My 1938 Sixty Special

[joeceretti]

A CLC meber, Charles Commerford (CLC Member #27048) sold me what was an absolutely perfect ignition coil for an excellent price. It came in the original box with the bracket and the boot. I finally have an application correct 6v positive ground coil for my car. Thanks Chuck!!

[joeceretti]

I didn't like the crinkle paint on the coil.

[RussK]

All the work you have done is outstanding, its a beautiful car, cant wait to see more of it.

[joeceretti]

Thank you Russ. I should have put this in here but this is what I have been doing the last four days...

http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=132062.0

[joeceretti]

After trying a few things to clean my reflectors I thought I was going to have to have them resilvered.... I was wrong. Never Dull Magic Wadding Polish came to the rescue. They went from very yellow with faint light to much brighter with much whiter light.

Before



After

[joeceretti]

It's slowly coming along. I had rebuilt my starter previously but it still looked terrible.

I pulled it back out, changed the solenoid relay with a NOS one I bought. Then painted it. I painted the band over the brushes and the cap over the relay with fake stainless steel paint. I am currently on the hunt now for some that are less pitted and will change them out with correct colour once I find them.

[joeceretti]

Just because I felt like it.... thinking about what's going to happen this coming winter.

[joeceretti]

I installed my NOS radiator shutters on my car yesterday. They look great but I need to figure out why the thermostat isn't moving them far enough. I do have another thermostat that I think works fine.

With the cover off I noticed that the two plugs on the front of the tank are leaking very slightly. Have to deal with that this winter. The tank is so thin it's a pain to work on but has to be done.

[joeceretti]

Getting closer. I made a 3d mockup of the radio cover as one unit. I know it is a base with two grilles and then chrome trim strips. It's a complicated piece. This is step 2. No measurements taken into account. Next I have to model the base and the two grilles with accurate measurements. Then 3d print them to make my moulds.

I have found the original plastic that was used for these covers is still being manufactured. They will be cast out of that.

[Steve Passmore]

I'm reliably informed by the expert in these plastic dash pieces Bruce Berghoff that they used a plastic made from soya which was a disaster. He may have been joking but the material was still a disaster. Cadillac stopped using it after one year. Studebaker also failed with it in the late 30s so I wouldn't think you wanted to have it made in that? 
The right hand side is not a grill but a complicated ash tray that swivels out. I completely rebuilt mine earlier this year using Bruces parts so let me know if theres any dimensions or pictures you need.

[joeceretti]

After the search of our suppliers and a discussion with the rep, he ensured me that they have had 75 years to get the chemistry right. Also, I am not sure where the idea is from that it is soy based. The specified material as from the drawings is actually reacted from wood alcohol made from tree cellulose. I suppose it is possible that they made the alcohol from soy material. The failure is not actually from the base alcohol but from the santicizers used or lack thereof.

The plastic is currently used in a HUGE variety of products. Children's toys, screwdrivers, toothbrushes, golfballs, glasses as well as currently being used in manufacturing in the transportation sector. It is likely that every person in the CLC who has a modern car has some in their car.

The real benefit as I see it is that the parts don't need to be painted. The plastic accepts dye very well.

The downside? It won't last as long as cast metal, of course, but it should last longer than my lifetime.

The upside? The cast pieces, if I am careful in my design, and in my pigment matching, will not need any finishing or other significant hand work.

Everything is tentative and subject to change as I move along. I have cast parts before but never this complex. I may be forced to have it injection moulded or I may decide to do it in metal.

[hudson29]

Wow, you have made a lot of progress in the nearly one year since I was last on these boards. I'm amazed at the ambition of trying to cast your own dash radio grill parts. I guess that someone did it in the old days so it must be possible somehow. I imagine these parts are unobtainium?

Vintage Paul

[joeceretti]

They are unobtanium in NOS for but Bruce Berghoff makes them and they are beautiful and much better than the original in material quality. The thing is I LOVE doing this and find it very satisfying figuring out how.

[hudson29]

You have taken on some big jobs for a home restorer and made great results with them. I'm about to send Bruce my order (long delayed by finances) and get started on the many missing bits of plastic on my car's interior.

Vintage Paul

[joeceretti]

Finally it looks like next week it will warm up enough to continue working on my car. This winter has brought some serious challenges to my life that I think I have worked through. I am REALLY looking forward to carrying on.

[joeceretti]

Some updates.....

I've worked on a lot and as is normal, I have a lot more to do. The pictures tell the story.

I swapped the axle and differential and that works and looks great now. Surprise rain made the paint on the backing plates look patchy but I am ok with that. It's a rust preventative anyhow and not seen.

I put a new master cylinder on. Brakes are great. I have the original now as my spare.

I used some scrap aluminum to make a bracket for my extra switches. I refuse to drill holes. Th elight on the right is for the fuel pump and the left is connected to the brake pressure switch so I know if it either quits working or sticks on. Both bad situations. The brake light on the dash is a standard item in the old cars in Cuba.

I restored the original Cadillac washer assembly I found on eBay. It was listed as a fuel pump.

I need to make myself a label. It had remnants of the original Cadillac label. The left side and the top of the crest.

Does anyone have a copy of the documentation that would have been with the washer originally?

[joeceretti]

Little gains... my fuel line with heat shield. I took off the hacked together rubber fuel line that was on there and was always bugging me.

[joeceretti]

Just thought I'd leave this here... for those looking to get their vacuum wiper motors working... How the valve mechanism should work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS0eIxflxro

[Blade]

Just thought I'd leave this here... for those looking to get their vacuum wiper motors working... How the valve mechanism should work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS0eIxflxro

Joe: reminds me of a metronome when I was a kid and took piano lessons ... 

Your car looks like getting close to be done, what else you need to do yet? Coming along very nicely, great quality restoration so far!