1966 Cadillac Calais Working With What I Got (Story Intro)

[Gearheadmike]

Just wanted to say hi new here and to Cadillac's but always been into the GM's.   I'm from upstate NY 15 min from Vermont & Canadian border. 

About 5-6 years ago i noticed a few miles from me a guy had this 66 Cadillac sitting on the side of his garage. I never seen it moved or being driven/worked on. My father once stopped there to pick up a free mower had a quick chat with the guy about his 50's suburban in the garage.
My father asked about the cad and he said he was dealing with electrical problems.
 
  Well last year i noticed the place abandoned like once and awhile i'd noticed grass was cut but that's it. Well about 3 weeks ago while coming back from town i seen a U-haul truck in the driveway so i turned around and stopped and started chatting with the guy. He mentioned he moved outta town and is taring this place down as it's not worth fixing.  I hinted about the Cadillac if he'd sell it and he said sure it's just become a lawn ornament. Got to taking about it he mentioned how it had the auto dimming lights and they didn't work or what ever so he bypassed them to any other gm car of that time would work. Mentioned about electrical issues with windows/seat/lights.  Said the brakes were new  along with some other parts.  But complained that it had a oil leak onto one of the  manifolds from  somewhere.

He grabbed a gas can and dribbled some in the carb but the battery  was dead and had no booster/jumpers.  He said it always started up. I asked him what he was thinking on a price he said $7 i thought (more then i got) but then he followed with $700  I was surprised and started looking at it more closely. I noticed the frame in the rear behind the axle had some small spots  that needs fixing. I said take $500 now he said sure sounds good.  I told him i'd be right back with the cash so i drove 5 miles home got the cash and my truck with a strap. Got there and i should mention he lived on a pretty good hill. So with a piece of wood for a emergency wheel chuck i put the car in neutral and tested the brakes a few feet then had my father check for traffic and i coasted it down and out of driveway  onto the side of road he signed the registration and bill of sale and i strapped it up to tow home. My father mentioned how nice the suspension was for that old of a car.  The guy was nice and followed us home to make sure we made it. 

Got it home i pulled the breather off hooked the booster up and boom Nothing!  The guy had hooked up a battery lead kill switch to the ground side and with test light in hand it had no ground ( later to find the switch had a insect make a nest from sand and caused it to not make contact.
I had a spate ground in garage so hooked it up to the block and terminal and boom cranked it twice and it fired right up it idled decent and when put in gear it moved good. Note it hasn't been registered in 3 years and not started in 2.       

I'm yet not sure what i'll do with it i know it will not see a full restoration or be fixed back to period correct parts. But i'd like to get it running good and reliable and use it and enjoy it and make memories with it.

Being new to these old  Cadillac's  i'm in need of some good info and help so that's one of the reasons i came here. 
I'll be trying to post everything about it i get fixed or modify or fail at haha

[Dan LeBlanc]

I think that for $500 you did very well!  Great story and welcome aboard.

[DeVille68]

cool, how is the condition of the interior?

[Gearheadmike]

cool, how is the condition of the interior?

It's not horrible the seats were done at one time and looks professionally done. Carpet is decent no rips or large staining. Headliner would of been nice but mice chewed some holes in it about quarter sized.  Door panels okay plastic broke where the switches are suppose to screw in. And the dash has some cracks but ill just recover it. 

[Gearheadmike]

 Been working on the car just doing small stuff.  It had a oil leak the po said i found it was the driver rear valve cover they had more silicone on it and had over tightened it that it was pretty bent so i got another one from a junk yard and got them sandblasted and painted waiting on gaskets now.  Also made a set of small bock chevy valve cover tabs/hold downs  as they are about 3" long and i believe they'll distribute a even load better then the original one's.
  Got the seat working removed and serviced the trans and cables. Greased track and cleaned the switch. Also had to fix some wires under the driver's carpet the power wire junction was corroded and fell apart so got that fixed and sealed up.    Also got the power ant working serviced greased and added a ground wire to it.  Got a oil change done and carb will be getting a rebuild soon.   Currently finishing up getting the power windows working. Just have to replace one rear motor do to corroded and broken terminal.

[DeVille68]

nice 

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Sweet! $500? You can't lose. Have you ordered the service and body manuals yet?

\m/
Laurie

[Gearheadmike]

 Yea $500 for a classic i caught him right at the right time as he was moving to his new property and taring his old place down and the car was in the way and he said he had no time or  much knowledge on fixing it.   I mean it's no gem and needs a fair bit of tlc but getting there. 
  I've been starting to look for service manuals but not sure what the best names ones are to get?  Also in the middle of building a garage so funds are a little slim.   

I did find 3 Cadillac's at a junk yard this style 2 with 429's and other with 472 or 500 and parts are cheap there.   I got 2 spare cars/valve cover set/vac canister/alt brackets/coil/cap&rotor (looked new) dist vac advance/3 horns/dash clock/front lwr kick panels/ pwr window relay for $25

[35-709]

 The best and only manuals to get for your 1966 Cadillac is the 1966 Cadillac Factory Shop Manual and the Fisher Body manual covering that year.
Readily available on eBay, here's a listing for both manuals --- cheap at twice the price, worth every penny.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1966-Cadillac-Eldorado-DeVille-Fleetwood-Service-Shop-Repair-Manual-Set-W-Body/163292245071?hash=item2604f9ec4f:rk:1:pf:0 

[DaddyDeVille]

Congrats on the purchase.  In a pinch, you might be able to do some research at the library.  I have found both the fisher body book and the shop manual at my local library.  They wont let them out; but you can make photo copies all day long.

I agree that you do need them and they are not super expensive, but in a pinch; the library might have your back.