59 Convertible

[INTMD8]

This of course is the car advertised by Alldoug. (Thanks Doug!!!)

Went to pick it up today with a friend of mine. Bought it from the original owners son. Car has been sitting in their garage for 30+ years and hasn't ran in 20+ years.  Since I feel I may be asked I will mention that I'm keeping the car, it is not for sale.

Overall it's a solid car. No real rust issues that I can see. Older repaint that's pretty horrible and the body is a bit dinged up. Trim was removed from the sides (probably due to park by feel damage) Biggest surprise is the interior appears to be original and in rather decent shape.

Since it's basically a complete car minus a few damaged trim items, I'm thinking I will try and get it up and running/driving in it's present condition and leave it that way until my Brougham is finished. That will be several years from now but I think having 2 cars completely apart at once would be too stressful.

[52Cadillac]

Jim you should have that sorted out by The Boston GN. Hehe. Hope ya can drive her there.
Mike

[59-in-pieces]

What a beauty.
Exciting to see a car in such great shape - particularly a convertible.
I have never been so lucky.
Just for fun, would you post a couple of shots of the engine bay.
Good luck on the hours of fun that await you in your restoration.
Steve B.

[52Cadillac]

59, I've not been that lucky either. I got lucky 3X's, then I had 3 kids. Hehe. My 52 was luck, but with a high cost. I'm feeling about ready to get lucky again.
Mike

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

That was a great price. From what I can see, it should leave you a decent amount of room to be "in the car right" when finished assuming it doesn't leave you chasing too many parts and doesn't need an engine rebuild. There are very few better vintage car investments than a 1959 Cadillac Convertible.   

Good luck with the project.

[INTMD8]

Thanks guys.

Last night I did some cleaning on the car and connected a battery. It was nice that so much worked on the car. Radio,power windows, headlights, horn,wipers, interior and trunk lights all work. Seat tilts front/rear but seems like just the passenger side wants to move forward and back.

Gave the body and undercarriage a closer look and it is super solid, no rust problems at all which is really surprising considering it spent it's life in Indiana.

I can hear the top motor 'clunk' but not spin so I think the pump is locked up.

I've been filling the cylinders with oil but so far no luck in freeing the engine.

[speach]

One does not get a hold of many cars like that, in a life time! Especially for what you payed. Awesome someone who knows what to do with it owns it now. Im thinking you probably wont be using the fins for a shelf anytime soon.

[INTMD8]

Thanks. No fins as a shelf though their is a bit of weight overhead.....

I now have the cylinders filled with Marvel Mystery oil and spark plugs in. Pulled the valve covers (a bit of sludge but not too bad considering the age) and oiled everything in the valvetrain and added 5qts of oil to the sump as well.  I'll let it sit a while and try breaking it free again.

Brought the car home. Not too many cars are going to make an Eldorado Brougham look small. Should be interesting to work on, LOL.

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Jim,
Congrats on your purchase.
Question, how are you trying to free the motor?
Bob

[INTMD8]

Thanks Bob.

Initially I had just sprayed penetrating oil in the cylinders and had a breaker bar on the crank bolt. Seemed like the breaker bar was flexing and the crank bolt was tightening so I switched to a big chain wrench around the dampener with a 5ft long bar on it as an extension.

It is stuck hard.

[76eldo]

If you can get the car up in the air and remove the inspection cover, try to rotate the engine with a flywheel turner.

It is a tool that engages the teeth on the flexplate in two places and gives you leverage.  You can try to turn the crank using the bolt in the center of the front lower pulled that threads into the crank, but you can only try clockwise, as the bolt will loosen up the other way.

I would use trans fluid, or PB Blaster, or Liquid Wrench in the cylinders through the spark plug holes and let it sit for at least 2 weeks, each day trying to move it back and forth just a little.  You want the penetrating agent to leak down and get the rings wet.

If you get it turning over by hand, just keep moving it by hand.  The temptation to crank it over with the starter should be avoided because you could break something, fry something, or score the bores.

If you get it started, you may hear a knock at first.  I revived one that sat for 30 years, but was not stuck.  When it started, it knocked until the wrist pins started moving and oil started flowing around.

Keep us updated and best of luck with this fantastic find.

Brian

[INTMD8]

Thanks Brian.

Considering how hard it's locked up, if I get it free I'll be amazed if it isn't knocking and billowing oil once it's running, but why not try. 

[76eldo]

The car is certainly worthy of a fresh motor.  Maybe it would be better, when you can get to it, to pull the engine and trans and freshen things up.

I will tell you that back a few years when I revived a 60 Biarritz after a 30 year nap, EVERYTHING on the car worked.  Trips, air ride, power trunk, radio, antenna, everything.  It was amazing.  Car ran great too.

Brian

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Have you tried turning the crankshaft the other way?   It could be "Frozen" for a reason, like something broken, and therefore hindering normal rotation.

Bruce.

[52Cadillac]

Jim, some of us aren't much help mechanically, but we love this chit. Every car lovers dream. Getting an old classic to run again. Keep us posted Jim. We wanna drool over the old girl as well.
Mike

[INTMD8]

Moderators, if not too much trouble could I get this thread moved to restoration blogs? It's not quite heading towards a full on resto just yet but still probably a more appropriate place for updates.

I removed the engine today and did a major de-greasing and powerwash on the engine compartment.

Pulled the oil pan and it looks pretty decent, just surface rust on the bores which is likely why it's so reluctant to turn.

[52Cadillac]

Jim, how many miles did she have on her?
Mike

[INTMD8]

Mike, the odometer shows 89k. Whether or not it's rolled over or the engine has ever been gone through I'm not sure. Going to take the heads of in a few minutes and see what's going on in there.

[D59seville2012]

Jim, how did you separate the transmission with the engine locked?
I might have to separate mine with the engine frozen.
Thanks,
Denny Ferreira.

[INTMD8]

Denny. 4 nuts need to be removed from the flywheel to what looks like the torque converter (but from what I'm reading it's not called that on this trans, not sure).

I could access 2.

I was able to force the engine to rotate to get the third.

4th was a problem. The part that appears to be the torque converter is retained by an internal clip so it won't just slide out of the trans like a newer one.

I ended up un-bolting the bellhousing and prying back the trans from the engine (flexing the flexplate) until I could fish a 1/4 drive ratchet and short 1/2in socket up from underneath, leaving just enough room to work the handle from above (handle was between the gap of the bellhousing and block) I was able to remove the final nut and slide the trans off.