1968 Eldorado Restoration

[CarlSpackler]

Um, what is left forsale out there for 15 inch radial whitewall tires?    I did a quick search on tire Rack and came up with nothing.    The fat whitewalls on it now are probably pretty old.  Not to mention too wide for this era car.     

I had bad luck with the Coker dual stripes (all four were out of round) and the diamond backs are special order.

What are you guys running for sizes on this generation Eldo?

TRY these for many good tire options:

http://www.widewhitetires.com/


http://onlyoldiesgarage.com/xcart/home.php

[Carl Glass]

I don't see how the headlamp doors could be adjusted to delay the opening of one after the other.  Mine run very close together, but depend on idle speed.  I plan on replacing all the hoses since I too can hear a hissing from the firewall area when the doors are open/headlamps on.

Following are the procedures to replace the parking lamp and cornering lamp bulbs.

b. Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamp Bulb
    1.  Remove two Phillips head screws securing lens to lamp and remove lens.
    2.  Replace bulb.
    3.  Install lens on housing and secure with two Phillips head screws.

c. Cornering or Front Side Marker Light-693
   1.  Remove cornering and front side marker light assembly as described in Note 15a.
   2.  Remove six Phillips head screws securing lens to housing and remove lens.
   3.  Remove bulb.
   NOTE: Cornering light bulb is clear, while side marker light bulb is amber colored.
   4.  Install bulb.
   5.  Position lens to housing and install six Phillips head screws retaining lens to housing.
   6.  Install cornering and front side marker light assembly as described in the Note 15b.

15. Front Cornering and Side Marker Light Assembly-693
  a. Removal
     1.  Disconnect negative battery cable.
     2.  Disconnect electrical connector to cornering lamp assembly at radiator cradle tie bar.
     3.  Remove clip, screw and washer securing splash shield to fender and position splash shield out of way.
     4.  Remove two screws securing lamp assembly to fender and remove assembly from fender.
   b. Installation
     1.  Position cornering and side marker light assembly to fender and install two screws securing assembly to fender.
     2.  Connect electrical connector to mating connector at tie bar.
     3.  Reposition splash shield to fender opening and secure to fender using clip, screw and washer.
     4.  Connect negative battery cable.

Carl

[Carl Glass]

David:

Curious if you were able to find 10 ohm speakers to replace your rears?  I have been agonizing over replacing mine.

Also, is that rear seat leather original?  or at least correct in style/texture/etc?  I will be changing out my cloth for leather upholstery at some point and want to have the look and feel correct.

I've attached some wiring diagrams for your information.

Carl

[Rob Troxel]

David,

Does your car still have the  masticated rubber filler in the lower bumper area from the radiator bottom to the rear of the front bumper? (Kind of a wide triangle in shape splash guard)  I have a replacement piece for mine and cannot figure how it is attached to the underside.

Great pictures, thanks for posting them.

RT

[Antoni Deighton]

Great pix! It's really nice to see one of these cars in such good condition!

Rob: I think the filler is in place in mine. I'll try and get to it tomorrow, and take some pix for you.

A.

[Glen]

Gerald Lodi from Austria has some great cars!  I wonder if his twilight sentinal is operational on his Eldorado since that device might help modulate the opening of the headlight doors together.  Mine do not and my sentinal is bypassed.  We should get Glen Houghton from Hawaii's opinion if he is watching the thread. I'm not sure where an in sync adjustment might be as I'm sure that each door was supposed to open/close at the same time

The headlight doors on my 68 ELDO also open one door at a time.  I used to use that as a way to “wink” at other cars.  There is no device to synchronize them.  I think the main cause of this is restrictions in the hoses or weak vacuum supply.  Both the Twilight Sentinel equipped and non TS cars have the tee in the hoses on the driver’s side just in front of the wheel well.  The hoses to the right side are much longer than those to the left.  If replacing the hoses with new hoses don’t improve the situation you might try hoses with a larger ID and adapters to the standard hoses at the actuators.  Or you could move the tees to the mid point so that they are the same length to each actuator. 

Anybody know where to get a check valve for the main vacuum line for the headlight doors?  Mine leaks down pretty fast.   I’ve been looking at making one. 

[Rob Troxel]

Thanks Glen, David, and Antoni for the informative replys!
I talked to a guy who had used the Camaro Vacum motors on his Eldorado. He had to thread the actuator rods so the clevis yoke could be attached by nut to the rod.  Says they work great! I got to thinking that our old vacum motors probably each have a different vacum rate due to aging etc.  >>Glen,  can you tell me what the part you need looks like and where it is located on the car?  I have an extra parts box I can look through.

Regards,

[Glen]

I need to go look at it again, but I think it has a hose nipple on each end and a large bulge in the middle.  Over all it is about an inch and a half long and maybe three qurters of an inch in diameter. 
Basically I need an inline vacuum check valve. 

[Glen]

That set is missing the photo cell. 

[Carl Glass]

He's also selling it as a 67-68 assembly, but 67 and 68 had different headlight switches.  Granted they were the only years that had vacuum headlamps, but 68 allowed the parking lamps to stay lit with the headlamps, while 67 did not.

Carl

[Carl Glass]

David

Yes I am, however these just look to be in too poor a condition.

Thx

Carl

[Rob Troxel]

I too could use a blue set but these are pretty pounded for the dough he is asking.  Thanks for being on the look out.  Does anyone know if these are being made again?  All I have seen are the 4 piece set with the Caddy logo. 

[Carl Glass]

Ever since i've had my '68 Eldo I have been frustrated by the lack of some good press photos.  Sure, there are lots from the introduction of the body style in '67, some brochure photos from '68 and a few others from '69 and '70.  But since '68 is so visibily different (parking lamps, hidden headlamps, hidden wipers, rear side marker lamps, reverse lamps, etc.) I was dissapointed i didnt have a great photo of a black '68.

Compounding that problem is the fact that although my car does have a vinyl top, I dream of someday converting it to a slick top.

Last weekend i stumbled upon a fantastic photo of a slick top '68.  But it was a not-so-fantastic "orange" with an orange background.  But isn't that what Photoshop is for?  I had my company's art department clean it up, first converting the car to black (still with the orange interior however) and then taking care of the background as well.  What do you think?

So happy now!

Carl

[Glen]

Well, my passenger side cornering lamp keeps failing.     If I grab the socket on the back and give it a squeeze it works.   But after a few turns at night it stops working again.    So I know the bulb is good.   I'm guessing the socket is bad.   But the socket appears to be part of the lamp housing.    I see NOS lenses for sale on Ebay all the time, but never any housings.    Any suggestions?  The parking lamp bulb works fine.  So it is usable as is, but there are a few dark corners I take near my house and I miss that beam of light.   :/

IIRC the socket is crimped into the housing.  I’m not sure how you can fix your problem, but if you can find a way to run a ground wire from the lamp base to a screw you might be able to bypass the crimp and get a good reliable ground. 

[Rob Troxel]

Great idea Glen!  Another thought is to remove the cornering light housing and steel wool the contact points where the housing meets the body and the bolt connections.   I had this issue and everything works now. Can you measure any voltage on the hot wire near the socket?

[Aaron Hudacky]

My 70 did the same thing about 3 weeks ago. The compressor started to bind, but fortunately when the clutch disengaged the pulley still surned freely. I've had 3 425 or 472 cars have seized compressor pulleys over the years, but the compressor still turned by hand with the clutch disengaged. I am curious which manufacturer makes the most reliable replacement compressors for these cars.

[Rob Troxel]

It's like my Eldo talks to your Eldo and says  "replace the A/C compressor" !
Mine too at 66K is doing the same stuff >> It began emitting a buzzing sound so the compressor wiring plug was disconnected with no further noise!  I will fix this in the spring but I'm told I might as well replace the A/C compressor.  I found a rebuilt 4 seasons unit at Amazon.com for <$160 bucks two months ago so I bought it and will report at completion of the repair next spring.  They say it is an exact bolt in replacement but you have to be sure you get the dual pulley unit.  I'm going to keep my original unit and get it rebuilt though I have no idea where just yet.

[Rob Troxel]

David,

Does your car still have the  masticated rubber filler in the lower bumper area from the radiator bottom to the rear of the front bumper? (Kind of a wide triangle in shape splash guard)  I have a replacement piece for mine and cannot figure how it is attached to the underside.

Great pictures, thanks for posting them.

RT

Any of you guys had a chance to look at your car yet so see if you are this piece installed?  Happy Thanksgiving all!

[Antoni Deighton]

Rob,

Apologies, my car is not back from the body shop yet, and I haven't had the opportunity to drive out and take a photo. I need to see how the car is coming along anyway, so I'll get out to it next week at the latest,

A.

[Rob Troxel]

Thanks David and Antoni.  How is the paint job progressing?