I am pouring (more) money into "The Beast". He will pull the engine to replace soft plugs and anything else needing a change.
Whoa! Pouring money indeed! :-)
Pulling an Eldorado engine is not a trivial task -- that monstrous hood has to come off too, you know -- so have every little thing done while it is out. That goes for the transmission too.
Let's just say he was more excited about my new job than my wife!
Every little thing checked out indeed!
Quote from: jaxops on May 08, 2020, 09:32:28 AM
We have a running commentary on the American Station Wagon Owners Assoc site.
I replaced my spark plug wires today on the 56 Cadillac. Some of them are too short to weave through the spreader/holders though. I sent Fusick a note that not all models can have the same length wires. Everything works though as a finale to the oil change, spark plugs, points/condenser, and rotor I did over the last 2 weeks.
It's good to stay busy. I'm running out of projects......uh-oh!
That means time for another car.
Quote from: jaxops on May 08, 2020, 09:32:28 AM
I replaced my spark plug wires today on the 56 Cadillac. Some of them are too short to weave through the spreader/holders though.
Out of curiosity Mark, does your '56 still have the spark plug wire loom holder (that the rubber "spreader/holders" are inserted into)? If yes, it may be too far back towards the firewall. They do have a nasty tendency to move though, and I have found them to be not a stable system to maintain wire loom length. Clay/Lexi
I've been dragging my butt on an A/C and under hood rehab on my 64 CdV. Reassembled the rehabbed heater box last week, and getting set to do the same on the evaporator box. Had pass fender off already, and took the rest of the nose off this week, except the rad support. Might get that off today. After that the engine/trans get pulled for cleaning/resealing/painting, plus a new timing chain - just to be sure. ;)
Next week will be more fun as I clean and refinish everything I pulled off of it up until now.
Quote from: 67_Eldo on May 08, 2020, 09:51:32 AM
Whoa! Pouring money indeed! :-)
Pulling an Eldorado engine is not a trivial task -- that monstrous hood has to come off too, you know -- so have every little thing done while it is out. That goes for the transmission too.
Here is a solution I found to the problem of removing and securing a large heavy hood. I purchased this device from Summit Racing. It secures to the lift beam of my engine cherry picker. Worked like a charm, and I was able to handle this task alone. Bear in mind that I am not a large person - 5 foot 3, age 65 - and I still did it. You DO still have to hold onto it so that the assembly doesn't pivot out of control into someplace you don't want the hood to be - like into your windshield!
The first photo is of the hood fixture attached to my hoist, and supporting the hood, just before I took out the hood bolts from the hinges.
The second photo is of the car just before starting this week's activity on it. It runs well, but leaks oil *everywhere*. Same for the trans. This is why they are coming out. You can see where I cleaned and repainted the evaporator chamber. There had been a sizeable mouse nest in there.
Bill,
You are genius!
OK, please the link, part number or someway to figure out how to buy the hood holder from Summit that works on a cherry picker. I have to install the hood on a car I'm working on, and dreading the idea of bringing in two other guys, the scheduling and etc.
Thanks,
Scot
Quote from: Scot Minesinger on May 08, 2020, 12:45:53 PM
Bill,
You are genius!
OK, please the link, part number or someway to figure out how to buy the hood holder from Summit that works on a cherry picker. I have to install the hood on a car I'm working on, and dreading the idea of bringing in two other guys, the scheduling and etc.
Thanks,
Scot
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mrm-m998090 (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mrm-m998090)
There you go! I have purchased quite a bit from Summit, and they are first rate. Shipping is FAST.
That thing was a great invention!
Looks like I got to get me one of those. Thanks for posting. Clay/Lexi
Here's a shot that is a little easier to take it all in.
Quote from: 35-709 on May 08, 2020, 01:22:50 PM
Here's a shot that is a little easier to take it all in.
Thank you!
One thing I think I will try when I put the hood back on, is to tie a piece of rope to either the hood latch or the top section of the fixture, so that I can more easily control the tilt of the hood from behind the hoist. That might make things a bit easier to control.
Quote from: 2manycars on May 08, 2020, 01:01:20 PM
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mrm-m998090 (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mrm-m998090)
There you go! I have purchased quite a bit from Summit, and they are first rate. Shipping is FAST.
That thing was a great invention!
2nd and 3rd that. Amazing how much old car stuff Summit can come up with for fast and cheap. Not just a hot rod / drag racing supplier.
Quote from: scotth3886 on May 08, 2020, 01:31:15 PM
2nd and 3rd that. Amazing how much old car stuff Summit can come up with for fast and cheap. Not just a hot rod / drag racing supplier.
4th it about Summit. I have used them for several builds and their customer service is the best that I have experienced in the business, especially surrounding parts fitment issues and quality control on certain items purchased. Order your stuff early enough in the day and the parts are waiting at your doorstep for the work that is planned the next day. Keeps my ADD from overtaking the planned job...
Quote from: 2manycars on May 08, 2020, 12:00:14 PM
Here is a solution I found to the problem of removing and securing a large heavy hood.
That is great!
We pulled the hood on my '67 Eldorado in Auto Body class and it took five of us to put it back on.
The main problems are the "floating nut" assemblies that make it impossible to simply stick in a hood-holding bolt and tighten it. Even though the shop manual provides a vital tip -- screw studs into the floating-nut assemblies as guide pins -- you still end up having to chase those bolts around a bit as you're putting stuff back together.
One of those fixtures would have probably kept everything steady enough to ease the pain of re-attachment.
Got the steering sorted out on the Eldorado. Took it up to Williamsburg and back at lunchtime.
Ha, ha... interesting topic while we're all stuck in the middle of a pandemic. So, at least it gave me time to spend on issues I haven't gotten to like cleaning and polishing the dash surfaces and knobs in my 1964 sedan. Then I replaced a headlight. I have been out a few times in the Cadillac and able to at least enjoy a nice drive, although to know where but back home again. I work the car show circuit as a vendor so its going to be an interesting season, and not in a good way.
I still prefer the rope method of removing the Hood, and a lot cheaper, with no chance of removing paint.
Bruce. >:D
There's only one problem with that hood tool. It states that the weight limit is only 100 pounds. Everybody knows that a Cadillac hood is a minimum of 500 pounds, LOL!!!
All joking aside, I think I'm going to have to get one of those too, or try to make my own. I'm tired of trying to remove and install hoods by myself. It's possible, but not easy. And I'm getting too old for this crap now.
Thanks for the tip about this.
Rick
Quote from: Cadman-iac on May 09, 2020, 12:21:56 AM
There's only one problem with that hood tool. It states that the weight limit is only 100 pounds. Everybody knows that a Cadillac hood is a minimum of 500 pounds, LOL!!!
All joking aside, I think I'm going to have to get one of those too, or try to make my own. I'm tired of trying to remove and install hoods by myself. It's possible, but not easy. And I'm getting too old for this crap now.
Thanks for the tip about this.
Rick
I'll be honest with you -- I never even noticed about the capacity. I stumbled onto it when I was shopping for a new engine stand. I saw it there and bought it, and an engine stand. The engine stand I got has a crank on it for rotating the engine. I should be trying that out with a certain 429 before Monday is out. ;)
Quote from: lexi on May 08, 2020, 10:40:49 AM
Out of curiosity Mark, does your '56 still have the spark plug wire loom holder (that the rubber "spreader/holders" are inserted into)? If yes, it may be too far back towards the firewall. They do have a nasty tendency to move though, and I have found them to be not a stable system to maintain wire loom length. Clay/Lexi
Yes I have 2 of them. One pulls the wires back to the center of the valve cover, and the others float between there and the distributor cap. That's what I meant when I said the wires came up short. Even without the spreaders/holders, the wires are a bit short.
That is indeed frustrating. Clay/Lexi
It’s snowing in Upstate New York so right now, I’m doing nothing. Most recently I was able to fix squeak in the steering wheel where a trim piece from the horn button was rubbing against the column. It took some fussing and taking the trim pieces on and off several times, but eventually it wasn’t squeaking anymore. My wife has proclaimed it my greatest victory.
I’ve ordered some pinch weld clips so I can replace a damaged fin on the passenger side without worrying about breaking clips during the removal. I’ve also identified a few pieces of weather stripping to replace and will order them soon.
Upcoming projects are replacing the drivers side door hinges, getting the rear bumper snug to the body, and replacing the front bumper with a replated one in the basement. These will require extra hands or going to a shop, so I’m waiting for my part of NY state to start opening back up before I start volunteering my friends to help.
Today I finished the rust repair in both rear corners of the trunk. All of this rust issue was caused by the factory sealer failing and subsequent water incursion past the trunk seal allowed water to sit in the failed sealer areas. I ended up having to order one of those contour tools to recreate the curves in the sheetmetal (and also a new trunk seal) and that was a good solution. Now, if I could only figure out how to make pretty welds!
Johnny
And today, replaced the u-joint bolts (from Ebay) that were too short to a new set (from RoackAuto) that are also too short! The ones I put on today were maybe 1 thread longer, still needed another 1/8" or so.
Still looking for the next solution.
Johnny
I bought the hood holder installer/remover that bolts to engine crane from Summit. The 1970 Cadillac hood weighs about 110 lbs and is easy for two to pick up, it is not even close to 500 lbs. I will chance the extra 10 lbs beyond capacity.
I pulled the radiator and radiator support. Drilled out a corroded bolt from the bottom mount for the battery tray.
Next I will need to pull the intake and start unhooking things underneath for the engine and trans pullout. They are absolutely filthy all over.
Quote from: Scot Minesinger on May 10, 2020, 03:48:22 PM
I bought the hold remover from Summit. The 1970 Cadillac hood weighs about 110 lbs and is easy for two to pick up, it is not even close to 500 lbs. I will chance the extra 10 lbs beyond capacity.
You do know I was joking about that, right?
When you are trying to do anything with the hood by yourself, it always feels like it weighs 500 pounds, regardless of actual weight.
Of all the Cadillacs I’ve owned my (prior) 72 Sedan Deville and 64 Sedan Deville have the heaviest hoods of all my classic cars that I have owned. The 64 is especially heavy and sounds scary loud when it slams on accident!!
The new to me 54 Fleetwood has thicker tougher sheet metal all around but the hood isn’t as heavy as the other Cads surprisingly. That hood lift looks to be very useful in cars like ours.
Today or I should say yesterday I removed the carburetor on the 54 since it was running like crap and just didn’t idle correctly and the engine would die constantly.
I took apart the Edelbrock Carb that someone installed and cleaned it all up. Their were small sediments inside the float chamber, and this greenish/bluish crud stuck on the floats and bowl itself. This is obviously varnish from really ancient gas sitting in the carb. It smelled horrible too! After removing the jets, needle and seat, metering rods for cleaning, i reinstalled the carb and the car is running better now. I think whoever hooked up all the linkage brackets, didn’t do it correctly I’m assuming because It looks shady. That’s one task I’m glad I got out of the way. My next tasks are to replace the spark plugs, ignition coil, cap and rotor, plug wires, oil change etc..
A basic tune up maintenance job for the old Lacky 8)
Richard, yes and I was joking back at you by mentioning that weight again. I'm an engineer with a dry sarcastic sense of humor - sorry about that. I certainly know many of the component weights within 50% or so worse case. Everyone knows the hoods weigh around 120 lbs or so worst case. I did find that doors on a 65 Coupe where much heavier than my 1970 two door.
Washed, Waxed, and detailed the exterior and engine bay.
Tomorrow - interior cleaning ad leather treatment.
Sunlight sure does highlight the artistry of the body sculpting. Those stylists knew their stuff!!!
Jim
Cleaned up my '60 and took it out to our weekly cruise. Been having close to 500 cars each night. Took it out on a road trip yesterday.
Well, I naively assumed the trunk leak I had was coming from the trunk seal, but NO. Apparently, after water testing, the leaks were coming from inside the car, which means it's getting in through the rear glass gasket.
So, today I pulled off all the rear window trim and removed the glass and gasket. I'm glad I did since it was a muddy, debris-filled ( and the beginnings of rust) glass channel back there. I ordered a new gasket from Steele Rubber along with some bedding compound. I've never done this kind of work before, but it seems manageable if you just think things through and take your time.
I was hoping I'd have this car put back together this week, but instead it's coming further apart.
Johnny
Quote from: JohnnyRockit on May 11, 2020, 08:24:58 PM
Well, I naively assumed the trunk leak I had was coming from the trunk seal, but NO. Apparently, after water testing, the leaks were coming from inside the car, which means it's getting in through the rear glass gasket.
So, today I pulled off all the rear window trim and removed the glass and gasket. I'm glad I did since it was a muddy, debris-filled ( and the beginnings of rust) glass channel back there. I ordered a new gasket from Steele Rubber along with some bedding compound. I've never done this kind of work before, but it seems manageable if you just think things through and take your time.
I was hoping I'd have this car put back together this week, but instead it's coming further apart.
Johnny
It's just as well, Johnny. If you hadn't gone after the issue now, who knows what kind of further damage would have been done. At least now it is managable. You'll get it fixed just fine. :)
Air cond repairs on my car have morphed into removal of the nose, engine, and trans along with the entire climate control system, which required a full restoration. Everything started leaking, massively, and the under hood area was deteriorating, on an otherwise decent survivor car. I'm going to start a thread in the restoration section soon on my endeavors.
Installed new door strikers with the proper nylon bushing. Never knew the bushings were gone/needed and my doors always rattled. Learned about them on the fabulous forum. My doors now close nice a tight!
Well it's more like what have I done for my Cadillac than what I have done to it. I've been busy fixing up my gooseneck cargo trailer as a temporary storage room for the parts for my car until I can get my new garage built. I got it from my dad after he passed away, and it's always had a problem with the ramp/tailgate, and yesterday it finally got to the point that I couldn't get it closed. One of the springs was broken, so today I found a new set and also got a new solid shaft for it. After cutting the old stuff out, I had to drill a hole in the side to get the new shaft installed. This was because the brackets were welded in place from the factory instead of being bolted.
But it all turned out great. I can raise the ramp with one hand now, and the shelving I'm installing is just about done.
I figured that I better get all the pieces together in one place so if anything happens to me, then at least my wife or son won't have any problems finding anything.
I've got a ton of parts yet from my dad's old business stored in it, and I've consolidated them to one side to save space.
Hopefully this is just going to be a temporary situation, but it will make it easier for me once the new building is done to find all of my car. I didn't realize how much of my car I had scattered around my old garage and stashed in other places until I tried to gather it all up in one location.
Here's a picture of the inside of the trailer with the shelves. I've still got about 3 units to finish installing, then it's just a matter of getting the parts into it.
And one of the door spring assembly.
I parked the '41 Cadillac out front on the 8th May as my small tribute to remember it was 75 years ago that day that the war in Europe ended, VE Day. I then took it for a drive around the small town I live in here in Great Britain to see the street parties that were happening for the same celebration.
Kind Regards
Peter
England
Quote from: Peter Cornwell on May 13, 2020, 02:01:38 AM
I parked the '41 Cadillac out front on the 8th May as my small tribute to remember it was 75 years ago that day that the war in Europe ended, VE Day. I then took it for a drive around the small town I live in here in Great Britain to see the street parties that were happening for the same celebration.
Kind Regards
Peter
England
Nicely done sir! I had an uncle in Thorpes Abbot (100th Bombardment, 8th Army Air Force) who survived a shootdown over Munich and landed safely in Switzerland. I too had my 48 star Naval Ensign hoisted with British and French flags on the staffs for V-E Day!
Finished my tuneup on the 1956 yesterday adjusting the timing. It's finicky but running better!
I cleaned up the channel where the rear window goes and then meticulously cleaned all 24 trim attachment clips that were gummed up with sealer.
Now I just need my new window gasket to arrive.
Quote from: JohnnyRockit on May 13, 2020, 05:53:51 PM
I cleaned up the channel where the rear window goes and then meticulously cleaned all 24 trim attachment clips that were gummed up with sealer.
Now I just need my new window gasket to arrive.
How was the steel? All good?
I'm just about set to do the engine pull on mine. Got the pipes off (only broke one stud), starter out, converter disconnected from flex plate. Took the intake off because that is where I am going to attach the lift chain. Not pulling it with a carb plate, nope. Intake ports looked wet. I bet valve seals are leaking.
All I need do now is disconnect the motor mounts and fuel line, and remove the bell housing bolts. I should have it out tomorrow.
I got love bugs all over the front of both CTSs. But not anywhere neat the bazillion that were in a chevy sedan that pulled up at a light. I don't see how the driver could see through the windshield.
They'll die off in a week or so. Need to get the cars cleaned pronto though.
It was a busy day. Amazon finally brought my suction throttling valve (STV) rebuild kit, so I:
- removed the old valve disassembled it and cleaned it.
- rebuilt the STV with a new diaphragm and o-rings
- reassembled everything, pulled a vacuum and checked for leaks, then pulled another vacuum to eliminate the moisture in the system.
- added Ester Oil, leak- detection dye and 51 ounces of 134a refrigerant
Now I have 42-degree air coming out of the vents, according to the infrared thermometer, nice.
Now, if only I had the rear glass installed I could keep the cold air inside the car! Hopefully the new gasket for the rear glass will arrive tomorrow.
Johnny
Got the engine out of mine.Trans is still in there. I was surprised the rear main crank seal is not leaking. Pretty much everything else IS though. Trans is leaking big time as well. They both run and work fine though.
Now the cleanup and checkout begins...
Received my new back window gasket and a tube of 3M bedding & glazing compound. Followed the directions in the service manual.
It was, um, difficult and unfulfilling. And still a work in progress.
On a side note, if you intend to follow the service manual directions, you will need 2 tubes of the 3M compound. And when you run short, there is absolutely no place open on a Saturday afternoon that has it in stock. To be continued...
Johnny
I took a ride in my 56 Sedan deVille! First ride of the year!
Nothing. I did look at it in the garage. Raining all day.
Took my '60 on a 400 mile road trip. Went around Flathead Lake to Columbia Falls for a swap meet. Came back and did our local Saturday cruise. Great day.
I had a bit of mission creep on my latest project. What started out as me removing the front fender to adjust the door hinges ended up with me disassembling the entire front suspension on that side and cleaning everything to paint it....
(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjelloslug.com%2Fcaddy%2FIMG_7825.jpg&hash=714d03db69e839fa82ade6d08bb1fe42ebf02c83)
Quote from: MaR on May 18, 2020, 09:58:16 AM
I had a bit of mission creep on my latest project. What started out as me removing the front fender to adjust the door hinges ended up with me disassembling the entire front suspension on that side and cleaning everything to paint it....
(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjelloslug.com%2Fcaddy%2FIMG_7825.jpg&hash=714d03db69e839fa82ade6d08bb1fe42ebf02c83)
Somebody got a job on their hands!!!
It looks like you will have a better car for it though.
Quote from: Cadman-iac on May 18, 2020, 10:21:57 AM
Somebody got a job on their hands!!!
It looks like you will have a better car for it though.
Since the car is not rusty and I'm under no time crunch to get it done, it's actually quite fun. While taking it apart, I found a bad lower ball joint and an iffy wheel bearing so it will actually be better when I put it back together.
Replacing the fuel pump and aged rubber hose feeding it on my '65 CDV. With the pump off, a peek thought the hole with a bright light revealed - a shiny new cam sprocket and chain! Not a spot of old brown deposits on it. YEEEHAAA! One big thing I don't have to worry about on the old car.... ;)
Rear window now completely in today. Put all the trim back on which was a very physical job!
Pulled off the trunk lid and removed the trunk seal. Cleaned out the channel and sprayed it with rust reformer to stop any future rust issues. Tomorrow to the parts store and get some weatherstrip adhesive and install the new seal.
Johnny
Cleaned off all the love bugs from the CTSs on Sat. They are past the swarm stage, only picked up a couple into town and back today.
Lexi, what type of cork did you use and where did you get it? I tried some from a couple of local parts house, the kind impregnated with blue rubber. I used it to seal a gas sender and after about a year the cork/rubber had shrunk and was leaking pretty bad.
Jim
Installed 6 volt LED taillights, license plate, trunk, dash, glove box and marker lights! All at 3000k color temperature; the light they produce is the same shade as an incandescent but MUCH BRIGHTER with far less wattage! Used a 6v electronic flasher, nice click that matches the OEM flasher that it replaced.
Thanks to a previous poster on suggesting ledlight.com, great 6v selection!
Got the trunk seal in today.
I haven't driven my car since November and I was dying to at least take her around the block and check out the A/C function and let her finally get above a fast idle.
Cruised around the neighborhood awhile and a couple of 40 mph roads...all good so far! It was 95 degrees in Dallas and pretty comfortable in the car.
Johnny
Reinstalled the rear half of the interior today and gave the exterior a good wash.
Drove around till I had about 1/8 of a tank and put in some fresh fuel. I think the last time I put fuel in was either Sep or Oct last year.
I was contemplating putting in an electric fuel pump near the tank since I was getting some pretty good vapor lock last fall, but instead I replaced the mechanical fuel pump. It was about 95 degrees yesterday and low 80's today and I had no vapor lock issues. Hopefully, the new fuel pump solved it!
Anyway, I know something else is no doubt about to break, but for the moment it was 2 steps forward and no steps back (for once).
Johnny
I didn't do anything on a Cadillac today. I worked on my LASALLE ! I am restoring the tailgate hardware on my 1940 Lasalle woodie. Almost all the hardware was with the car but it was very rust pitted. I skimmed all the pieces with bondo and sanded before painting. The piano hinges for the back window and tailgate were rusted solid. I blasted them and soaked them in Evapo Rust for a month to get them movable.
Took it for a nice drive today.
Nice shots Jon. Great seeing your car "out in the wild". Clay/Lexi
Quote from: lexi on May 22, 2020, 11:52:51 PM
Nice shots Jon. Great seeing your car "out in the wild". Clay/Lexi
Thanks! It gets out quite a bit but has to compete with the Lincoln and Corvette. Such problems; not!
Finally turned the 4-way power seat on my '67 DeVille into a 6-way power seat. A sticky clutch in the seat transmission had always caused erratic operation of the rear tilt function. I never realized it was possible to remove the transmission without first removing the seat. I managed to get the seat in the fully elevated position and saw that there was access to everything. In order to make the repair, you really have to want to do it AND be a contortionist. Working under the seat is like working in a cave. Fortunately, the seat transmission looked like brand new inside and after a thorough cleaning and relubing, it works perfectly. Sure is nice to have the seat working properly.
Quote from: Jon S on May 23, 2020, 07:34:07 AM
Thanks! It gets out quite a bit but has to compet with the Lincoln and Corvette. Such problems; not!
I wish I had that problem! I like those shots taken while driving on the road from inside your car. They can be challenging, especially exposure wise. Those pictures, as well as those of our cars on the road mixed with other traffic are rarely seen. Had mine out yesterday and hooked up with a couple of CLC members. Maintained social distancing, but still got to see my buddies newly acquired '59 CDV and '72 Eldo. A good day. Clay/Lexi
8)
Quote from: 2manycarsHere is a solution I found to the problem of removing and securing a large heavy hood. It secures to the lift beam of my engine cherry picker. Worked like a charm, and I was able to handle this task alone.
You DO still have to hold onto it so that the assembly doesn't pivot out of control into someplace you don't want the hood to be - like into your windshield!
Just mentioning, I always place a few short 2 X 4s vertically along the
windshield just in case something does swing over there. I find a
parking place and use a couple small chains to suspend the front of
the hood to the ceiling. Then the rear is unbolted and lifted a bit for
clearance and also chained up. Now car is moved to work spot.
Bruce Roe
I clay barred and ceramic coated the entire seventeen and a half feet of my 69 coupe de Ville. It took more than one day but was worth the effort.
"Jeepers Creepers" nice shot you posted. Clay/Lexi
Quote from: lexi on May 23, 2020, 10:49:24 PM
"Jeepers Creepers" nice shot you posted. Clay/Lexi
Thanks mate.... ;)
I replaced the passenger rear fender crown molding (on top of the fin) on my '61 convertible over the weekend. It was a lot more involved than I was expecting, as I had to take out the jack, spare tire, and cardboard side panel from the trunk to access one bolt, which also involved climbing into the trunk to reach. I wanted to replace the spear tip on that fin as well, but ran out of time as we were going to a friend's house for socially distant drinks. This means I'll have to remove the trim again to access the screw in the spear tip. Ah well, it's just a hobby.
I've also started clay barring the car to remove...something...that's all over the car. I've got the glass cleaned up, as well as most of the hood and 3/4 of the trunk. It's hard as I'm doing in this in the shade so I don't get sunburn, so it's easy to miss small spots here and there. I should be done by the fall at the rate I'm going :-\
I used my 73 to pull my 4x4 Suburban out of the mud next to my driveway. Mud like many natural tings is some amazing stuff that for the most part does what it wants, not what you want. Had the front wheels of the car on the pavement. Spun the tires a bit but got er done.
I wanted to take the '62 CDV out for a spin the other evening and was hurrying my wife along to get going and she commented, "what's the matter, don't you have any headlights?" Well, of course I have headlights, I just wanted to get going.
After about 10 minutes of cruising the neighborhood of course, the headlights shut themselves off, for a few seconds. This happened with the "on and off" on the way back to the house. I couldn't wait till the next day (I'm just impatient all the way around, I guess) so after dinner I took off the dash pad and took out the headlight switch.
I cleaned the terminals and the circuit breaker, reassembled and turned the headlights on and monitored the circuit breaker temp with an infrared thermometer. Sure enough within about 10 minutes the switch was hitting 200 degrees and the circuit breaker started cycling.
I googled headlight relay systems and ordered some relays, wiring and fuses off of Amazon. In the meantime I cleaned off the terminal where everything plugs in for front lighting at the radiator support. I think the resistance there was causing my problem as the temp test after cleaning that up never exceeded 150 degrees on the headlight switch and the breaker never tripped.
Still, I already had the parts coming. I spent most of the day wiring in everything and locating the relays in the recessed part behind the washer bottle just for appearance sake.
I haven't pulled the dash pad off again to check temps, but the good news is that the headlights worked when I pulled the switch!
Johnny
I got my rough idle issue fixed. It got worse today heading to our Thursday night hangout, and then I noticed that door locks and trunk release quit functioning entirely. That told me a big vacuum leak somewhere. The big line going to the vacuum canister had split and tonight fell off. Cut the split out of it and reinstalled and everything now works and idles smoothly. Line was probably original since it was pretty brittle so I'll replace tomorrow.
Nice Saturday. One of our C-Bus Cars and Coffee isn't happening so we did it anyways. Big crowd and more so than any C&C I remember there.
Funny, the red Howdie TT parked next to me is about the same length as my wheelbase.
Oh, and speaking of wheelbase and wheels, on the way down there going at a rather stout clip around the fly under ramp from 270wb to 315sb, I evidently flung my right rear sabre wheel center cap off into the weeds.
A couple of rice boys were heading through the ramp at a pretty good speed so I thought I'd teach 'em some respect for these old matrons of the highway and pass them on the outside, which I did, but at a cost. So if anyone has a center cap for sale, I'm short one.
But all in all it was a great day down there. True, C-Bus is mostly an import town, but the giant feetwood found plenty of attention. Many of them would ask "long is it"? and I'd answer, "it's adequate, but isn't that kind of a personal question". Finally I'd tell them that's its 3" longer than my garage.
Fixed the spark plug wires (one was not all of the way on) for the 1956; and drove the 1949 around the block.
Rebuilt the Carter AFB today. Never done one before...the only other carb I’ve rebuilt was the Q-Jet on my ‘78 Eldorado a few years back. Anyway, it turned out fine and all. I have to say I’ve never seen so much “mud†in the bottom of the bowls before, but then I’ve never rebuilt a carb this old before either!
Johnny
Today I decided to rectify the broken Glove Box stay that holds the Glove Box lid in the horizontal position when open.
The reason the left one is more prone to breaking is that when closed, the wire is tightly collapsed on itself, creating a sharp bend where the end enters the holder. I had replaced one in 2009 with a stay from the '71 Eldo that I stripped, and was not happy when I saw that it had broken. The Right one simply moves up into the space above the lid with no sharp bend.
I happened to have some Stainless Steel wire that is very flexible, and carefully removed the broken strands from the retainer, and inserted the new wire into the hole, and re-compressed the fitting.
Now it is back in place, it should last forever.
But, next time, I will reconfigure the bottom holder to ease the bending movement on closing.
Bruce. >:D
We replaced EVERYthing on the front of that engine in my 66. Timing cover looked to be in real good shape.
Out of all of the parts that I ordered to do this job, the only thing missing was a thermostat gasket, which I'll go pick up in the morning.
I hope it starts and runs so I can cruise the seven seas.
Removed the extension housing on the Hydramatic today...transmission work is new to me.
Got all new seals and a tail shaft
bushing coming from FatsCo Transmission in NJ.
Hopefully I can get this thing to stop leaking!
Sometimes seals fail because the bearing is worn and allows
the shaft to move around too much. Hope yours is fixed.
Bruce Roe
I have just been loving mine! Only had it a few months and since its only got 13K miles on it I am using it as my daily driver when its not raining. Here is a picture of it
I drove Blue Girl up to the shop where they are putting the pieces of Sally ('42 series 61) back together. Blue ran like a dream. She shifts like a new car. I think I have a photo here somewhere
Today was alignment day for the Brougham. It got wet, but you simply don't reschedule my alignment guy. He's got a long waiting list to get in, so you suck it up and go and clean the car later. It was worth it though - the steering difference was night and day.
Took her out on the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Highway) today. Had her up to 75 mph and in this 94 F heat she ran well. Got home and installed my freshly painted oil filter canister lid with period correct decals. Did an oil change and chassis lubrication Saturday. Had to drop by my Ford dealership where the car was mobbed by sales and service personnel. While driving off their parking lot, a fellow driving by in a late model car stopped on the road, stared, then yelled "What the F*%# is that"? Oddest comment I have yet to receive on the car. Hope that meant he liked the Caddy. Clay/Lexi
Update on the 1967 Eldorado in Montana. Yes, the one that caught fire last year. Mechanic returned from vacation so he is enthusiastically working on my car. A freeze plug was leaking-he sent me the pic to prove it. Daughter and I dream of cruising in Big Sky Country this fall.
Good luck on your project. I had a 1956 CDV in the mid-seventies that went up in flames while I was driving. I had to source a replacement wiring harness from a parts car as well as other parts that were smoke damaged, to repair all. Two months of solid work out in the parent's driveway under the punishing sun. You have my sympathy. Clay/Lexi
During the restoration of the Cadillac, my Dad bought a reproduction rear view mirror. While installing the reproduction mirror, the bushing from the original mirror was lost. So every time you'd adjust the mirror, it would drop down after a moment or two. Adjust, drop, adjust, drop, on and on and on. My Dad tried tightening the screw more, and that did a whole lot of nothing. You could switch the mirror to 'night' and sort of see out the rear view mirror, but not clearly. It wasn't the worst thing, as I prefer to turn around and look over my shoulder when backing into the storage space I keep the car in. But it was a limitation when changing lanes on the road, as I couldn't see if any cars were coming up behind me. The other week, I bought a replacement bushing and screw off eBay and installed them yesterday. Getting the bushing into the hole in the mirror took a minute of fussing with some needle nose pliers, but once I got the screw back in, the mirror stayed in place.
To celebrate, I took the top down for the first time this year and went to get some ice cream with my wife. The Cadillac certainly attracted plenty of attention in the parking lot, with small kids fascinated by the rocketship-esque car, and the older men all stopping and admiring on their way into the shop. The car's not great at helping people maintain social distancing though, and one adult child had to remind their father to not get quite so close to me when I was getting ready to leave. Several people asked if the car was a '59 (which is quickly becoming a pet peeve of mine) but one guy did stop in the middle of an intersection to ask if it was a '61 or '62, so maybe there's still hope.
Driving around with the top down was great, as was glancing in the rear view mirror and seeing two tail fins peeking back at me. My wife was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and occasionally the brim would flutter from the wind. I'd catch that movement out of the corner of my eye in the mirror and think the boot for the convertible top had come loose, but instead it was just the two of us, enjoying the open air and open road.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/cudavrri1k5rvm1/Cadillac_071220.jpg?dl=0)
Lovely. Pompeian Red, yes? One of my all time favorite colors.
Correct! Pompeian Red, red/white interior, white top.
Andrew, the car looks fantastic. Pompeiian Red has to be one of my favourite colours. With that interior, simply superb!
We got some much needed rain over the weekend, so I took advantage of that. The Brougham got incredibly dirty going for an alignment the other day in the rain. So, I gave it a soap and water bath and deep cleaned the vinyl top. I usually use a waterless wash as I don't intentionally get the car wet, but as dirty as it was, that would have just scratched it.
Got it all dried off, looked good, but I knew it could be better. So, I broke out the DA polisher, and really worked the Meguiars Ultimate Polish more than normal and not a swirl mark to be found. So, that made the chrome really look dingy, so I polished all that too. Then I decided to really give the door guards a good polish and put them back on. They won't be coming off again. Gives the side a little pop. You think these cars don't have much chrome until you have to polish it all.
Cleaned up the interior too. Gave everything a nice coat of protectant, waxed all the fake wood, good vacuuming, and moisturized the leather.
Mission creep anyone? What started with what a simple wash and spray with quick detailer should have been turned into a two day affair. It's never looked this good in the two years I've owned it and now it's too clean to drive.
Excuse the messy garage - it's not finished yet, and we've been doing some home reno projects, so everything is everywhere.
A couple of weeks ago, I also did something that I'd been putting off since I changed the headlight adjusters last spring. Coming back from Pennsylvania last summer on the Mass Pike, I found out the hard way that you don't eyeball your headlights or take it down a dark road to get them close. Couldn't see a bloody thing that night. Now, all good. Another thing checked off the list.
Quote from: Dan LeBlanc on July 13, 2020, 10:48:30 AM
Andrew, the car looks fantastic. Pompeiian Red has to be one of my favourite colours. With that interior, simply superb!
Thanks! It photographs great, but once you get close you can see the defects in the paint. I've been slowly working at compounding the paint with a Griot's Garage DA to get out all the swirl marks. It's a big car, and I'd rather spend time driving around town if I can. The repairs from countless dings and scratches will have to wait until I can afford to repaint the car. The damaged paint is a mixed blessing. I still get twitchy about people getting too close to the car, but at least I'm able to drive and park it in public without causing myself undue anxiety and stress.
I drove Blue Girl up the the shop, and then toured around the neighborhood.
As always: A lot of thumbs up, "nice car," etc. And the inevitable: "what year is she?"
Let's see if you guys can tell......
Jon Yinger CLC 26643
Today I received the new inlays for steering wheels of both my Eldos-71. It was very easy to install and looks great.
I will install the other one to -71 coupe tomorrow. It has Medium Maize interior and the original inlay is falling into pieces. I want to pay attention to those parts which are visible all the time when driving. Like steering wheel.
Matti:
How did the seam ends meet. Did you have to trim them to fit?
Thanks.
Ciao,
Mario Caimotto
In the last few days.... I had new tires put on; washed it and added new floor mats!
Quote from: mario on July 16, 2020, 07:49:13 PM
Matti:
How did the seam ends meet. Did you have to trim them to fit?
Thanks.
Ciao,
Mario Caimotto
Hi Mario,
The seam ends met very tight. No trim was needed.
Regards,
Matti
Quote from: jyinger on July 16, 2020, 01:35:02 AM
I drove Blue Girl up the the shop, and then toured around the neighborhood.
As always: A lot of thumbs up, "nice car," etc. And the inevitable: "what year is she?"
Let's see if you guys can tell......
Jon Yinger CLC 26643
'm guessing it's a 42 60 Special, yes?
My Hydramatic seal kit for the 1962 CDV from FatsCo Transmission arrived, so I decided to install the extension housing bushing and rear oil seal today. I had already just replaced the rear oil seal but it still had a pretty healthy leak at the rear. The difference in the FatsCo seal and the Brand X one that I put in previously was dramatic. The FatsCo seal was deeper and had a much larger area of rubber on both sides of the seal.
The rear bushing that FatsCo sells is a single 1.4" bushing instead of the dual 7/8" bushings the Hydramatic originally had, but they said it is the correct replacement going into a Hydramatic. We'll see...
Anyway, I got it all put back together with 10 qts of fluid and a new filter...tomorrow morning I'll hopefully have no trans fluid on the garage floor.
JohnE
Hello ,
I have my climate controlled air conditioning system working as it should and was able to keep the R 12 refrigerant in the system . Feeling very good right now . thats what i have done for my 1970 Cadillac Coupe De Ville today .
Bill
Had to get a tire patched on the 1996 Fleetwood. The car is semi retired (like me!) and only gets out every week or two to warm it up and move things around. Well, the last time I must have run over a nail. >:D
Two local tire shops refused to patch it because it was more than 5-6 years old, but Ed Morse Cadillac in Tampa FL came through, patched it and re-balanced it for me while the red CTS was getting its oil changed.
I need to keep these tires as long as possible because 235-70-15 in white sidewall are VERY HARD to find.
I made new splash shields for my drivers side front wheel well.
(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjelloslug.com%2Fcaddy%2FIMG_8028.JPG&hash=e5b2e92d1b12442d453a552135ecf9dd83e29a09)
Mitch,
Where did you get the masticated rubber from?
Hello ,
You can buy that at Rubber The Right Way ,
Bill
Quote from: cadillacmike68 on July 22, 2020, 11:40:14 AM
Mitch,
Where did you get the masticated rubber from?
www.detroitmuscletechnologies.com
Thanks.
By the way, Nice clean wheel well.
Rear brake has been sticking time to time since I bought my Eldo coupe some months ago. Yesterday when I tried to leave garage, it was sticking so bad that finally I had to check it. I had bought new wheel cylinder already, as I expected that leaking and sticking. And yes, that was the case. Additionally the friction material was completely detached from another brake shoe. And there was too much dirt inside the drum. Luckily I had new brake shoes available, and managed to change those with new wheel cylinder. I did some ultrasound washing for metal parts as well. Works great now.
Below photos before and after.
Well, my transmission leak ended up being the slip yoke itself. The plug insert needed sealing so I sealed it inside and out, no leaks so far.
And, finally got the rear brakes all finished. Apparently, this car didn't have functional rear brakes for the 2 years I've owned it. Rear brake hoses were completely swollen shut and one of the wheel cylinders was seized up. I ordered a complete set of stainless brake lines from Inline Tube and so far just replaced the rears, I'll do the whole thing eventually, but the front brakes are fine and I was ready to get some cruising done!
Johnny
added trans fluid, power steering fluid and drove the 66 to the local parts warehouse bought anew battery and filled up the gas tank. ordered a new a\c compressor, dryer, POA valve upgrade and radio.
I took the other side apart...
(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjelloslug.com%2Fcaddy%2FIMG_8088.JPG&hash=c5115e1770505ecb91ec942d400269889335ab33)
I took my '49 for a 7 mile ride to keep it exercised. Other than weekly rides like that I haven't driven it since the pandemic began. It also doesn't need any repairs or servicing at the moment, so haven't done anything else with it either.
66 deville conv, Spent most of the day trying to find out why the open trunk light stays on when i put the headlights on, even when the trunk is closed. The switch in the trunk works properly. There is no ground in the wire going to the trunk. I even cut the wire near the dash board and grounded it, no change.Can't read the scematics too well. Trying to see whats between the switch and the bulb.
Well tomorrows another day.
Went over to a friend's house for a guy's dinner, as our wives got together at my house for drinks and dinner. Brought some homemade sausages, and opted to do some light yatching as well.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/s/le48h0g7eqlz0gf/082120_EveningDrive.jpg?dl=0)
It was great to get the Cadillac out for a bit before my wife and I go on vacation next week. It was a little cool with the top down once the sun set, so I need to do a better job keeping an eye on evening temperatures and bringing a light jacket or sweater with me. I rolled up the windows and that helped with the breeze, but getting the heater controls sorted remains a priority task for me. The dash and instrument cluster lights continue to operate without issue which makes the evening/night time driving experience very pleasurable. As impressive as the dashboard styling is in the daytime, I think the softer lighting from the instruments and occasional streetlight really shows off the beauty it has.
I also had a lot of people honking at me which I'm guessing was them saying 'nice car' or something to those effects. That's less enjoyable.
The radiator of my 71 Eldo convertible had created a leak, and I did not notice that until the engine overheated. It seems that head gasket is still ok and no damages. I got radiator re-cored, overflow tank pipe repaired, and painted. I believe it will stay in duty for next 50 years again. Changed thermostat and rad cap as well. Runs well now! I should add water temp gauge now.
Changed the oil after my 2 hr parking episode lot on the frankenstein bridge last week. Put in Shell Rotella T6 15w-40 full synthetic and a half bottle zinc additive. Cleaned it all it up (removed all the wheel covers and cleaned the insides and the wheels), and took it out to a cars & coffee this morning in Land-o-Lakes FL. It's been overcast all day but no rain. Very humid though.
Might go out again later with the boss lady to a specialty store in Dade City. She needs to have her Malta drinks.
This summer have been driving my 1970 Cadillacs almost as daily drivers. And they have gone to the dog. Got a good seat belt and with some minor modifications made it work for a 1970 DVC. He is probably the most appreciative passenger.
I finally started replacing the heating core in 71 Eldo conv. I learned about 6 months ago that the reason for not getting any heat inside was that the water hoses were blocked years ago. And that most probably means that the core is leaking. I got the heater case out and the core changed. The old one was probably original as there is 71 marking in the bottom. Then I noticed that floor outlet was not sitting properly in its place. To my surprise there was plastic plate which was blocking the floor outlet. When removing it, I could see it was made from steering fluid bottle! This car is imported to Finland from Florida in 1998, and I am pretty sure this â€improvent†has been made in Florida, together with blocking the hoses to heater.
Quote from: Matti R on August 27, 2020, 02:56:56 PM
I finally started replacing the heating core in 71 Eldo conv. I learned about 6 months ago that the reason for not getting any heat inside was that the water hoses were blocked years ago. And that most probably means that the core is leaking. I got the heater case out and the core changed. The old one was probably original as there is 71 marking in the bottom. Then I noticed that floor outlet was not sitting properly in its place. To my surprise there was plastic plate which was blocking the floor outlet. When removing it, I could see it was made from steering fluid bottle! This car is imported to Finland from Florida in 1998, and I am pretty sure this â€improvent†has been made in Florida, together with blocking the hoses to heater.
It seems that I found the root cause for those mods: AC is blowing lots of air to floor in almost all control head lever positions, and it is max hot temp. By blocking the hoses and the floor outlet it has been somehow possible to drive. I tried with another programmer, and it works much better. Still no air to windshield in any control head lever position. Need to study a bit more.
Hello ,
For almost a year now I have been Bothered by the fact that my rear courtesy lights did not work on my 1970 Coupe DeVille . The lights were getting power but the ground was not working . I ran a test wire from the rear courtesy ground and connected it to the Front courtesy lights ( running the wire from outside of the trunk into the front door ) as a test and they worked fine . So I decided to remove both back seat cushions . Found a plastic channel with a handful of wires that ran down the back of the seat ( Driver side ) continued Under the back seat then continued under the rear rug continued under the driver side front seat . This channel splits when it enters the front floor section . This is where all courtesy lights are spliced together . There it was the broken white wire from the rear courtesy lights . I Spliced the wire and soldered it together and covered it with heat shrink tubing . Problem solved . The Schematic showed these wires all coming together but had no idea where the intersection was . For anybody else that might have this problem the ground terminal is under the front driver seat carpet as it enters the front floor pan . I Can not tell you how happy I was to find this ground junction . I am happy to report that every single thing works as it should in my car 100 % . I Also found a carpet tag as I pulled up the front carpet dated May 27th 1970 . My car was built June 8th 1970.
Bill
What have I done today with my Cadillac..?
...Entered the 2020 Cadillac & Lasalle Gran National show, of course...
Very easy, simple to upload a picture. No lengthy blurbs needed. Easiest car show I have ever entered!
Voting begins on the 15th!
Well, gave the Eldo a wash, and took her for a drive to blow-dry the roof before putting her back in the garage. Oh, it was nice. Love how little time it takes to hand wash such a large car when compared to smaller ones.
One thing that I discovered is that the ignition key has developed arthritis when starting in as much as the key doesn't want to release itself from the start position.
Now I have the job of freeing the ignition switch/rod/lock so I don't have to manually go from Start to run.
It was a bit tight before, but boy, really stiff now.
Bruce. >:D
PS. There is always something to do when things are not used enough. First time driven since the 14th February last.
Today I realized I have driven the 73 enough this summer it actually needs an oil change based on miles rather than time.
Got kinda depressed while doing the change. My power steering pump is now leaking and it looks like my steering box is leaking real bad. Decent leak at between the timing cover and oil pan. Can't tell what else is leaking since those leaks are up front and its pretty well coating everything else.
Also noticed I got a CV boot coming apart so guess car is going to stay apart on the lift tonight. New shaft assembly is in town so it will be at my local store by lunch time.
Did a car cruise in Friday Night and We went for a 100 mile cruise through Calhoun county IL. Sunday. Here are some pictures.
Went to start the LaSalle, and it wouldn't. I try to take it out once a week at least, but leaving the ignition on destroyed my plan. I left it on because I installed LEDs in the front directional signal sockets. The directionals are bright, and I am pleased with the result. The filaments for the parking lights do not work. They did work with the old bulbs, so it's the new bulb and not the circuit.
My only concern was to have bright turn signals, so I'll just live with no parking lights. I never use them anyway.
The LaSalle has a 6V Optima battery. I'm not sure if my 4 amp Harbor Freight Viking charger will charge it, so I've hooked it in parallel with a charged 6V lead-acid battery. That's what Optima suggests if the battery is really dead.
I'm hoping the points are ok, but I may have another set. Somewhere.
It's a good thing it's not my daily driver.
The Long Island Region hosted a Cars and Coffee event at member Steve Albanese's office. Rita and I took the H and E touring Eldorado convertible there and on the way home stopped for a lobster roll
Here`s what I did.
I did not refuel today either.. $5.67
Only in Finland :-\
I bought a new battery from Interstate (the previous one gave up after 8 years). There aren't many places where you can buy the looooong, tall six-volt batteries that the 1930 V-8s and 1930-31 V-16s came with. Then we went for a nice stroll around the neighborhood and enjoyed the smiles and waves of folks walking their dogs or driving by.
More depressing news since my oil change/ leak / cv project. Noticed uneven wear on the front tires but then also looked at the date code... 2011. Seems like I just bought those yesterday... well it was in the old house so thats at least 4 years ago, and it was at least 2 diesel cars ago so that must be about 2011. They were made in fall of 2011 and my guess is I must have bought them summer of 12. Guess one more thing on the 'next season' to do list.
Oil change. 51258 wix filter, 5 quarts Penz 10w40 and a bottle of zddp.
Easy. No leaks yet...
Started a little cleaning and polishing of the dash components this weekend
.
Took the 1929 Roadster out for an exercise run....
Stopped in Rockwell Park, Bristol Ct.....the leaves are about 50% now....lots of color!
The old boy ran great !!!
Lots of fresh 50 degree air in the roadster !!!....burrrr..
Mike
I have a huge list of things that I've done to my car over the past few weeks.
Dash cover off...Replaced the front speakers, (used turnswitch.com for the correct speakers) all of the warning lights and illumination bulbs. The speedometer cable was lubricated, yea, perfectly smooth now. Also the cable from the cruise transducer to the transmission. NOS A/C vents installed with a modern material (fuzzy side of a Velcro strip) adhered to them to stop them from flopping loosely. It applies the perfect pressure. The windshield wiper switch was replaced and the entire area was cleaned out with compressed air. I was even able to reconnect the draw tube that attaches to the Climate Control in car sensor. They could make this just an inch or two longer?
Replacement door lock actuators installed and because I cleaned and lubed the window tracks a while back, I just looked to be sure everything was proper.
Under the car, the final drive lube was replaced as was the cover gasket and the cover cleaned out. Then I pulled the transmission pan, replacing the filter, o-ring, gasket and cleaned out the pan. It look real good inside.
I pulled and resealed the power steering pump, changed out the return lines and replaced the filter used on the Hydro-Boost applications, flushed out the whole system and renewed the fluid. It's nice that GM placed a small magnet on the P/S pump body. It collected a lot of gunk in 44 years. The new filter also has a magnetic ring inside of it.
Once all that was completed, I totally cleaned the underside of the car, engine, transmission and front end. It looks brand new under there now. I made sure my floor drip pans were cleaned and put them back. Four days and a few miles later, still not a drop of anything in the pans. It's nice to have a clean garage floor and I can park the car in the driveway without worries of drips on the concrete.
Now...If it would just stop raining. ::)
I just finished rebuilding the front suspension on my 1962 Coupe Deville...never done one before so it was a slow process. I also made a video series of the whole process and posted it to Youtube. You can search for "1962 Cadillac Suspension" if you need to see how things came apart and went back together.
I replaced front springs, all 4 ball-joints as well as upper and lower control arm bushings. I ended up buying a 20-ton shop press because, well, now I had an excuse. Unfortunately, both lower control arms had splits in them and I had to source a new pair of those as well.
Also replaced the sway bar bushings and end links. The toughest parts to find were the strut rod bushings. I ordered from a seller on Amazon at first...never delivered. Then ordered directly from Rare Parts...after 3 weeks nothing, I finally called them and they informed me they would be out of stock for at least the rest of the year. Finally ordered them from Caddy Daddy and got them a few days later...Thank You Caddy Daddy!
In the spirit of DIY I also ordered a camber/caster tool from FasTrax and learned to align the front end...pretty simple. I finished up by giving her a quick detail and a trip around the neighborhood.
Ready for Autumn cruising now!
Johnny
The last few days, I took the front seat out of the '72 coupe. The foam between the cloth and the remaining seat foundation got destroyed with the time; I had the impression I was sitting on nuts. Depending how the seat bottom is manipulated, a dark powder is coming out!
Before that, when I drove the car, sometimes I heard a strange noise coming between the seat and the door, but I saw nothing obvious. With the seat out, I noticed that a pedestal (or vertical gearnut), attached to the sliding rail, was loose. By moving it by hand, I could reproduce the noise I heard before. Obviously an assembly failure!
During the part's removal, I found another bit of assembly paper, as well at the label under the front carpet, plus one quarter under the guide tube for the belts!
Last Autumn/winter, when I exchanged the speedometer in miles for another in km, I noticed that the blower for the rear window defogger was not functioning. I had current at the outlet at the switch, but I could not check if the current was at the motor's connector: it was hidden behind the motor and the wire was too short to get at it.
Today, I removed the rear seat; I could check the connector: there is current. The motor assembly was quickly removed; I had to separate the plastic duct to get at the blower. No wonder that it was not functioning: I hardly could turn it by hand!
Took it home, opened the motor to lube the bearings. I have the impression that the blower was never used. Quite understandable that after 40 years, the lubricant (if there was some) was no more good. Now the motor is assembled again and turning easily by hand; next time I'm in the garage I can install it.
It wasn't today, but yesterday was a dark day for two of my Cadillacs. After my yard work became too boring, I found a Walgreen's with flu shot in stock for a senior citizen. That would be me. Forgot to lock the front door, ( a good move) hit unlock on the DTS's key fob - and - nothing happened. Fob battery must be dead, so I unlocked the door with the key, and no cheerful chime greeted me, no lights came on, and turning the key in the ignition had no effect at all. Wow! Battery is dead? It's not that old. Popped the hood and tried to remove the key. Went as far as off, but not to "lock" and could not be removed. Had I locked the front door, I'd have been stranded in my driveway with my dead DTS.
I opened my garage and was able to release my trusty '40-5067 from its storage. I decided I would drive it to East Hartford to get my flu shot. It's about a 12 mile drive with mostly on a limited access divided highway. Ever since I tuned it up, cleaned the plugs, new points, condenser, cap and rotor, it's run like bag of poo. I've had a devil of a time getting the plug wires seated all the way into the cap towers. I'm also not sure I have the right point gap. Hills were no problem - going down. Going up was troublesome. I was able to start it when I left Walgreen's -thanks to a shot of either.
I got back on Connecticut Route 2 east to NAPA in Colchester thirty miles away. Somehow, the LaSalle made it. I backed into a spot that allowed me to jump it in second gear if I had to, and I got a new battery to replace the dead one in DTS in my driveway.
The LaSalle wouldn't start.
There was enough of hill that I could roll it, pop the clutch in second and hear the 322 roar to life.
Got home, put the new battery in the DTS, and started it up. Life was good again.
Now I've really got to check out that point gap again.
Well, it wasn't today, but two weekends ago.
I undertook the project of replacing the power window, power seat, and courtesy wiring in the driver's door of a friend's 1964 DeVille convertible. All of the wiring in the conduit between the door and cowl had been severed, and badly repaired, many times. This project necessitated removal of the top of the dash, kick panels, lower dash, and driver's door panel. I did the work outside. Saturday was 102 degrees. Sunday was 100 degrees.
In between the two days of work on the '64, the plastic-tanked radiator in my 1989 Fleetwood sprung a pinhole leak - shooting coolant 3 to 4 feet in the air. So, Saturday night, I replaced the radiator, hoses, and coolant in the '89. Complete success.
In wrapping up the '64 on Sunday, I was in a contorted position with my right hand and arm high up under the dash, when the sloppy shift collar moved from P to R and the car began rolling. With my arm stuck under the dash, unable to be extracted, I worked yet another contortion and managed to stop the car. It rolled approximately 3 feet. The twisting , and my reaction to the rolling, with even more twisting, caused me to injure my right arm and hand. Intense pain in the upper right arm, numbness/paralysis in the thumb, index finger, and middle finger, and intense muscle spasms in the forearm. Not to mention drawing blood. Now all appears resolved. That'll teach me to ALWAYS block the wheels, even on level ground.
Charles Fares
I brought some presents (parts) to it.
Ron
Quote from: Jamurray on October 22, 2020, 04:27:17 PM
It wasn't today, but yesterday was a dark day for two of my Cadillacs. After my yard work became too boring, I found a Walgreen's with flu shot in stock for a senior citizen. That would be me. Forgot to lock the front door, ( a good move) hit unlock on the DTS's key fob - and - nothing happened. Fob battery must be dead, so I unlocked the door with the key, and no cheerful chime greeted me, no lights came on, and turning the key in the ignition had no effect at all. Wow! Battery is dead? It's not that old. Popped the hood and tried to remove the key. Went as far as off, but not to "lock" and could not be removed. Had I locked the front door, I'd have been stranded in my driveway with my dead DTS.
I got the same miss-happen when I still had my 2000 DTS: I went to town to buy something; went back to the car, could electrically open the door. When I inserted the key in the steering lock, the car began to do strange noises! Like you, I could not turn the key back to take it out. To me, it was not obvious that the battery was dead as I could start the cold engine half an hour before. Called the road assistance from the store I bought some paint (I have no cell phone) and the man who came did not find the battery under the hood. I told him where it is and I understood: the positive pole had a leak; a great quantity of the battery gel came out and the internal connection to the pole was like a tiny wire.
With a booster attached to the battery's cables, I could get home (I had indeed other projects...), followed by the man. Then, the hard work began, cleaning the mess under the back seat. I even had a hole into the floor!
A new battery, ordered at the local GM dealer did wonders. Later, I traded that DTS for a new 2011 DTS (not very common in Switzerland!). Yes, I'm checking the battery on this car as I still have the original one which came with the car!
It's a beautiful day in East Syracuse, NY today...79 and sunny right now...I'm sure it won't last long! I took the 41 to lunch today...she wasn't too hungry so we drove a little bit more...and back in the garage she goes.
Yeah...But look at all of the other goodies in that garage. 8)
It would be nice to have a larger building...it gets a bit cramped with 41 old ones (only 3 Caddies) and a few daily drivers...
Took the 1969 Eldorado out today to get the car some exercise....
Brought it back to Rockwell Park again to see the difference in the leaves...more color 2 weeks later....
Car always runs great....I'm always amazed at the power of this 4500 lb car...
Mike
After testing, I installed the blower motor into the car, as well as the back rest from the rear seat. Before the back rest came in, I cleaned the dirt accumulated with the time. Due to the low mileage, it was not really dirty but not factory clean either!
I just finished rebuilding the TH400 trans in my 64 CDV. I did this myself. Machinist still has my engine though.
Trying to figure out what's up with the AC on the boss lady's 2011 CTS. Details in the Tech forum.
Just looked at it!
Me too!!!!
Walked past mine today, but put a couple of Cadillac parts up on the shelf. Keep on telling myself to clean up, but sometimes self doesn't listen.
Bruce. >:D
Quote from: Bob Hoffmann CLC#96 on October 28, 2020, 11:02:30 PM
Me too!!!!
At least I'm not the only one. However.....I'm extremely grateful to be working and earning a paycheck.
There are a lot of people that are really hurting. I just shut up and say, 'Yes Sir' !!
Stripped everything but the door latch mechanism out of the driver's door of my '65 CDV. Machined a new pivot to replace the rivet holding the big toothed "rocker" plate onto the regulator. Reworked an earlier repair to one of the other pivot rivets. Cleaned and lubed the assembly and it is ready to go back in. Next comes vent window weather strip and run channels.....
Oh, and took her for a nice drive in the country too. Missed the door armrest though.....
Happy Motoring!
Bernie
Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le)Walked past mine today, but put a couple of Cadillac parts
up on the shelf. Keep on telling myself to clean up, but sometimes self doesn't listen. Bruce. >
Here too. Been concentrating on fixing, putting away, selling, or throwing away
stuff for a change. Sunday worked on repair on upgrade of the compressed air
distribution in the car shop, so I can get the Eldo on the lift for an oil change. In
moving in 04 everything just went into boxes, for sorting later. Well it is LATER,
I have sold off some surplus Cad parts that others needed a lot more than me,
trying to cut down the crap, streamline this operation. Am going thru a couple
dozen 70s Cad ECUs to try and get every one possible into a serviceable state.
The good news is I can now just go to the shop and it is a nice upper 60s F temp
year around. No more summer heat, no using lots of winter propane. I installed
a 1.5 ton air to air heat pump that does the cooling and heating job year around,
running off free energy generated by my 100 yard solar array. The old routine
was keep the shop at 35 F, go out and run the propane furnace for a while, finally
get things to a working temp. Bruce Roe
This afternoon, I loaded the front seat and rear seat bottoms into my DTS. The foam has deteriorated with the age; the upholster company will have to restore them.
The '72 coupe de Ville is much wider than the DTS; I was surprised how wide is the DTS's room, the seats don't even touch the door's panels!
I'm adding a picture to demonstrate it.
Quote from: Roger Zimmermann on November 02, 2020, 12:18:56 PM
This afternoon, I loaded the front seat and rear seat bottoms into my DTS. The foam has deteriorated with the age; the upholster company will have to restore them.
I feel for the future restorers if a 2011 Cadillac can develop seat foam degradation.
Bruce. >:D
Hi
Today was the continuing saga of building brake lines on my 56 ser. 62 coupe. All done except for the short line to the master cylinder for the front brakes and the rear line connection to the new dual master cvlinder. Flaring and ending is an art and I am no artist. But practice and extra line certainly helps. Wheel cylinders are cleaned, honed and rebuilt and all rubber lines are new as well. My fingers are crossed for luck and no leaks. Just one more thing done till the next one more Thing.
Drove the boss lady to get a chicom covid19 test - negative. She probably has a bacteria infection, but the fever was way up there - 102F.
Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on November 02, 2020, 05:58:46 PM
I feel for the future restorers if a 2011 Cadillac can develop seat foam degradation.
Bruce, it seems that I was not precise enough: the seats I loaded and need attention are the ones from my '72 coupe! The seats from the DTS are still fine. The morale of my story is even if the '72 car is much wider, the seats are narrow enough to be transported into the DTS.
I replaced the generator in my '56, still no start lol
Drove my 1970 SDV to Gettysburg, PA AACA show and put a for sale sign on her. It is time. Trying to lower the amount of stuff that I have. Perfect weather, sunny 72'F no humidity. The 100 mile trip was wonderful.
I replaced the u-joints and the center support bracket/bearing to try to quell some vibrations...tomorrow will be road test day.
Quote from: Scot Minesinger on November 06, 2020, 09:22:00 PM
Drove my 1970 SDV to Gettysburg, PA AACA show and put a for sale sign on her. It is time. Trying to lower the amount of stuff that I have. Perfect weather, sunny 72'F no humidity. The 100 mile trip was wonderful.
Nice car! Were people interested?
7 years ago I bought my 59 series 62 convertible that was dormant since 1978.
I was impressed that everything electrical worked aside from the license plate bulb. Until today..
Drivers quarter window would not go up with front/drivers switch. Worked from rear switch.
Looking at diagram in wsm, don't even see the power windows, maybe I can't see good.
Starting at the switch, drivers quarter window up, switch works, puts 12v to blue wire. Trace that down to kick panel and there's a connector that was rather corroded, and corroded at all wire crimps.
Decided the best solution was to eliminate the connector and solder the wires. Will replace with a connector if ever necessary?
All good now.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/1356/tkjkvc.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/4063/7oGxqE.jpg)
Contacts are not good looking! No wonder at this age + convertible...
As a side note: I suppose you cancel your travel to Switzerland.
Hi Roger! Delayed but not cancelled ;D Thought we would enjoy the trip more once there is less covid issues.
Replaced the strike plate on the driver side door jam.
Quote from: INTMD8 on November 07, 2020, 04:05:01 AM
Hi Roger! Delayed but not cancelled ;D Thought we would enjoy the trip more once there is less covid issues.
Well, for the moment the situation is bad here. Maybe 2021 will be a tad better. Contrary to to a guy who pretended that it will go away like it came, this virus will keep us busy for some time, unfortunately. Most probably, life will be back to a normal situation in 2022.
I took my '61 Convertible on a nice long drive out to Buffalo for our first Western NY CLC meeting since early March of this year. The drive itself was gorgeous, all back roads with very little traffic. Before heading out, I gave the car a quick waterless wash with Griot's Garage speed shine and cleaned up the windows with Stoner Invisible Glass. I also cleaned out some dirt and road spray in the front wheel wells, and noticed a washer, nut and bolt inside the empty space behind the splash shield in the bumper. I have no idea now long those have been there, but probably explains the random rattles I've heard in the car.
I also quickly wiped down the engine bay, and took a moment to check the fuse for the generator. The idiot light in the instrument cluster doesn't work, so the fuse probably blew. Opened up the holder and....there's no fuse. My Dad continues to leave little surprises for me.
Friend of mine in its 84 CDV didn't take the snow in October as a warning to get the Caddy in storage.
I checked my tires. Fascinating, right? I think we all know that temperature affects time pressure, but I was not aware of just how much. We’ve had a big temp drop in the last few days, but even so, when the first tire I checked was down 5 lbs I figured there was a slow leak. But the others were also down 4.5-5 lbs. Moral of the story, at least for those of you in the northern hemisphere, is to check those tires if you haven’t recently. You might be surprised.
Had a beautiful day here yesterday,took my 37 out of the trailer it is kept in,Figured what the heck ill go for a short drive.Went around the block at my place,about 5 miles 8).It always amazes me how easy the car is to drive at highway speeds,60 miles an hour is the sweet spot for it,It must have been a rocket ship when it was new,compared to all the fords and chevs back then.Only drove it 3 times this season,really no place to go anyway.Planning on a color change to the original color,was La Mothe Grey when it was new,a dark grey with a hint of metallic. Harveyb
The Car Gods smiled upon me as we have had some unseasonably warm weather up here. Almost summer like in November. So I beat the odds by getting my carb rebuilt and I re-installed it a couple of days ago. Have been driving the car to check for issues, but so far so good. At least come spring that job will be off my to-do list. Clay/Lexi
All that I can do is look at it in the garage. Everyday it rains and rains and rains.
Maybe after this storm clears the Eastern seaboard, the sun will come out and the roads will dry for more than a few minutes.
Then the yard will need to be cut and the leaves picked up and I can again look at in the garage in passing. :'(
I figured out why multiple lights and the clock aren't working. The main body fuse was blown!
I disconnected the negative terminal, replaced the fuse, reconnected the main body fuse, and hey, the glovebox light works now (My wife: I never knew the glovebox had a light) as does the map light. The Drivers-side light works, but not the passenger side. And neither light is working either. Oh, and the clock isn't working either, along with the trunk light.
The fuse blew a few minutes later, so there's some sort of open circuit in the dash that is causing the fuse to blow. What causes it? I have no idea. Could be a door switch, could be a pinched wire, could be a series of things. I'd like to avoid blowing fuses for fun and sport. I found this old thread with another '61 owner dealing with the same issues http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=137579.0 so I'll be using it to start a trouble-shooting process. This may have to wait for the spring as the cold weather seems to be here to stay.
You know, every time I pull up this thread to see what others have done it gets me motivated to get back on my 72 Elmo and to go enjoy it. Thanks everyone!
Winter is late arriving in Connecticut this year, so I was able to take my LaSalle out for some exercise. It was its first trip with new plug wires. I'd replaced the cap, rotor, points, capacitor and I'd cleaned the plugs a few weeks back. The results then were disappointing. For instance, when I'd pull number 2 plug it looked like it hadn't fired; the others looked good. The car ran poorly.
NAPA had to order the wires from God-Knows-Where, but I finally got them. Had someone told me changing plug wires would have given me a brand new 1940 LaSalle, I would have laughed at them!
It runs so good now that I'm thinking of driving it out to California to see my daughter and grandchildren!
Maybe not.
My 56 Sedan deVille is now in hibernation hoping when it awakes next spring that the fight against the virus will be won!
A week or so ago I installed new shocks on my '65 CDV. The upper bushings on the old shocks were shot, and it looked like the bushings on the rear were bad too, so I just decided to replace the shocks as they aren't very expensive. I knew the new ones were gas filled, but I had no idea that they would ruin the ride quality! Every minor bump jolted the car. So today the old shocks went back on, with new front upper bushings. The rear bushings were in better shape than I thought. Ahhhh - the ride quality is back where it belongs. I have only found one source for new non-gas shocks but they are really expensive. Anyone have a source for reasonably priced non-gas shocks for our cars?
Happy Motoring!
bctexas 65 CDV; Installed the Monroe "Sensatracks" (spelling?) on my 1970 DVC and SDV a decade ago (similar to 1965 DVC) with no issue on ride quality - cars both drive beautifully today.
Took the 1968 DVC out to Old Town in Kissimmee yesterday. I ran into the Highwayman68 (Mark D) who had his 1968 Fleetwood Brougham. That was quite unexpected. He had been at Daytona for their Turkey run weekend. There were a few other Cadillacs there, all 80's though. We had the two oldest Cadillacs there.
The weather was fine. The sun was going down behind me as I headed out along I-4, I could see a fantastic red sunset & twilight in the rear view mirrors.
The drive back was great. I put my black Cadillac jacket on, set the Climate control to 77 without the compressor (I have a rocker switch for this), set the XM Satellite Radio to the Studio 54 channel, put the Cruise Control on at 70, and just let the car drive me home. I didn't have to tough the brake pedal until I got off I-75 near my home.
I'll dig the pics off my phone and post some later.
It was not today, but yesterday: since I have the '72 coupe, the Cruise control is not functioning well: it hunt the speed, which is not very pleasant. I verified almost everything; took the transducer home so have a look into it, reinstall. It was not better. The sole thing I did not verify was the vacuum valve at the brake pedal.
As the front seat is still out ( I let replace the latex which is under the cloth, it turned into a black powder and I had the impression that I was sitting on walnuts; the seats since done, much better that before!), I used the opportunity to have a look under the dash to search that valve. It's there, way, way up into the dash! At its end, there is a vacuum rubber hose. Where is that hose going? Under the hood, I saw it. It is routed very conveniently under the wiper motor; it's connected to a "T". How to take it out from the T? Those damn cars are so wide, and I'm not very tall! Finally, with the help of a screwdriver, the hose went out of the T. Using a vacuum pump, I could finally test the valve: the verdict is easy to understand: the valve does not held the vacuum. In contrary to what is happening those days in the US, the verdict here is clear: the valve must go in retirement and another one must go in.
But how to remove the old one? Finally I succeed, but at least I have 3 wounded fingers.
Back home, I saw that those valves are used from 1970 to 1975. Rock auto has some, but, as usual, they are not the right ones. Maybe Ted Holcombe?
This morning I had the pleasant surprise to see that Ted has a NOS valve. It's already ordered.
The following pictures:
The defective vacuum valve (but not my fingers), the rear lenses, I painted the emblem which was polished away and the front seat before and after.
We get winter here, and I usually find storage for the LaSalle. This year I waited too long, and there was nothing available. There may have been places I used in the past, but I didn't like them enough to go back. Other places that I liked were expensive and, by now, unavailable.
For a mere $5,000 the 40 year old, unused, in ground pool was made to disappear this summer leaving me a back yard that looked like Kansas with not a tree in sight. It seemed like a perfect location for a free standing garage. An idea that would not set well with the wife.
I took the LaSalle out for a ride, and just by chance, really, stopped at a nearby storage building vendor.
"I guess you know why I'm here", I said to the lone salesman who could clearly see the LaSalle in front of his window.
"Oh, yeah, a storage unit. Let me check." I was puzzled. I wouldn't have referred to a garage that way, but ... maybe that's their lingo.
He returned in a flash, "You're in luck. I've got one."
"A storage unit?"
"Yeah, over at 175 Lebanon Ave. We just had one open up."
"A 10 by 20 storage unit? On Lebanon Avenue? How much?"
"It's actually 9' by 20', and it's 125 a month."
"Sign me up!"
Thanks to unwittingly choosing the right words, I've gotten a clean, new, all metal storage facility ten minutes away, for an excellent price. How cool is that?
The cost of a pre-built garage is about $10 grand, so this rental is a lot better option.
A triple black 1970 Fleetwood Brougham in a dystopian world....
Let's hope we can get back to normal soon....
Mike
Hills have been presenting special challenges for my LaSalle for some time now. The issue has become much worse of late. I had trouble getting around the block yesterday and decided to check the electric fuel pump. I removed the mechanical one years ago. I got 2.5 psi and that seemed too low, so I replaced it. The new one gave me a mere three psi! Still, it was installed and I decided to try it out. Even though I'd have happier with six to eight psi, the car went up the hills like it went down 'em, so I'm going to leave well enough alone.
I want to go to Cadillac Day in Brookline on Sunday, and I'd like to get there and back without the aid of AAA.
Last summer my wife and I went out to meet some friends at a local brewery and got caught in a rain storm on our way there. While I seethed in rage at the situation, the kicker was that the wipers wouldn't park themselves. After I dried off the car and calmed down, I checked my shop manual to find out what was going on. After consulting with Tim Groves, I narrowed it down to a defective relay that was preventing the blades from parking. I'd need to remove the motor to fix it though.
Checking with the shop manual on how to remove the wiper motor, I got to work pulling off the wiper arms, escutcheons, and cowl. The wiper arms require a special tool though. My Dad was able to pull the wiper arms off without this tool. How hard can it be if he did it by himself? Quite challenging, actually. The screwdriver-sized nail puller I was using to get leverage slipped and put a nice little slice in my left thumb. Some choice words were uttered and bandaids applied. I squirted some penetrating oil around the spindles to help coax the wiper arms off, and [thunk] off came the arms.
I got the motor out, opened it up and found no issues with the gearing or lever. Everything moved freely without issue. I also saw that there was no simple fix or swap, as I'd need to solder connections for the relay and I don't have a soldering iron, nor the skillset to use one. Peering closely at the spring for the park mechanism, I noticed a small kink in the spring that wasn't in the replacement junkyard motor. I swapped the springs, carefully reassembled the motor, and put it back in the car. With great trepidation, I turned the wiper motor switch on and....everything seemed to work. I turned the switch to off and the spindles appeared to return to a parked position. I put the cowl, escutcheons, and wiper arms back on for a final test. Flawless! I celebrated this victory by replacing the old wiper blades with nicely polished Trico blades with new rubber on them.
(https://forums.cadillaclasalle.club/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl.dropboxusercontent.com%2Fs%2Fzt0sfnotb8neiqi%2FWiperArms_052921.JPG%3Fdl%3D0&hash=8acafa9c729abf738ce1d1bb54ede2d195701ac7)
I also ordered a wiper arm pulling tool off eBay.
It is the joy of an occasional victory after countless failures and disasters that makes this hobby so addictive.
Quote from: Andrew Trout on June 01, 2021, 10:11:51 AM
The screwdriver-sized nail puller I was using to get leverage slipped and put a nice little slice in my left thumb. Some choice words were uttered and bandaids applied.
Be very thankful that no paint or Chrome plating was damaged in the process, as cuts and bruises heal a lot faster, and cheaper than having to touch-up paint, or re-chrome a part.
The gash couldn't have been that bad, as only one Bandaid was required. I am a great believer in the healing effects of Bandaids. My secret is to leave them on, until they fall off by themselves.
Bruce. >:D
I worked on cleaning the interior of my car.
My LaSalle...
...spent the day at a local shop getting new brakes all the way around. Brakes were from caddilacpartsltd and all made in the USA. Problem was the rear brake shoes were 2 1/4 inches wide. The shop manual calls for 2 inches. They had to be removed as the drums would not fit over them without rubbing. So tomorrow I will talk to Mike at caddilacpartsltd and try to exchange them for the correct size.
$483.00 labor cost. Nearly half of which was installing, removing the incorrect size and putting the old ones back on so that I could drive her home. Have to wait until June 17 for next opening at the shop. Always something with these old ladies. Lack of personal skill, tools and facilities sure is expensive. Should have been a mechanic rather than spending 55 years in airplane cockpits.
More to come.
Bob R.
Didn't do anything to the cars today, as I've been installing new cabinets and workbench along one wall of the garage as part of garage expansion/renovation. Like other mistresses, the metal ones expect a nice bedroom, so they got an epoxy floor and tons of new lights among other things. Friends are referring to it as "the surgical suite." If anyone is wondering, 83 foot-candles of light at workbench height is plenty! But despite carefully (or so I thought) measuring everything, when I went to bolt up the last set of cabinets under the workbench, they wouldn't clear the wall-mounted Reelcraft hose reel installed in the corner by about .75". So I will get to spend tomorrow removing mounting bolts and trying to slide 1200 lbs of cabinets and stainless workbench over by an inch or so and reminding myself why I'm not a professional carpenter.
It was not today, but last week. Since months, the air tank from the Brougham would be empty after one day. Years before, it was always at the pressure I put into. I removed the license plate holder and the grille, I sprayed some soap water. No air bubbles, nothing. Reinstalled the grille and holder. Next day, it was again empty. No good. I disconnected the line going to the air compressor and the one going to the lock-out solenoid; I plugged the holes. This way, the air tank was alone. Put 8 bar of air and went home. Next day, almost zero. Still no good. Removed again the license holder and grille; I removed the air tank too. Installed the valve to put pressure into the tank and went to the village's fountain. Nice bubbles came from the connection to the air pressure indicator. Why did I saw nothing with the soap water? I don't know.
Improved the connection tank-air pressure indicator and installed. I went again at the fountain, no bubble. Installed the air tank and only the line to the lock-out solenoid. The next day, the pressure was again down. Therefore, the leak is at the solenoid. Removed it (it is very conveniently located between bumper and frame, lot of space for a mouse, but not for human hands...
Plugged the solenoid and pumped it while it was into water. Nice bubbles were coming between the high pressure element and the electrical body. I overhauled that solenoid with a kit from mastermind; obviously, some seals from that kit are not thick enough.
I added the old seals I did 35 years ago together with the Rizzuto ones. Now it's tight.
Installed again the solenoid; I had to retorque one connection which was not tight enough. The day after: the pressure into the tank is OK!
I'm adding a picture showing where the air tank (removed) is located and the lock-out solenoid.
Front left turn light lens was broken when I got my 67 convertible last month. I bought nice complete assy and installed it yesterday.
Still looking for vertical slat for grille, no success.
Parked it till sold.
Today I repaired the super rare option in my 1967: passenger side outside mirror!
A couple of weeks ago I blew a fan bearing on the 1929 Roadster....found another one on Craigslist of all places....
Replaced it and got the car out for a good run today....
Went over to an old school that has just about finished up a multi million dollar renovation....this school originally opened in 1922 so the 29 looks right at home here....
You can see up on the second floor thru the windows an overhead light that sit on top of a 750 seat theater.....the guys that fabricated my bi-plane bumpers for the 1934 LaSalle did the renovation of this light....
I saw them working on it in their shop when I went over to pick up those bumpers....this light is 12 feet in diameter and over 100 years old....the work they did was unbelievable...
Mike
Someday I'm going to find that convertible top frame for my 1939 Series 75 Convertible Sedan....but until that day arrives the car still needs to be exercised....
So I brought it over to that same school for a couple of pictures....
A good day, both cars ran great....
Mike
Pic. of Big Red while he is on vacation in upstate New York for the summer, staying with my sister and brother-in-law in their garage.
Pic could be on a postcard, the description of the picture on the back of the postcard could read ---
"1935 Cadillac at the intersection of Main and Bridge Streets, Catskill, NY, June 2022"
:) Big Red in Catskill 2.jpg
Went cruising in my 1940 LaSalle. 93 degree day. Air vents open, windows down, wind blowing through the cabin. It is like turning the clock back to a time before I was even born. Huge steering wheel in my hands. Three speed manual transmission, lots of torque, no air conditioner, no power steering, no computers, no automatic anything....just motoring! I just cannot stop smiling: listening to that 82 year old flathead rumble as I smoothly glide along two lane blacktop back roads. It never gets old. I have driven my two LaSalle over 12,000 mile in the past 6 years.
Happiness to all.
Bob R.
I washed mine
Quote from: 35-709 on June 15, 2022, 08:29:58 PMPic. of Big Red while he is on vacation in upstate New York for the summer, staying with my sister and brother-in-law in their garage.
Pic could be on a postcard, the description of the picture on the back of the postcard could read ---
"1935 Cadillac at the intersection of Main and Bridge Streets, Catskill, NY, June 2022"
:) Big Red in Catskill 2.jpg
Quote from: z3skybolt on June 15, 2022, 11:03:06 PMWent cruising in my 1940 LaSalle. 93 degree day. Air vents open, windows down, wind blowing through the cabin. It is like turning the clock back to a time before I was even born. Huge steering wheel in my hands. Three speed manual transmission, lots of torque, no air conditioner, no power steering, no computers, no automatic anything....just motoring! I just cannot stop smiling: listening to that 82 year old flathead rumble as I smoothly glide along two lane blacktop back roads. It never gets old. I have driven my two LaSalle over 12,000 mile in the past 6 years.
Happiness to all.
Bob R.
I like these kind of stories.....The show cars are nice to look at....they are pushed out of their trailers and onto the show field but...
There is nothing like driving and enjoying them !!
Mike
Took two friends for a ride in the Shenandoah Valley on an 82 degree day.
I took my 67 Eldo for a short drive to a restaurant she regularly visited 40 years ago.IMG_20220626_133912977.jpg
K....What's that bungy cord stuff hanging under the car??
Mike
Buffed the 1956 hood & fenders, and then waxed them! Installed a clock in the 1949.
Buffed-polished the roof and waxed it.
Climate control was all dead in my 66 when I got it. Thanks to great guide by CadillacTim, I got electrics more or less sorted and the blower works in second Automatic setting. Still lots of work with vacuum side. Somebody has painted all vacuum pipes with black paint under the hood and of course rubber pipes don`t like it. Steam boat works and power servo works. Great fun!
New CLC member Scott Nellis and I hooked up yesterday and went for a ride in my Caddy. I also got to check out his beautiful '68 Fleetwood Brougham. Clay/Lexi
Replaced the under-dashboard light bulb. Sounds like "not a big deal" right? Usually these simple tasks become "quests" very quickly trying to find things and then get them to work. Amazingly, the light bulb replacement from communist China actually worked.
A good day....so far!
Yes, those not too big deal projects can quickly go south. Clay/Lexi
Replaced the high blower relay. Ahhhhhhhh, cold air ....
My 66 was shifting 2->3 late at 45 mph since I bought it last year. Finally I decided to do something for it, and checked the governor first. It was looking very good and clean, and the valve was moving correct. Modulator was keeping the vacuum like it should. Then I noticed that the adjustment screw was completely missing, and the plunger was moving only with very strong vacuum. I replaced the modulator and now it is shifting perect, smooth and correct speed. Feels good!
I let those rascal two friends of mine drive my 60 Eldo and my 59 flat top as well.
Now thats friendship!
I was exercising the 1934 LaSalle today....pulled over to take some fall foliage shots....leaves aren't at peak yet, but close....
It was a nice day 68 and sunny....
Mike
Got my '61 on the road finally! First time faster than walking speed and further than my driveway! Was hoping to drive it to shows/cruises this summer. Better late than never I guess. Just a quick trip down the street to fill it up before winter. Hit a whopping 35 mph!
Stuff I've done since I got it July '21:
- ignition (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, Pertronix, MSD coil)
- cooling system (radiator, thermostat, water pump, hoses, freeze plug)
- brakes (front/rear wheel cylinders, rubber hoses)
- fuel (sealed gas tank, new sender/hoses/filter)
- engine/carb (choke, return spring, valve cover gaskets, belts) *still needs final tuning
- drivetrain (trans filter/gasket, all u-joints, carrier bearing assy, output seal)
- fluids (trans, oil, coolant, diff, PS, brakes)
- Fixed power windows
- still don't have usable heat/AC, wipers, radio, seat motor
(https://i.imgur.com/1TpvAL6.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SQumHOB.jpg)
I replaced the rod bearings on number 1 cylinder on the rebuilt '41 engine I removed from my '40 because of lack of oil pressure. I thought the engine had seized, but once it was upside down on an engine stand - I got it to turn over just fine. On inspection, though, number 1 rod journal and its bearing looked a little raggedy.
I think I discovered why there was no oil pressure. A rebuilt oil pump from Kanter has a shaft that reaches 5/32" higher than the one that was there. At first I thought that was enough to keep the oil pump drive shaft from engaging the slot in the oil pump drive coupling, but it's hard for me to believe just over 1/8th inch is enough make an oil pump drive happy. That shaft's male end should be at least 3/8ths of an inch into that oil pump drive coupling. Before I re-install the'41, I want to make dead certain the oil pump is being driven correctly.
Well, you asked, and I wish I could say I took it for a fall day spin to enjoy the scenery and its 150 happy horses under the hood, but all I did is stare down at its bottom end in the garage.
Second evening in a row I am trying to get the stuck lifter out from 67 convertible. I was able to push it from underside because it is cyl #8. But it is not coming out. Tomorrow I will buy a pulling tool, hopefully it helps.
194E9EE4-35D1-438F-AF47-83A5CA9BFBE8.jpeg
I would suggest you push it back down, and have a really good look at the bottom of the lifter to see if it has been belled out of shape by a bad canlobe.
Looking at the picture, it is hard to make out, but the lobe doesn't look nice and crisp at the edge.
I have had engines where the lifter base has been so damaged that it was impossible to extract in the normal way. Had to remove the cam, and push the lifter downwards to get it out.
Bruce. >:D
After working for a year and a half to get my 1941 Cadillac Series 63 road ready, I was able to use it for my daughter's wedding in June of this year. Shortly afterwards, because I was driving it more, the old radial tires that were on it started splitting. I lost 3 that way. Fortunately I was at home when it happened to all of them.
While I was waiting for the tire companies to get new bias ply tires in stock, I decided to address the underside of the car. I spent the last couple of months scraping , chiseling and sanding 81 years of grease and dirt as well as prepping the metal so that I can apply rust proof preventive paint and then chassis paint to the frame, the underside of the floor and fenders as well as certain parts. I'm hoping to have this work completed by the end of November.
Not a fun job when all you have is jack stands. It will be worth it when completed.
Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on October 18, 2022, 07:58:18 PMI would suggest you push it back down, and have a really good look at the bottom of the lifter to see if it has been belled out of shape by a bad canlobe.
Looking at the picture, it is hard to make out, but the lobe doesn't look nice and crisp at the edge.
I have had engines where the lifter base has been so damaged that it was impossible to extract in the normal way. Had to remove the cam, and push the lifter downwards to get it out.
Bruce. >:D
I got the lifter out with proper puller. I put the new one in, Sealed Power brand, and there is quite strong knocking when running engine. It is not ticking but so loud knocking that I had to stop the engine. Maybe the new lifter is not working properly yet, but I hesitate to run the engine with such noise. I soaked it in oil before installing it. Engine has new oil inside.
Simply soaking the new lifter in oil will not fill it with oil, as it needs the cycling and oil pressure to fill the internals.
What was the condition of the one you pulled out? Was it concave on the bottom? Plus, what was the condition of the cam Lobe?
Bruce. >:D
Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on October 22, 2022, 07:58:33 PMSimply soaking the new lifter in oil will not fill it with oil, as it needs the cycling and oil pressure to fill the internals.
What was the condition of the one you pulled out? Was it concave on the bottom? Plus, what was the condition of the cam Lobe?
Bruce. >:D
Ok, so I need to run the engine with about 2000 rpm until knock stops?
I have not yet studied the old lifter. There was surface rust in the lobe.
I do not know how long the lifter has been stuck as I bought this some months ago.
QuoteOk, so I need to run the engine with about 2000 rpm until knock stops?
I have not yet studied the old lifter. There was surface rust in the lobe.
I do not know how long the lifter has been stuck as I bought this some months ago.
G'day Matti,
Sorry, it doesn't work like that. What you have done thus far probably cannot be undone by the normal running the Cam in procedure.
The spinning the engine for the 1/2 hour at 2,500 RPM, is for splashing the oil up and under and around the Lifters and Cam Lobes, to encourage oil microns to fill the micronic-sized imperfections in the Cam Lobes (Castings) to give a sheet of oil between the two surfaces.
I just pulled down the 454 that was in my '60 CDV when I purchased it, and it always had a bit of a "tick". But, not enough to worry about.
Pulling the rocker arms I found that one Valve Stem had a worn top, as did the Rocker Arm. Then after the heads were pulled, I had trouble getting the corresponding lifter out. When I got it, the base was really concave, and looking at the cam lobe, that was destroyed. As in, still there, but rendering the cam useless.
If this happened after the engine was built (it was a rebuilt engine), the clearance at the rocker arm with the pounding on the valve stem indicated that as this one lifter wore out, the clearance was too great, and too late to fix it.
Remember that the initial damage to a lifter/cam lobe happens in the first 5 minutes of starting. As there is no galleried oil pressure and supply to these parts.
Bruce. >:D
Thanks
I think I can now follow break-in procedure. I have run the engine for some seconds only so far, and I used Redline assembly lube when installing the new lifter.
The bottom of old lifter was a bit concave.
Quote from: Matti R on October 23, 2022, 02:58:28 AMThanks
I think I can now follow break-in procedure. I have run the engine for some seconds only so far, and I used Redline assembly lube when installing the new lifter.
The bottom of old lifter was a bit concave.
In that case, your cam lobe will be shot.
Plus, installing a new lifter on the worn cam lobe will destroy the new lifter as the spring pressure will be on one extremely narrow circle, and the lubrication area will soon be wiped out by that bad seating.
Remember that the new lifter base should have a radius of around 30 Inches, as in slightly convex, meaning that the mating surface area would be about 0.0001".
Bruce. >:D
Probably be chance I had no such bad luck with my 3 cars: I used the original camshaft and inserted new lifters. I opened each lifter, put some oil into and reassembled. The engines did some noise at first but not for long. I never removed a lifter to see if they survived the bad treatment.
Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on October 23, 2022, 06:19:07 AMIn that case, your cam lobe will be shot.
Plus, installing a new lifter on the worn cam lobe will destroy the new lifter as the spring pressure will be on one extremely narrow circle, and the lubrication area will soon be wiped out by that bad seating.
Remember that the new lifter base should have a radius of around 30 Inches, as in slightly convex, meaning that the mating surface area would be about 0.0001".
Bruce. >:D
Thanks for info.
What is the option then?
G'day Matti,
I neglected to mention that the reason for the very slight convexness of the Lifter base, and the flatness of the Cam Lobe is to rotate the Lifter as it rides on the Lobe, thereby not allowing the lifter to settle into one position as it goes up and down. This rotation also rotates the Pushrod for the same reason.
Plus, even though the Cam Lobe looks to be flat, there is a slight angle on it, to encourage the camshaft to rotate towards the back of the motor, so that the cam doesn't slop around within the bearings, and the thrust face of the Cam is held against the block. This is also accomplished by the angle of the Distributor drive gear as it turns the oil pump. Cannot have the camshaft moving forwards and backwards, as that will alter spark timing and wear out the timing cover.
Now, back to your problem. Solution, I am not sure, but if it were my engine, I would be pulling it, with the idea of at worst a rebuild, as once apart, I hate putting stuff back together with old worn bearings, as they never go back together in the same spot.
Have you had a look at the other lifters to see what their bases are like?
My quick check is to hold the end of one lifter against the side of another one, and if the base is convex, then usually okay, and worth looking deeper, but if concave, as in seeing light through the centre, then not okay. (In the picture, I am using the Cam Bearing Journal as the straight edge, as I tossed out the other lifters into the bin.)
The picture is of the lifter that came out of the aforementioned engine that was in my old '60 CDV.
Notice the chipping around the edge of the lifter where metal had been falling off?
There is a picture of the worn valve top where the parts had been rattling, with the adjacent one in good condition for comparison, plus the worn cam lobe.
This one part of the Valve Train was the only worn out part, but it meant that as the Cam was destroyed, the rest of the lifters had to be replaced to fit the replacement camshaft.
Plus, one has to remember that whatever came away, ended up floating around in the oil, only to be pulled through the oil pump, before hopefully getting caught in the oil filter.
Bruce. >:D
Thanks for long writing with info. Sure it is necessary to make a bigger refresh for this engine one day. I am busy with 64 engine rebuild so no chance to do this in near future.
Right now the problem with 67 DeVille is the knocking of one brand new lifter, and it does not stop after using engine 10min with 2000 rpm. I think I need to open rocker cover to check if still some slack with pushrod, and eventually take lifter out to check it if necessary.
I spent Thursday and Friday afternoon and all day Saturday scraping , grinding, cleaning and naval jellying all the flaking undercoat and rust from under the 67 Sedan DeVille. I went from the rear doors back with the car on jack stands. It involved taking the tires on and off and moving the car in and out of the garage multiple times to wash with the hose. I only found one rotted spot, a drain hole in the corner near the bumper. I have everything primed with rustoleum rust resolver. I used five cans of the rust resolver. I must of gone in and out from under the car at least a hundred times. I would of top coated but it was humid Sunday. Instead I spent three hours cleaning my front grill with never dull. I am 60 years old and don't feel too young today.
Never Dull is a decent product. Unlike some cleaners it seems not to leave a visible film after polishing. I suspect that it is not as abrasive as its competitors. Yes, once you hit 60 chores just seem to be more involved and physical, (and not in a good way). Clay/Lexi
My big thing was got the 73 out for only the 3rd time of the summer. Goal was burn up last years gas so I can fill it with fresh stuff before the snow comes. Had the top down for the whole day. The $100 at the gas pump seemed a little steep for a day of fun but I guess nothing comes cheap these days and tearing up the whole fuel system next year to clean up 2 year old gas would likely cost way more.
I also noticed some pretty bad wear on my front tires. Guess I need to look at the alignment. I think this is the first time I have ever 'worn out' tires on this car. Most of the time its dry rot from age.
Visiting my 47 coupe in the shop today.
12V conversion, fuel pump, new radiator, carb rebuild.
Then my wife and I will go shopping in our 60 Seville.
And then Ill take a nap in the back seat of my 59 flat top.
IMG_0634.jpeg
Lot of cruising in our gorgeous fall weather for me and my '75 Eldorado.
Also installed a new blinker flasher (super easy to do)- guess the original finally had enough!
My heater control valve is bad and bypassed with a hose. The valve has been sitting on fender wall. The auto climate control or any function hasn't worked in 30 years. I connected the yellow and purple vacuum lines together and plugged the red line. Now everything works, except the A.C. compressor isn't kicking on. I checked and there is still some pressure in the A.C. system. Have to figure whet type of freon to use.
Beautiful Fall day in New England today....
Exercised the 1929 341B Roadster....
Mike
Last night I got a little bit "art department" on the kids:
rust removal
I'm watching hurricane Nicole rain on the red CTS while the Fleetwood laughs it it because the Fleetwood has a cover. :P
Worked on bringing my 1976 CDV back from its 38 year hiatus. Changed the oil and oil filter, replaced the fuel pump and she fired right up. I added some fuel treatment and an inline clear fuel filter to catch anything coming out of the tank. Car has 13k miles on it and was stored indoors its entire life so not many issues except those associated with 38 years of sitting. Engine fired right up but I need to change the accelerator pump unless I get lucky and it expands after sitting in fresh fuel.
All I smell is old varnishy fuel right now. :-)
Joe
The weather is finally breaking to spring and I can get back to exercising the cars again....yesterday was the 1955 Eldorado....
Today the 1934 LaSalle was running really nice so I took her on a real nice long run.....A good day !!! 8)
Remember all that crap I had in the cooling system a couple of years ago, looking at that Gano radiator filter today it seems all is gone after the flush...
Here's a few of pictures of the 34 coupe Harry showed us yesterday that sold at auction....it does look good with the one solid color....somebody's gotta talk to the guy with the bumper jack though....
Mike
Another day of wondering WHERE my car is...
The Ark is either still in storage, or they came and got it and its at Hyannis Vintage.
Its somewhere out there somewhere. LOL!
Started Lexi up and took her out for a spin today. No issues. Felt good to get behind the wheel again. After storage the tires had not lost any air pressure. Inflated to 40 psi 6 months ago to park and all still dead on at 40 when backed out of storage to adjust tire pressure for driving. Clay/Lexi
Quote from: Lexi on April 12, 2023, 04:42:54 PMStarted Lexi up and took her out for a spin today. No issues. Felt good to get behind the wheel again. After storage the tires had not lost any air pressure. Inflated to 40 psi 6 months ago to park and all still dead on at 40 when backed out of storage to adjust tire pressure for driving. Clay/Lexi
Glad to hear that Lexi is finally out and about again. Bet you were thrilled about that too!
Quote from: Cadman-iac on April 12, 2023, 04:51:50 PMGlad to hear that Lexi is finally out and about again. Bet you were thrilled about that too!
Yes I am and you helped to keep her on the road buddy. Now we all want to learn about Norma Jean's maiden voyage some day soon, with you at her helm. Clay/Lexi
Going on the trailer tomorrow night. Off for powder coating a Friday morning. IMG_20230412_184856427.jpg
Quote from: Lexi on April 12, 2023, 06:41:39 PMYes I am and you helped to keep her on the road buddy. Now we all want to learn about Norma Jean's maiden voyage some day soon, with you at her helm. Clay/Lexi
I'm afraid that day is still a long way off yet. She probably won't be getting the full restoration that I had hoped to do, due to economic factors beyond my control.
But I'm still plugging away at the parts to get her back to working order. Trying to fix the temperature sensor that goes on the evaporator case right now. I finally got the nichrome wire inserted through the insulation only to break it while wrapping it around the capillary tube. So now I've got to locate another long piece of nichrome wire. Guess I'll be taking apart another soldering iron for that.
And I had both wires soldered to the end of the tube so nicely too.
Rick
It was a beautiful Saturday in New England, so I got to exercise a 1940 V16 I've been screwing around with for a couple of years.
Once it warms up she has nice quiet pulling power thru all gears....
I'm still trying to get my top guys to come over to the garage and fabricate the convertible top for me....they told me around Halloween that they'd be there in a couple of weeks...haha.....I wish I could buy this top off the shelf....no such luck.
I have temp gauges for each side of the block and for the whole ride they stayed at about 180 degrees.....It was a good day !!
Mike
Mike Ballergeon,
Your 34 LaSalle you posted in 2023 reminds me of one that was restored & owned locally then sold almost 20 years ago then I think went to the Petersen.
This one was RHD
I started up my 47 coupe "Johnny Cash" and was going to go to the gym for a workout and a green juice, but once at the gas/mini mart I bought gas and ice cream and went for a long drive instead. When I got home I had a Jack Daniels in the garage to salute the man in black.
Well, at least one of us got proper exercise, thats something anyhow.
Not quite so sure I agree with the backdrop.
That would be one heck of a ticket.
What havent I done. Trans blew got it rebuilt. Engine blew, getting it rebuilt now. Gone threw 3 fuel pumps last year. Getting carb rebuilt. It doesnt end.
Another beautiful day in New England today !!
We've been lucky so far this spring....Top down cruising !
I exercised a 1955 Eldorado....It was great, nobody was on the back roads I was traveling on....
Mike
Quote from: Mike Baillargeon #15848 on May 26, 2024, 02:38:01 PMAnother beautiful day in New England today !!
We've been lucky so far this spring....Top down cruising !
I exercised a 1955 Eldorado....It was great, nobody was on the back roads I was traveling on....
Mike
Very nice Mike. I had my boat out and always tons of stares and Godfather comments. I usually tell them that the car would ride better if I get all of the bodies out of the trunk! Attached is a shot of Lexi taken today when out crusing. Clay/Lexi
Drove flawlessly in a Memorial Day Parade
WOW....tanks, military trucks and your probably in a series 75 staff car.....
It looks like you just took Paris back circa 1944 !!
Mike
Quote from: Carfreak on May 27, 2024, 12:20:34 PMDrove flawlessly in a Memorial Day Parade
Very nice. Love the vehicles and the patriotism. Clay/Lexi
May 26
I loaded 8 tipsy, giddy adults in my 1970 FW wagon. Third row rear facing seat was utilized.
We came home that night from a restaurant at 10 pm and hit a major unexpected thunderstorm in the dark. We had to stop several times because the rain was so hard I couldn't see anything.
Holy crap! High winds, trees, telephone poles and branches came down in the Shenandoah Valley. Maybe a small tornado was around said the radio. The storm had been predicted to be mild, but was freakin' wild instead.
It was truly frightening! But the old battlewagon made it with wipers working and headlights on full power.
It had just enough R12 in the wheezy AC to keep the windshield from fogging.
The windshield leaked badly but we made it. Everyone got wet.
You can bet your pink slips we had some stiff cocktails after that ordeal.
8 June: Managed to have changed the oil the previous week and tackled the messy job of radiator flush. I managed to drain the radiator by slipping a screwdriver under the hose and clamp after loosening it; and it drained slowly but I managed to keep it all in the drain pan. Having not taken the hose off it was slow but made the wrap-up pretty easy.
Replacing the right side CV shaft on the '76 Eldorado. Torn inner boot and the vibration dampener is coming apart. Almost 5 hours to get it out. No matter which way the inboard side was positioned, it would not come out. Because of the built in vibration dampener, it would not allow the shaft enough room to clear the output shaft removal.
I finally broke down and separated the upper ball joint and removed the caliper so the knuckle would roll outward giving me that last 1/2" needed. Today, I'll clean things up, replace the inner hub seal, try and shoot some grease down inside the bearing with a needle and then start on buttoning it up.
This is not a fun job laying on the garage floor. The original shaft has to weigh 50 pounds. The new Chinesium shaft weighs 28 pounds. All the dimensions are the same to the original. If I get 20 years out of it, I'll be alright. If I get 20 more years out of ME, I'll be alright.
Other than having to deal with the brake hose clip the upper ball joints don't seem to fight too hard to come apart so thats how I have always done them.
How does the inner flange look on the new shaft assembly compared to the old one? All the new ones I have seen and handled the flange where the bolts go is thinner and the holes are very oversize and just slightly slammer than the head of the bolts.
On the passenger side the bolts being too long (due to the thinner flange) don't hit anything so the only concern is the oversize holes. On the drivers side the ends of the bolts will hit the webbing in the housing. I have a lathe so I was able to make a bushing. I think someone else found so part possibly for a Harley engine that was the right size to do the job but it was a custom part from a vendor in Europe somewhere.
The smaller threads and nuts also cause concerns so I used the original washer first then picked up a grade 8 that fit the new shaft.
It all went right together this morning. About 2.5 hours, start to clean up. I pulled the inner knuckle seal and used a needle grease tip to get fresh grease down into the bearing then put a new seal in.
The inner flange is a bit thinner, but also has a scalloped shape to the flange. It's this scalloping that made the new one slide right in. The full circle flange on the OEM shaft made it near impossible to roll out.
I didn't get to the drivers side yet. I'm not 30 anymore. Inspection shows no boot damage yet, so I'm going to sit on it until at least before the '25 GN.
Test drive in the morning. Also scrub the garage floor. :P
Unless the '76 is different to the '71 and '72, the Right side axles are easy to remove.
Remove the Starter Motor, and loosen the lower shock absorber nut to nearly all the way off, and slip the Shocker bottom out as far as it will go, and the axle will slip right out. This allows you to remove the Intermediate shaft, and then enough room to slip the axle out. Done it many times.
Bruce. >:D
That's different than we have seen before. How were the hole sizes compared to the bolts? And was the nut the same size so the original washer worked?
I'm not sure if any of the frame changes in 73 changed clearances for getting the axle out. From what Bruce described I would think that would work on a 73-78 too but it sounds like at least as much work as popping the ball joint.
The book says nothing about removing the starter, but it does say all the rest of what Bruce said.
The threaded stub end is slightly smaller as is the new retaining nut. I just went through my stash and located a nice thick washer that fit the shaft better. That starter is a heavy SOB when you're laying on your back under the car. I used my ball joint fork and just one hit with the hammer separated it.
G'day John,
I must apologise for giving out the wrong information regarding removing the Starter Motor.
I reread the Manual, and yes, there is no mention of removing the Starter Motor, but I can only remember the reason why I mentioned it was that every time I have had to remove the Axle was when I was removing an engine, and the Starter Motor was usually the first thing to go.
And yes, they are heavy, and awkward. But, the best part about the removal is that they are easy as Cadillac used a wiring joiner in the loom to make removal easier.
Bruce. >:D
They got rid of the connector in the starter harness in the mid 70's. Was still there in 73 but I know they were gone by 78. I think it was a problem area when they got some age on em.
No worries, Bruce. The job is done, well, half done, there is still another side to tackle later. That dampener coming apart was 100% of the vibration issues that have slowly been coming on. The car is smooth as silk up to 80mph now.
No connector on the '76. All straight feed wires. Again, another upgrade I want to do. I want to eliminate the fusible links and create an actual fuse block on the inner wheel well.
Hi folks!
Currently @ Grand National-Gettysburg. I went thru the photo booth.😎 I've included some other teasers. If your in the area stop by spot#110 and say hi!
Tonight I just had to go for a ride in my 1968 Time Machine. There is nothing to compare to it.
59 has her Waldrons exhaust installed but a bad new front seal caused a delay. Should hopefully be done this weekend. Another two 59s should be too. If all pans out photos will be posted.
Quote from: billyoung on June 13, 2024, 08:52:51 PMTonight I just had to go for a ride in my 1968 Time Machine. There is nothing to compare to it.
Thats a pretty baby girl
Btw if anyone sees the old 55 CDV from NY please post. Miss that gal.
I exercised a 1955 Eldorado today....gosh I bought this one coming up on 12-13 years ago.
For those of us who can't really swing a 53 Eldorado, you just paint a 55 Eldo Artisan Ochre and wala !!....close enough !!
This one came in with an Elvis pink body and black and pink leather interior! yuck !
I dyed the interior all black, primered the body and then paint....
The pink body was awful....it looked like the trunk was filled with Mary K cosmetics....
This one is probably the best running car I have....I really should wash and wax her but it's too much fun driving her around....
Mike
Needed an new fuel sending unit. The OEM part was way off. It would read 1/4 at dead empty. Not good!
All done. The gauge works as designed. New sending unit, sealing O-ring and locking ring and new rubber lines and clamps. When in the dry tank, the gauge sits at a perfect empty. Added 7 gallons of fuel and it's a perfect 1/4. 28 gallons total. Still need to go to the local stop-N-rob and add fuel 7 gallons at a time to see the gauges accuracy.
Still no low fuel light, so I'm assuming a small bulb. I can't find anything about it in the FSM bulb chart. But, running a fuel tank under 1/4 is just sheer stupidity.
Replaced the driver's side CV axle today.
A lot easier the second time around.
But there was an issue with the length of the OEM attaching screws/bolts. They would bind up with just one small section of flange.
The original axle to output shaft bolts are too long with the thinner inner joint housing flange, so I needed to either grind the bolts shorter or just shim it with one simple washer. I head to the stock boxes and pull out 6 identical washers. I can slip a .020 feeler gauge between the trans case and the screws. Even torqued back to 70 pdft.
New sneakers being installed on Monday morning. I'm just about ready to travel.
The flanges are thinner on the new production assemblies. Its not a problem on the passenger side since that is on the extension shaft and there is nothing close by for them to hit. Drivers side as you noted it will hit part of the housing casting. The other issue unless they have corrected it was the holes are much larger than the original so the original bolts and washers barely have anything to grab on.
Today (and the whole summer) I'm really happy that I finally got all the bugs worked out and my rig is happy to run 'regular' gas. The non Ethanol stuff is more than a dollar more per gallon, not a big deal for the lawn mower but adds up faster at 20+ gallons per fill up.
But it will save you that much just in the damage deathanol will do to your car.
Quote from: Big Fins on September 06, 2024, 11:26:42 AMBut it will save you that much just in the damage deathanol will do to your car.
I'm not expecting any damage, one reason is I'm going through it at a reasonable rate, about 2 tanks per month. I do still plan to fill up with the non ethanol stuff when it comes up on winter storage time. EFI also makes a difference, no vapor lock fuel boiling out of the carb issues.
Fuel injection is an entirely different system to a carburetor. But you know that. Even what they call deathanol resistant will in time be destroyed. I've had so many small engines that when deathanol laced fuel was used, they wouldn't run after about the 3rd tank. Drain it out and put in some pure gas and they start on the first try.
Need to get my 59 in for an exhaust manifold gasket. She's been sitting these past two months, but its also been too hot to drive her.
Quote from: Cadillac Jack 82 on September 10, 2024, 11:34:38 AMNeed to get my 59 in for an exhaust manifold gasket. She's been sitting these past two months, but its also been too hot to drive her.
While she is sitting, I would be spraying the bolts regularly with penetrant to assist in their removal, (hoping none snap when the work is started). Clay/Lexi
Quote from: Lexi on September 10, 2024, 11:46:03 AMWhile she is sitting, I would be spraying the bolts regularly with penetrant to assist in their removal, (hoping none snap when the work is started). Clay/Lexi
These are the facts. I sprayed the manifold bolts 3 times per day for about 2 weeks with PB Blaster. After 50 years, they came out like they were installed the day before.
I was hoping to start that process Friday. I've been too tied up with work and trying to address other issues on the other two girls.
Quote from: Big Fins on September 10, 2024, 01:29:24 PMThese are the facts. I sprayed the manifold bolts 3 times per day for about 2 weeks with PB Blaster. After 50 years, they came out like they were installed the day before.
Well done! Clay/Lexi
Quote from: Cadillac Jack 82 on September 10, 2024, 05:06:41 PMI was hoping to start that process Friday. I've been too tied up with work and trying to address other issues on the other two girls.
And the wives always wonder why we name our cars with female names. They are the root of the problems.
Can't live with them, can't live without them!
Quote from: Big Fins on September 11, 2024, 04:28:43 AMAnd the wives always wonder why we name our cars with female names. They are the root of the problems.
Can't live with them, can't live without them!
Hahahahahaha! Right on! Clay/Lexi
Funny, most of our vehicles are guys - Superman, Bluick, Beeps, Broham, Brutus, Pierce, etc.
I say the same thing about them. Often they are a PITA each in their own way but we love them.
That's cuz you named them. 8)
My recent purchase is not a Cadillac, but very well done. Someone restored her right, albeit, the darn things got a fuel delivery issue. Anyways back to the 59 I'll fire her up after work today to see how shes doing then treat her to some PB Blaster cocktails :)
What did you buy? The Road Mattress or the Toro? You can say, you'll just violate archaic laws if we discuss it.
Take a pic of the Deville that just happens to have the new car visible.
Quote from: Big Fins on September 11, 2024, 03:57:55 PMWhat did you buy? The Road Mattress or the Toro? You can say, you'll just violate archaic laws if we discuss it.
Toro I've had for about 2 years now. 59 was purchased last year. I sold the 64 SDV but still wanted something GM. The 48 Roadmaster was purchased about a month ago.
Planning to take our 42-67 to Hearsefest this weekend. I think they let us in last year although not a hearse or ambulance due to our car's immense size. LOL! Lots of Cadillacs at this show; they definitely crowd out the rest of the makes. Hoping weather will hold til Monday; we've been enjoying fabulous weather the past couple weeks - finally, no rain.
Laurie sent some pics - she mentioned The Ark got Best in Class '70 @ CLC New England Region show recently. Sounds like she's made it to many events this summer; enjoying driving her car and brought home quite a few other awards including a couple Best in Show, Best of Cruise, etc. and attending the Boston Cup yet this season.
Laurie rubbed people the wrong way, I get it, but she's still a Cadillac lover. Glad to see the Arc is well.
Finally hit Lexi's first car show this year last night. Carb issues for now seem largely gone/fixed. Clay/Lexi
Those car were just massive.
Quote from: Big Fins on September 19, 2024, 02:47:45 PMThose car were just massive.
That they are. Usually once per show someone makes that comment to whoever they are with due to the sheer size of them. At this show a woman remarked to her boyfriend; "OMG look at the size of it". Funny thing is, these Series 75s, as well as Cadillacs in general, continued to grow in size. Yet the '50s cars seem to generate more of those type of comments. I suspect that is possibly due to the deseign of them-all those rounded curves just seem to add to the mass. Clay/Lexi
They have high roofs too. Compare the 56 to a later 59 which had a very low slung roof line. I can't count how many times I banged the side of my head on the roof rail. Then into the mid 60's they got a little higher. Length has always a Cadillac sign, but they were beat out by many other makes.
Changed spark plugs on the '49. Runs a lot better.Next up, replace knee-action shocks in the back.
Quote from: Big Fins on September 20, 2024, 04:08:08 AMThey have high roofs too. Compare the 56 to a later 59 which had a very low slung roof line. I can't count how many times I banged the side of my head on the roof rail. Then into the mid 60's they got a little higher. Length has always a Cadillac sign, but they were beat out by many other makes.
Yes, those high roofs also add to the overall mass. I think the '56 Limo was advertised as the car with the high head room or something like that. Clay/Lexi
Quote from: Lexi on September 20, 2024, 08:41:31 AMI think the '56 Limo was advertised as the car with the high head room or something like that. Clay/Lexi
To wear a top hat to the opera? 8)
Quote from: Carfreak on September 20, 2024, 12:00:46 PMTo wear a top hat to the opera? 8)
And also for the ladies to retain their elegance when going to the Opera.
Bruce. >:D
Sanded down the pair of knee-action shocks for the '49 and primed and painted them.
Working on the taillight housing area below the fins on the '60. Both sides were heavily sprayed with undercoating. Water hides in there and rust can form, so all that undercoating is being stripped out. One of the more unpleasant tasks on this project.
I got some quality garage time in with my 73 this weekend. Last time I drove it the turn signals quit somewhere on the trip. Just got nuthin when I flipped the lever but I did observe via the monitors that the tail light would go out if I hit the brakes on the side that was selected. Next day was ready to dive in and they were working except for a partially burnt out bulb up front. I actually had the correct spare bulb in the first place I looked. Guess I will have to wait for them to fail again to maybe track down the issue. If my brain was working and I could find a manual I bet the brake light thing would be a good clue as to what the issue is.
Discovered one reason my headlight aiming is so poor is I have some missing mounting hardware on the assembly on one side. Took a while playing with shims and such to get that attached and looking decent again. Typing now I also remember I found what I was guessing a ground wire in the harness not connected to anything, got to remember to go see if I can find a spot for that, maybe its for the cornering light on that side that hasn't worked in the 30 years that I have owned the car.
Also got to the exhaust leak that has seemed to have been getting worse for the last few years. Several years ago I patched it with some exhaust repair wrap stuff and then a band clamp to hold it in place. Worked great plus held it together when it rusted further. What failed/rusted was a welded joint between the original down pipe and the custom exhaust I had put on 30 years ago. I was able to cut the weld off and get what was left of the original pipe out of the flared end of the 'new' system then got to practice my poor MIG skills welding an adapter sleeve onto the original pipe. Weld I'm sure will hold and doesn't look that bad. Also got the alignment about 95.38462% where I wanted it which I thought was darn good considering it was on a bend that wasn't round.
Quote from: Carfreak on September 20, 2024, 12:00:46 PMTo wear a top hat to the opera? 8)
Yes, I believe so. think there was even a publicity shot showing a fellow wearing a top hat next to one of these cars. Clay/Lexi
I exercised the new addition today.....1935 Series 40 5780 370D.....
I've been cleaning her up as best as I can.....she runs good but, hard on any kind of restart.
The seller gave me 6 wheel disks....you can see them on the side mounts....the other 4 wheels I'm waiting to get some air valve extensions before I put them on.....I figure I'd put them on the car instead of leaving them to get lost on a shelf somewhere....
She is a very smooth running car....shifts nice with hardly a rattle.....odometer says 63K miles, probably is accurate....
LOL....I did find some reading material in a brown paper bag under the rear seat....Peep Show !....this is before Playboy....1950 I think....I read it for the articles.....my favorite is Penny takes a bath.....I'm going to call the car Penny !!
Because over the long haul I'm probably the one who is going to take a bath on this car !! haha
Mike
Quote from: Mike Baillargeon #15848 on October 05, 2024, 06:41:11 PMI exercised the new addition today.....1935 Series 40 5780 370D.....
LOL....I did find some reading material in a brown paper bag under the rear seat....Peep Show !....this is before Playboy....1950 I think....I read it for the articles.....my favorite is Penny takes a bath.....I'm going to call the car Penny !!
Because over the long haul I'm probably the one who is going to take a bath on this car !! haha
Mike
Peep Show...read it for the articles...Penny as her new name...you're the one who is gonna take a bath. LOL. Love it. Great story there Mike. Still getting a good laugh over that one. Clay/Lexi
I did take Lexi out today for a 55 mile run, mainly highway. Looks like my recent carb issues are now in my rear view mirror. But only after 3 carbs and lots of tinkering. Clay/Lexi
Beautiful car, Mike. Give Penny a bath and driver her around. That's the new trend now. No more 100 point show cars. The more original it is, the more the masses like them.
Quote from: Lexi on October 05, 2024, 07:20:09 PMI did take Lexi out today for a 55 mile run, mainly highway. Looks like my recent carb issues are now in my rear view mirror. But only after 3 carbs and lots of tinkering. Clay/Lexi
Which proves, you have to keep the original parts for a rebuild if you can.
Photos from last weekend. She still has a minor tick from the exhaust manifold leak but otherwise runs smooth as butter. Took her out on the highway and besides those pesky bias ply tires runs straight as an arrow at 80 MPH.
Not bad for 65 year old paint!
What's really fun about those cars, is when you go to put the skirt back on and you pinch the skin on your hand between the tension rod and the flange on the lower side of the skirt.
Damn, that hurts!
Oh I have quite a few love bites from the 59
Wife not around.
Drove my 47 coupe to the store after miles of country roads.
65 deg., dry and sunny.
Barometric pressure high and steady.
Wind from the NW at 12 mph.
Bought a case of Corona.
Cruised back to the garage.
Engine temp at 195.
Cracked a beer and thought about bidding on a 1965 Caddy.
Perfect Caddy day.
That did sound like a perfect Caddy day. I had mine out, as was still a nice driving day up here. Clay/Lexi
I washed and detailed it, checked over from front to back, then covered it and put it back in the garage.
Have owned this car almost 39 years & it has been pushed to the end of the line many times. It went on a 25 mile test drive yesterday without any problems. Woohoo!!
That's cuz '59's always came first. As they should! ;)
Our sweet LaSalle,
My wife and I invited friends to join us for a 100 mile drive, in our 1940 LaSalle. Cruising along the Missouri River, we enjoyed the fall foliage and later a nice lunch at the winery in Herman, Missouri.
The old gal purred along the hilly back roads effortlessly and averaged 10 miles per gallon. 17,000+ miles in the LaSalle over the past 8 years.
Life is good!
Bob R.
Enjoyed a day out today in our Parliament House Gardens at an event which was only open to Convertibles. It was in aid of Breast Cancer, and was called Get Your Tops Off For Breast Cancer.
It was run by Shannons Insurance. This event was started in Tasmania 10 years ago, and now is held all over Australia.
Only two Cadillacs in attendance, a 1988 Allante, and my '72 Eldorado.
Bruce. >:D
That idea could turn into a worldwide charity event and raise some serious money for the cause.
Last week fabricated a new oil line to alleviate a pesky leak (the line that goes from block to top of oil filter); did an oil and filter change; removed vacuum wiper motor to send out for rebuild; added fuel stabilizer to a full tank and took an early morning perfect drive today to tuck in the Fleetwood for the winter. IMG_0606.jpg
Quick rundown:
- 1964 Coupe de Ville: Radiator sprang a leak (or made its first visible appearance) on a short cruise to frozen custard shop recently, so radiator is out getting rebuilt/recored. Sticking with the original Harrison 3 Row as I should. Check out the copper vs aluminum article on page 33 in the Oct Self-Starter. It is pretty much spot on. I am doing a blog of my radiator rebuild process on our 63/64 Cadillac website www.6364cadillac.com (http://www.6364cadillac.com/)
- 2002 Escalade EXT: Not much since making the drive from NC to Gettysburg, PA for the GN. I have another power mirror switch that look almost new from eBay and am hoping the back lights work in it. I will swap out and start driving it again on Nov 18, as my current daily driver goes into the shop for some paint. See next entry.
- 2013 Escalade EXT. I bought it in Houston 3 years ago, have since put 34K miles on it. I recently replaced both left and right rear struts, and the control module. Control module went out, and one strut was leaking so we replaced all. Up next it goes into the paint shop on Nov 18 to have the front clip repainted. My old school paint body shop has shut down for good since our new 540 outer beltline around Raleigh & Wake County happens to go right across the old shop (Lee's Collision)... well at least one of the exit ramps. So instead of moving/rebuilding the guy I have been going to for 20+ years is retiring and had to find another shop. This place (Capital Collision) was highly recommended, but they will only work on cars 2000 and newer, so I still have to find someone that does body & paint work on older cars before I need work on the 64 again. While the Xenon Blue 2013 EXT is in the shop, the Black 2002 will be my daily driver. I am promised to have it back by Thanksgiving. Oh, the front has no dents, but has been touched up a lot of times and has some pretty good scratches. I will work may way rearward over time.
ps. I might add as my daily driver this vehicle is my work horse, so literally the last thing I did with it was drive it to Home Depot and pick up 5 80-lb bags of concrete, and a big load of lumber for my latest house project (my other passion). In the last 2 months I have driven it from NC to both Wichita, Kansas for the 2024 National Driving Tour then to San Antonio.... so it is definitely a driver!
- 2022 XT5: Well, This is the misses car and I just washed it. I am still getting use to all the new-fangled controls on this car. We just picked up this Dark Blue Moon Metallic V6 Premium edition with just over 21K miles so it is still like new... at least to me.
Mounted my A.A.C.A Junior Badge on my 85 today that the car earned at the AACA Hershey show
I exercised the 1940 V16 this morning....a nice 25 mile jog....boy it was chilly out there....about 48 degrees....you guys should have seen me, knit hat and gloves....no top on the car so it's kinda breezy !!
The car really ran great....I still have odds and ends to find and put on the car....I'm also saving my pennies to pay the shop to fabricate that convertible top.
But my 2 water temp gauges loved the cool air....both locked in at about 175...
At the gas station this car really draws a crowd....I don't think they know what their looking at but that's ok....It's fun to watch them take pictures and ask what year it is...lots of smiles and thumbs up's !!
Another good morning !!!
Mike
Texas car all its life. 65K miles.
After I rip off the gnarly, rusty dual glass pack hot rod exhaust, chop it into little bits and ship it back to the former owner for Xmas, I'll be researching my 55 FW's first owner....an unnamed 2 star USAF general at SAC.
The story I was told was he drove from Fort Worth to NORAD in Colorado back and forth for ten years in this rig sipping bourbon in a highball glass the whole way. His radio telephone is long gone.
Carb needs rebuilding. Brakes are weak. Ive got one fan on the AC working cold, but the other needs a rebuild. Next is the pressurized oxygen cabin valve that's sticky....
Once I paint the firewall body color, my body is finally going back on the frame perminently.
Unfortunatly I will have to paint it myself. The last quote of $30,000 was just to much. The car finished will not be worth that.
It has been to long. But good news I will pick up a big batch of chrome in two weeks and drop off another.
20241024_091539.jpg20241123_152943(0).jpg20241123_161331.jpg20241123_165236.jpg
Fixed a few minor issues (less the rheostat) and gave Shelley a bath. Only complaint is nearly having people hit you because they're too busy looking at the car as opposed to payinf attention to where they're going...
Oh and grabbing hot dogs at the vintage stand.
Over the past couple of days I have been fitting a Reversing Camera to my Eldorado.
Finding one that is a direct Mirror-mount replacement was nigh-on impossible, so I made my own.
I grabbed a spare Rear Vision Mirror and removed the original mirror completely, and carefully modified the frame to be able to attach the replacement plastic mirror and still retain the dipping action of the original.
Meant a lot of small manufacturing to clear everything, but the photos should be sufficient.
The bracket is made out of Stainless Steel, and I inserted the Camera into the Registration Plate from behind to try and protect it.
Running the wiring was a task in itself as I had to deconstruct the windscreen header parts, and at the same time, decided to fix the sloppy Sun Visor shafts. This required removing the previously installed screws, and redrilling the mounts, and gluing the shafts back in.
Bruce. >:D
Adjusted the idle rpms, adjusted the timing and dwell. No leaks, no overheating (as of today), a good day!
Shelley had a nice breakfast at sunrise this AM.
Took Penny out for a good run today.....snow on the ground and a chill in the air....
She is sporting her new 90 year old wheel disks....
She loved the cold air and that V12 ran really nice.....I tell you this car is quieter and more solid than my GMC Yukon !!
Mike
The Caribou and I hauled a load of presents (to Grandma's house) yesterday evening during the Vero Beach, FL Christmas parade.
Mounted my recently purchased NOS licensee plate frame
I am still searching for a OEM trunk floor mat for 1967 Deville
I went to the shop and stared at the fleet.
Nice assortment. 8)
What's along the other wall? Cars we are not allowed to post pics of here? Where is the work area?
Look at all that space that could be packed with more stuff. Or am I the only one thinking that? I would have shelves along the back probably with the intention of some sort of nice display but I'm sure that wouldn't last and before long they would be packed solid with something.
That's the showroom. The shop is out back where no one can see the newest projects.
Drove the '56 around the block and adjusted the timing a bit. It was 72 degrees yesterday!
Pulled the 1956 Rochester 4bbl carburetor and sent it out for remanufacturing. It's been rebuilt numerous times and the car still bogs down accelerating from idle. So we'll see how this does coming back like a new carburetor. I sent it to Carburetor USA in Blackwood, NJ.
There is oil and there is pressure!
Just got the 56 Cadillac carburetor back from CARBS USA in Blackwood, NJ. All redone and anodized. Can't wait to get it on the car.
I finished changing the water pump on my '41, replaced hoses, belts, and clamps with period correct. Then cleaned the ends of the grounds. A short time back I changed the oil, greased all 19 fittings, added some Penrite to the steering box, checked other fluids. Ready for spring. Starting the 49 next.
Showed Shelley that not all progress is good progress...
Quote from: Cadillac Jack 82 on January 31, 2025, 02:51:57 PMShowed Shelley that not all progress is good progress...
What the heck is that in front of you? Looks like a painted box with lights. Fugly!!
Rick
Tesla Truck.
Bruce. >:D
Past goodies meets futures fuglies
My son-in-Law and I got the carburetor back together and onto the '56 yesterday. It started right up. Nice to have the car running so smoothly and a quick startup. CARBS USA (http://carburetorusa.com/carburetorusa_003.htm) did a great job and I recommend them to you. It was a nice tribute after returning yesterday from the funeral of Bruce Warren of Bruce Warren Auto Repair in Norfolk Bruce Warren (https://www.grahamfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Bruce-Allen-Warren?obId=34760654). He was inspiring us from above!
Well, where do I begin?
1965 FW 60. Owned by an FBI agent in the early 1970s.
Lots of bad wiring needed fixing. So unusual!
All 4 vent windows work now. (FBI-approved pistol ports).
New wheel bearings and brake pads. Pulls gently to the left when stomping on them from 100 mph.
Glove box will open...but wont shut yet. Replace with steel gun safe?
Interior lights work now....for some odd reason.
New Diamondback WW shoes. Gotta handle those high speed corners.
New single factory exhaust...quiet for stakeouts.
Bullet hole fixed and painted.
Sounds like that was almost a full size James Bond car.
Doris tucked in for the long road to AZ to meet her sisters.
Quote from: jwwseville60 on February 08, 2025, 08:31:01 AMGlove box will open...but wont shut yet. Replace with steel gun safe?
Bullet hole fixed and painted.
GM had a glove box problem for many years. Frustrating as it should have been a simple thing to figure out but happened across the various makes.
Was the bullet hold going into the car or coming out of it? We had a 1j971 Vista Cruiser with a bullet hole going up through the roof from the passenger front seat. It was a winter car (with W-30 455) and didn't leak so we left it as-is. Former owner indicated he was cleaning his gun when it happened. Un huh...
Building a patch panel for the front fender skirt area of the quarter panel.This is two pieces welded together. The long part of the wheel opening gets welded to this, then the whole mess will be welded to the car.
Bullet hole was in the trunk right side going in.
Was finally able to get a collage of the 50s coupes in one photo. 1950-1959. Its neat to see the subtle and dramatic changes from a mere 10 years. Now I can't tell the difference between at Cadillac Escalade and a Chevy Tahoe. Time to up the ante there Cadillac. Get back to your roots.
Quote from: Cadillac Jack 82 on February 18, 2025, 10:42:56 AMWas finally able to get a collage of the 50s coupes in one photo. 1950-1959. Its neat to see the subtle and dramatic changes from a mere 10 years. Now I can't tell the difference between at Cadillac Escalade and a Chevy Tahoe. Time to up the ante there Cadillac. Get back to your roots.
Agreed. Modern vehicles are so nondescript. I think it is the Tesla that has a distinctive front as no grille, but most cars bascially look the same from about 20 feet out. That is why even if I had money, I would probably not buy a new Cadillac. In the old days they were a statement recognized by other users of the road when they saw a Cadillac, even if parked. Like, who wants a status symbol if it is not immediately recognizable? That is a no brainer. So yes, "
up the ante" and "
get back to your roots" Cadillac, as Tim said. Clay/Lexi
I want that big yaller '59 at the bottom of the picture. I'll live with the color for the car.
As requested bigfins.
SWEET!!! 8)
Repaired the aluminum moldings around the Quarter window. Beer had dripped on it for years at my father's rented garage underneath the Italian Club in Manayunk (Philadelphia). It is the only rust that 56 Cadillac ever had. I had it sanded down but it took a bit of time to get it re-chromed and then reinstalled.
Beer damage? Not something you hear about that often.
Quote from: TJ Hopland on February 22, 2025, 10:36:47 AMBeer damage? Not something you hear about that often.
That is what I thought. Mark, any pictures of before and after? Clay/Lexi
I'm trying to think if beer would have any special traits bad or less bad or if its mostly just moisture? I know one thing that tends to be different now is you don't have all the ashtray content mixed in. When I was in the bar industry smoking and drinking were still pretty evenly matched and the ash trays and empties ended up in the same trash which one way or another always leaked and made a really stinky mess. The beer still gets pretty nasty but when I have been around that sort of thing I notice how its a lot less bad now than when it was all mixed.
And historically speaking if someone said their car had beer damage the first thought would be scratches from maybe not having the best judgement on the way home from the bar where maybe a mailbox or the side of the garage door got a little close.
If it was a college student talking about beer damage then maybe shot springs from hauling beer for next weekends bash? I suppose that could be liquid damage there too from trying to get one more case jammed in the trunk?
You guys are funny. Yes, there was a leak in the floor and the beer piping for the club upstairs and it dripped on the car. I don't have a good photo, wish I had to go with the story. The moisture collected in the larger pan by the quarter window instead of running off. My Dad did finally move it to another garage and he put it in a nicer garage that he owned next door to the club when I picked it up in 2005.
I had a case where it was an above and below garage setup. The above was the daily driver garage in a ice/snow climate so plenty of salt use. The classic was in the lower garage and for the first winter pushed it up near the side wall just to leave easier access for other stuff. That first spring when we pulled the classic out the chrome was all white and crusty on that side.
The wall didn't look unusual for unfinished concrete. It had some white swirls in it but that seems typical and is usually just some of the concrete ingredients but in this case it was apparently the salt schmoo wicking itself from above then I suppose being transferred to the car in natural air currents.
TJ
For subsequent winters, what did you do to protect your cars?
What is the problem resolved just by parking it farther from the wall?
Yes the primary fix was to just not put anything metal near that wall. My other suggestion was to get a squeegee sort of broom/tool sort of thing and on the especially messy days try to get at least some of the slush and wet pushed out the door. Not sure if they ever did that or not. Even if the stuff below wasn't an issue it would likely help all the concrete last longer.
I have never been in the position to park a daily driver in a garage so that sort of thing isn't a real problem for me. My garages are usually filled with maybe a classic, projects, and junk so the daily drivers have always lived outside.
Shelley sung tonight. Everythings working well less a minor tick I'll figure out Saturday. Also Doris had this nice candid photo taken by a local photographer. Pretty girls always makes ones heart sing.
Having a hard time behaving on the internet today, but this was how the outer seal got out for having a new inner seal.
I have done absolutely nothing since Ive had the bird, goat, dog, horse flu for a month.
I did drive my 63 in a fever dream, does that count?
Quote from: jwwseville60 on March 01, 2025, 12:20:25 PMI have done absolutely nothing since Ive had the bird, goat, dog, horse flu for a month.
Good to hear no measles.
Hope you are feeling better soon.
Quote from: jwwseville60 on March 01, 2025, 12:20:25 PMI did drive my 63 in a fever dream, does that count?
How did it run in the dream? Were you and the car flying or on the ground?
Quote from: jwwseville60 on March 01, 2025, 12:20:25 PMI have done absolutely nothing since Ive had the bird, goat, dog, horse flu for a month.
I did drive my 63 in a fever dream, does that count?
Get well soon John. Clay/Lexi
I exercised my 1969 Eldorado today,
My Sammy Davis Jr car....sometimes my Miles Davis car....
Mid-century modern, definitely a rat pack looking car....
He's gots some bumps and scrapes but still going strong...
Ran very well....lots of power....like killing bugs with a sledge hammer.
Mike
Told a friend that a Nissan as a club promoter is like crapping in your hand and hoping it turns to gold. Trying to source him a nice 66 Cad. He wants blue or black if anyone has a lead.
Quote from: Cadillac Jack 82 on March 02, 2025, 12:15:22 AMTold a friend that a Nissan as a club promoter is like crapping in your hand and hoping it turns to gold. Trying to source him a nice 66 Cad. He wants blue or black if anyone has a lead.
If you can't something nice, then just tell the truth! :)
Sunday funday. Two 59s together is both a fun and rare site.
Also is it me or is the glare off the padded dash a problem with other 59s?
Yes I've experienced it too. The EBZ dash is pebble grain (like a '60) which might not have the same problem.
Quote from: Cadillac Jack 82 on March 02, 2025, 02:48:51 PMAlso is it me or is the glare off the padded dash a problem with other 59s?
You aren't alone. I had the same issues depending on how the car was orientated to the sun. Mine was a really deep greenish/blue.
I finally said, 'Screw it, I'm cruising today'. Took a 100 mile ride around NASA and the county. I have 2 weeks left on my access badge, so I figured I'd get in there while I could. Beautiful 65-70 degree day. The sky, almost as blue as my car.
Cruising along I spotted a space capsule crated outside of a warehouse like it was ready to be picked up. I couldn't pass up the photo op. Also grabbed a few shots across the river from the famous Launch Pads 39A and 39B. After that, I ran up to the north end of the county and putted back down US 1.
With all the major engine work taking into the summer last year there were a few lingering things I wanted to get done this winter and I wrapped them up this past week:
1. Finally tackled that "mushy" area on the driver's side floor pan. No wonder my foot was getting hot! Took all the carpet out, wire brushed, rust neutralizer, applied sound/heat deadener, and zipped everything back up much nicer that what it was. That bench seat reminded my of grandmas old "davenport" and getting it out by myself was HEAVY!
2. Replaced the power seat transmission, lubed all components. Everything is now fully operational and I won't have to put a pillow behind my wife's back for her to be able to reach the pedals ;D
3. Replaced low coolant sensor with the CORRECT On/Off style
4. Replaced D/S tail lamp lens with new to match P/S (Was really surprised I had to take the bumper loose to do that)
I'm so content all of these "to dos" are done and I'm looking forward to giving her a good detailing and getting her out of the garage. Lord willing this will be my first full season of enjoying the car and the weather looks to be turning the corner in the near future in my neck of the woods.
The '69 cars were among my favorites.
I would have liked to have held onto that '69 FWB. It was a solid car that just purred at 90mph.
The buyer recently reported to me that the car is still running perfectly.
Gave Doris a 40 weight oil change and coolant flush. She sat for far too long. Oil was midnight and the coolant brown. Whomever restored her did an ace job!
Quote from: Cadillac Jack 82 on March 09, 2025, 01:32:18 AMGave Doris a 40 weight oil change and coolant flush. She sat for far too long. Oil was midnight and the coolant brown. Whomever restored her did an ace job!
Also restorer was a bit POR15 happy...
Flooded my 63 FW sedan in the garage and filled the hangar with smoke.
Some carb issues... :-\
My wife and my good collector friend surprised me with a banner they put up over my cars.
Got some front bumper chrome back today. Rest is in storage, waiting for the better weather to install. Pictured is one of 4 pieces in the back of the car. Clay/Lexi
Doris had a nice little detail last Friday and a cruise around town to show off her wares. I adore my 59 but this cars a cream puff!
My wife and I took the 59 flat top on errands yesterday. Supermarket and Target for easter gifts. Teh grandkids come first.
75 degrees today in VA!
Today the 65 FW.
Donuts?
Irish coffee?
Half side of frozen beef in the trunk?
Cleaned the engine compartment and drove the '56 around the neighborhood!
Finished putting new hoses on my 57. The old one were pretty elderly. The transmission cooling lines (not the metal lines introduced the next year) use heater hose that run from two fittings on the water pump, under the intake manifold, over the rear of the engine and down to the transmission. The heater lines run from the water pump around and behind the left fender well the up to the heater core high up behind inner fender. Glad that job is done.
Love the color of your car
Replaced the high pressure power steering hose on Big Red, that was seeping fluid around a crimp fitting, with AN6 stainless steel wrapped PTFE hose/tube. Expect it will last a very long time.
I took Penny out for a nice run this morning....The V12 runs very smooth and the car really doesn't have any rattles....not bad for a 90 year old car !
I'm in the process of adding turn signal lights.....I made the brackets and I'm starting to put in these small lights....I'm not sure I like them....I should go with a little larger round light...
There's not alot of room in the original light buckets to put those lights and I didn't want to start hacking up the interior of those buckets....
I wish I didn't need the turn signals but it's dangerous to drive with out them....everybody is always in a hurry and there is alot of horn blowing at my hand signals....haha
Mike
I swapped out the single filament bulb pigtail in my '35 with a dual filament pigtail and incorporated my turn signals there. No cutting or hacking necessary, just some wiring, works very well.
Or---
https://cwmoss.com/products/cowl-lights-with-turn-signal-1932?currency=USD&variant=31539517095979&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn
=84a2ee9e6111&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADJonsu3bCBwDfMPDYLgZddBZoe11&gclid=CjwKCAjwq7fABhB2EiwAwk-YbJ2BeCHLBh5Pm61LC8wp3biI6U60FMmKoPL1rJ9uYnedXqWevSgDWxoCjDQQAvD_BwE
use these on your brackets, they look much more period correct, are larger, and are not made of plastic. Used these on the front of my Auburn Speedster with brackets similar to yours and they look like they belong. No one has to know (or will know) they were made for an F-o-r-d.
Send me a PM, if you like, with your email and I will send you some pics.
It is also easy to add a dual filament pigtail and bulb to the rear taillights to allow directionals back there, which I have also done with my '35.
Geoff N.
I have been chasing a problem with my diagnosis of the TrackMaster in my '72 Eldo, and following the Shop Manual there was supposed to be a Brake Light come on when putting the Ignition Switch to the Start Position. But, not actually going all the way to activating the Starter Motor.
Well, after much twisting and contorting, I managed to get my hand up to the back of the dash and removed the light socket. Testing this, I found that the globe was good, but the socket not completing the circuit from the globe to the printed circuit.
Removed all the dash lights, cleaned everything up, and found another one that was faulty. Those little pieces of wire at the socket of those dash globes can need a bit of manual tweaking to maintain alignment.
Now I got the Brake Light working, plus the low water light for the Windscreen Washer bottle. Alleluia.
All is now good.
Bruce. >:D
Well, I fired up Lexi yesterday after sitting for over 5 months in storage. Filled the carb bowl with fuel first by running the e-pump for about 15 - 20 seconds first, then 3 pumps of the gas pedal and she fired up in about 3 or 4 seconds. Good to hear, as I had horrific carb problems last year which kept her off the road for 2 months. Got lots to do on her this year. Clay/Lexi
I cleaned another dive bombing bird crap splotch off the hood of the red CTS.
I just had the two CTSs detailed too. And, two days after the detailing the windshield sported a crack across haf the glass...
Finished the installation of my re-chromed front bumper clip. A brutal job to do alone, so I used that fork lift like pallet I described earlier, plus my engine hoist to keep the unit vertical & also to lift the pallet slightly, when I had to position the fork lift closer, (it is not designed to roll). Boom was adjusted to furthest extension to provide more room around car to work. Reducing the load with the engine hoist made the fork lift "pushable", when need be. Attached is a shot of the old unit coming off with a pair of ratchet straps to keep the bumper from tipping over, plus the engine hoist (center yellow strap not yet attached), to keep things under better control. Used Jeff's idea to basically use a jack to lift the unit into position, but in this case, I built a platform to better support the bumper and to reduce tipping, (ground not level). Worst part of this job was the disassembly of my spare bumper and also the removal of 70 year old bumper hardware on my car. A most unpleasant job, but doable for one person with the right tools. Other shot shows a comparison of the old and the new. Clay/Lexi
P.S. When re-attaching my gold grille I noted that it's fitment was off. Discovered past collision damage from I guess years ago. So I put a spare silver grille on. Still pondering repair or replacement. Anyone have a gold 1956 grille for sale?
Quote from: Lexi on May 13, 2025, 11:19:19 AMFinished the installation of my re-chromed front bumper clip. A brutal job to do alone, so I used that fork lift like pallet I described earlier, plus my engine hoist to keep the unit vertical & also to lift the pallet slightly, when I had to position the fork lift closer, (it is not designed to roll). Boom was adjusted to furthest extension to provide more room around car to work. Reducing the load with the engine hoist made the fork lift "pushable", when need be. Attached is a shot of the old unit coming off with a pair of ratchet straps to keep the bumper from tipping over, plus the engine hoist (center yellow strap not yet attached), to keep things under better control. Used Jeff's idea to basically use a jack to lift the unit into position, but in this case, I built a platform to better support the bumper and to reduce tipping, (ground not level). Worst part of this job was the disassembly of my spare bumper and also the removal of 70 year old bumper hardware on my car. A most unpleasant job, but doable for one person with the right tools. Other shot shows a comparison of the old and the new. Clay/Lexi
P.S. When re-attaching my gold grille I noted that it's fitment was off. Discovered past collision damage from I guess years ago. So I put a spare silver grille on. Still pondering repair or replacement. Anyone have a gold 1956 grille for sale?
Looks wonderful!
My 2001 Chevy Cavalier is in the shop with a faulty transmission. The only car I trust for casual to-and-from work is my 59. She's been running smooth as butter, outside of a minor shift linkage adjustment I need to do (still wont fully go into park at times). Nothing beats people turning their heads to watch you fly past them at 75 on the highway in a finned fury!
Being passed on the highway by one of our "Dinosaur" cars is indeed, a sight to see. Clay/Lexi
Cleaned up the 42 for a show this weekend at Selfridge ANG Museum and received notification of our preapproved security clearance.
Today i rebuild my cruise control transducer for like the 100th time, still have no idea the difference between one that works and doesn't, but finally got one of mine to work. The girl holds her speed perfectly.
I also finished rebuilding the clock for my car again, as the clock i was using, the motor was bad and would shut off randomly every 10 or so hours, so new motor and cleaned up clock
Also jacked her up and found the lower control arm bushing is gone, so when i get the money and time I need to change all that out on both sides
This is all in preparation for the power tour coming up, gonna need everything working to its fullest
At 55 mph my hood came open. I slammed on teh brakes and it shut. No damage to windshield thank goodness. Traffic was light.
Please make sure your hoods are secure.
I now need a new hood, bits and trim.
:(
What happened to your secondary catch at the hood lock? Didn't it work?
Bruce. >:D
Crap. Good to learn that you are OK. Still a scary thing to happen. That has always been a worry of mine when driving any of the old cars I have owned. Sad that it happened to you but it could have been worse. Clay/Lexi
Which car?
That's a surprise nobody likes.
Secondary catch was overloaded at 55-60 mph.
Or it was faulty.
These catches are designed to operate at any speed so it may have been faulty.
The hood opening whilst driving at any speed will not go past the secondary catch as there is not enough air pressure to destroy that catch as it doesn't rise up sufficiently to gain "breakable" pressure.
Bruce. >:D
Well, I got my rechromed front bumper clip on, and on my first run to the coffee shop an older woman who was quite taken by the car asked, "Is this a Rolls Royce?" LOL. Never had my car mistaken for a Rolls before. Clay/Lexi
It is very strange what sort of responses various cars get. Times and places I expect to get at least some looks but then other times I'm looking around trying to figure out who or why someone is yelling or honking. Sometimes I see them and they are doing a thumbs up. Other times seems just random or nothing to do with it being a classic.
Quote from: Lexi on May 27, 2025, 11:14:10 AMNever had my car mistaken for a Rolls before. Clay/Lexi
A couple times we have been asked if our 59 Olds was a Cadillac?
Sadly, I get Chevy sometimes with both the 50 and 59. People aren't very bright these days.
I thought when it came to cars with fins there were only 2 so they are all either 57 chev or 59 Cad?
And every Cadillac ambulance or hearse from mid 1950s to 1980s is a Ghostbuster
:) I have been asked if Big Red was a Rolls Royce, a Packard (several times), or a Duesenberg. My usual reply is "oh no, much better than that, it's a Cadillac!"
Fleetwood: Got the oil and coolant changed yesterday and am getting it cleaned up today for the GN, not that it will matter, since rain is on the schedule for Sat / Sun
Wish I was attending this year. Can't make it :( Clay/Lexi
Quote from: Lexi on May 28, 2025, 09:04:29 PMWish I was attending this year. Can't make it :( Clay/Lexi
The grand national will be in Dayton Ohio in a few years if that's closer to you
God willing I will do an upcoming GN sooner rather than later. Great meeting you last year at the Gettysburg GN. Clay/Lexi
My 6 year old grandson went to a birthday party today, and asked if I could drive him in the old Cadillac Limo, adding that he (quote) "...wanted to look cool"...!!! LOL. Where do they get this stuff from? Not from me. I did have the car out earlier, but did not chauffeur the grandson to the party. The car is not equipped with seat belts or a child seat, so that request was denied. But as Art Linkletter used to say; "Kids say the Darndest things". Clay/Lexi
Drove the Seville to work this morning. First time out this year.
Tim
USO Remembrance event at a Senior Living facility today. And the sun showed up after a gloomy month of May.
Yesterday I took the Eldorado out for a drive with the better half to celebrate our 57th Wedding Anniversary, with the fuel gauge showing just under half full, so I was good to go.
After lunch, I decided to take a round trip home, and was watching the fuel gauge needle getting really close to the "E" mark, but drove on as the needle would still move around at various angles, so there was still petrol in the tank.
Filling up before arriving home, it took 100.1 Litres, which meant that I still had 4 Litres left (just under a Gallon) so plenty left. ha ha. I had been checking the odometer, and I had travelled 507 Kilometres on that tank, which included a bit of around-town driving. This was its' first long run since before COVID. This equates to 14.3 MPG.
But, I also found that my heater wasn't working like it should, so now to trace that problem before our trip to the mainland for next years' Australian CLC Rally at Echuca.
Bruce. >:D
Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on June 01, 2025, 09:09:33 PMYesterday I took the Eldorado out for a drive with the better half to celebrate our 77th Wedding Anniversary
Bruce. >:D
Bron may say it feels like 77 years but I don't think that number is correct
Yes, I changed it to 57. That is the trouble with not proofreading.
Actually, it still feels like yesterday.
Bruce. >:D
I hauled mine the 700 miles up here to the GN on my new trailer. The ride was fairly uneventful, mainly because it was almost all at night. The F-150 pulled it along at 70+mph like nothing. Though it did cut my fuel mileage in half, down to 11.5 mpg.
The car is in the lot with about 2 dozen others so far. She fits in nicely with the diamonds that I saw out there.
Changed the oil in the '56 yesterday. I wanted to get it done before it became 100 degrees out. It was one of those days apparently, as I ran over and crushed one of my wheel chocks, ran over 4 Seven-Up cans of soda, and blocked my shop vac in behind the car when I put it back. Yikes. Luckily no damage to the shop vac by that massive bumper.
The brain was dis-engaging I think!
Quote from: Carfreak on May 27, 2025, 06:28:58 PMAnd every Cadillac ambulance or hearse from mid 1950s to 1980s is a Ghostbuster
I know, ugh!!!
Quote from: jaxops on June 06, 2025, 08:25:56 AM...It was one of those days apparently, as I ran over and crushed one of my wheel chocks, ran over 4 Seven-Up cans of soda, and blocked my shop vac in behind the car when I put it back. Yikes. Luckily no damage to the shop vac by that massive bumper.
The brain was dis-engaging I think!
I seem to be having more of those kind of days lately myself. Clay/Lexi
The 7up sounds like it was likely the biggest mess. I once ran over a can of PB blaster in the garage. Not a lot got on the car but lots of stuff in the garage got it.
Quote from: Lexi on May 13, 2025, 11:19:19 AMFinished the installation of my re-chromed front bumper clip... When re-attaching my gold grille I noted that it's fitment was off. Discovered past collision damage from I guess years ago. So I put a spare silver grille on. Still pondering repair or replacement. Anyone have a gold 1956 grille for sale?
Well, I took the plunge and have now spent 7 days cleaning, straightening and re-bending my Gold Grille horizontal and vertical slat bars for re-use. I also cleaned a spare Gold Grille set in case any slats proved to be an upgrade to swap out. Only exchanged one. Taking apart one of these without adequate photos and written documentation is a nightmare job upon re-asssembly. This is indeed the "Cadillac Rubric's Cube". A most unpleasant job, and perhaps the worst auto related job I have undertaken. I remember attending a lecture on the restoration of the 1959 Cadillac grille as presented by Frank Nicodemus Sr. at the Lake George GN in 2014. He also described such projects as tough and not for the faint of heart.
So, while I would have done some things a little differently, the grille assembly is cleaned and back together. It looks really nice, but hoping I can get the temporary replacement silver grille off without removing the entire bumper, for re-installion. Will update with some photos.
Does anyone know exactly how these gold anodized Cadillac grilles (and Sabre rims) appeared when new? I thought they were a rich yet satin gold, and not overly brilliant. As they age, like their Sabre counterparts, they would gradually fade, sometimes with, sometimes without, visible corrosion. To have one restored to a high gloss, brilliant "yellow gold" finish would not be in keeping with their OEM appearance? Is this correct? Clay/Lexi
Quote from: TJ Hopland on June 06, 2025, 10:39:43 AMThe 7up sounds like it was likely the biggest mess. I once ran over a can of PB blaster in the garage. Not a lot got on the car but lots of stuff in the garage got it.
Had to wash the whole garage out. The ants were already making their way in!
Quote from: Lexi on June 06, 2025, 02:28:48 PMWell, I took the plunge and have now spent 7 days cleaning, straightening and re-bending my Gold Grille horizontal and vertical slat bars for re-use. I also cleaned a spare Gold Grille set in case any slats proved to be an upgrade to swap out. Only exchanged one. Taking apart one of these without adequate photos and written documentation is a nightmare job upon re-asssembly. This is indeed the "Cadillac Rubric's Cube".
So, while I would have done some things a little differently, the grille assembly is cleaned and back together. It looks really nice, but hoping I can get the temporary replacement silver grille off without removing the entire bumper, for re-installion. Will update with some photos. Clay/Lexi
Here are a couple of updated shots. One shows the Gold Grille done and assembled backlit by the sun. Shot #2 shows a close up of the grille, with the original Gold Cadillac script. These show the "restored" Gold Grille. I had to remove the front bumper, again, to install this. A brutal job. Hope I never have to do this again. Should have just left the entire front clip off untill all was ready for assembly. My metal bending and straighening worked and the original, uncommon Gold Grille is saved. Now on to my next personal nightmare project with this car. Clay/Lexi
Brakes, exhaust, AC and power steering pump all fixed and in perfect order, Yesterday I drove my 55 FW ("Lulu-bell") to the DMV to sort out some janky paperwork. Hot damn, the gals down there love the old cars! They know me well.
87 degrees and wicked humid. Stock R12 AC is freezing! Cracked a window. I salute the GM engineers who developed this system. Perhaps also used on GM meat trucks?
Then I went to Five Guys for a hotdog, no, two. As you can see, some cars just dont fit in to our modern world....you people call that a parking space?
When I pulled into my GMC dealer the car quit. I raised the hood since I know she doesnt like hot ethanol fuel even with an electric pump.
Test drove a GMC 4500 truck. 35 minutes elapsed.
Shut the hood and went home. Avoided a wild turkey. Ran perfect at sunset.
QuoteHere are a couple of updated shots. One shows the Gold Grille done and assembled backlit by the sun. Shot #2 shows a close up of the grille, with the original Gold Cadillac script. These show the "restored" Gold Grille. I had to remove the front bumper, again, to install this. A brutal job. Hope I never have to do this again. Should have just left the entire front clip off untill all was ready for assembly. My metal bending and straighening worked and the original, uncommon Gold Grille is saved. Now on to my next personal nightmare project with this car. Clay/Lexi
A shot taken today showing the Gold Grille installed and back on the road. The car drove like "new" today. Just was one of those great driving days. Happy Father's Day to all. Clay/Lexi
Took our 1940 LaSalle on a 120 mile drive through the back roads of Missouri. Had a father's day lunch with my wife at a small mom and pop restaurant in New Haven Mo. Beautiful day, lovely drive, pretty wife. It doesn't get much bet
Started taking out the speedometer on the '56. Yikes. I will take my time. So far I have the speedometer and odometer cables unhooked after removing the dash pad. Trying hard not to break anything!
Liking your post as this is a nasty job. Done that a few times. The worst part of it, at least with my car, is the re-insertion of a couple of the trim screws. Guess the hole/s have enlarged over the years and the screw pitch not grabbing as it should. Embarrased to say how much time I once spent putting one of those screws back in, (don't ask). Feeling your pain from a distance. Clay/Lexi
Sent the '49 limousine in to the shop to get the knee-action shocks replaced. I got a working set online and hopefully that will dampen out the pitching going over a bump.
Because my car is a driver/survivor, and not likely to place in any car shows, I have a bit more freedom to add a few modern or custom touches to my 68 Coupe deVille.
June 3rd was my birthday and my ever-loving girlfriend surprized me with a custom leather steering wheel cover, which had the same overall colors of my car and interior. I have always thought the steering wheel felt rather skinny in my big ol' biscuit hooks, and I thought I might someday wrap it, but she saw this and felt it would be perfect for my car! And she's right!
Oh, and because I'm way behind in posting here, I added a few other touches recently that I thought I'd share. Again, its a driver/survivor, not a show car, so I can do things that I probably wouldn't if it were a full-on restoration!
As you might remember, I'm a musician, and from time-to-time I take the CdV out on a gig, and it's nice to have my tunes and navigation and a backup camera and the hands-free phone all in one unit, so I installed the iphone Car Play thing a couple of weeks ago.
I don't smoke, and luckily for me, neither did the previous owner, so the ashtrays are pristine! But more importantly, the big old pull-out, double ashtray and cigarette lighter assembly makes for a perfect mounting spot and power port for this thing! Works great!