Sound barrier for 1980 Seville

[Roger Zimmermann]

Even if I don't especially like those 1980-...Sevilles, I don't have to tell it to the owner!
Today, I got an inquiry about 2 fillers or sound barriers which are missing on that car which is in very good shape. I'm attaching the drawing from the parts book; the parts I would like to buy have the numbers 109 and 110 on that piece of paper.
Usually trim parts are difficult to get, but who knows, maybe some of you have that and ready to sell them!

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

By chance I have been dealing with a junk yard dealer in Mississippi that is sending me two small lenses. I think he'd be overjoyed to send some other parts overseas from this car. It's an '81. Davis Auto Salvage; 1803 Jr. Johnson Rd.; Jardis, MS 38666. 662-487-3639. You'd have to send the picture so they'd know what to look for.

Since you are possibly not NASCAR oriented, "Jr. Johnson" is a race car driver...

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Boy, I was wondering what I was going to witness when I opened up this posting.

Never knew a 1980 Seville, or any other year Seville could go anywhere near the Sound Barrier.

Bruce.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I'm afraid you'll have to make a call at least once as the last email I tried to send came back as undeliverable.

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Barry,
I didn't see an email posted. Why don't you make a call on Rogers behalf?
I hate to be negative but I don't know anyone overjoyed to send a package overseas. Weird size limitations & customs regulations. PITA!
Bob

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks for the responses and the possible source. Unless there is an emergency or something extremely expensive, I don't do calls in the US. The time difference is something I can manage, but usually, I don't understand people or they don't understand me. With an email, it's so easy!
As Bob wrote, nobody is extremely happy to send material abroad: papers to write, strange names and addresses...Sometimes, to avoid that, some shop let ship only with UPS or Fedex because the forwarder is doing the work.
Those 2 parts could go with USPS because I don't think that the largest one is more than 35".
As Ted Holcombe is more or less retired, I had to deal with another supplier. I have good results with Brian Faull; he may call this junk yard and make the necessary arrangement.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

First of all, the "overjoyed" was in reference to the yard owner's saving this older car and maybe finally getting some $$$ out of it. And secondly, Roger, you may as well let me (or anyone else) know what color you need. The site I use sometimes has colors listed and there are a lot of cars still out there when you take into consideration that the Eldo used the same dash for five or six years. Roger, that might lessen your "distaste" for having to deal with parts from a bustle back.

And while I'm not "overjoyed" to send things overseas, as long as you follow the regs and are extra careful with your labels, I've sent everything from small parts in a 4"x6" box to a set of four aluminum wheels from a '73 Eldorado across the pond. I've never had all that much trouble. Just a part of doing business.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Barry for your comments. The chance to get those soft trim parts in the right color is rather elusive (they should be dark red, but I don't have the trim number). Anyway, this is not a problem, those parts can be repainted.
If I should follow my taste to do some business (which is not, I'm just trying to help), I would have problems with another model: 1959 Cads. However, this is the car model for which I organized/sold the most parts, which is not unusual due to its popularity!

If I'm writing myself a label or how it must look like, this is absolutely not a problem. However, I will never ever try to dictate my own address over the phone. In English, the letter "a" is pronounced like a "é" in French; your "e" is a "i"; your "i" is to our ears a "hai" and so on. So many possibilities to screw up!

[Roger Zimmermann]

It seems that the idea from Barry is a dead end.
Has someone another idea?

[BillR. CLC # 29203]

Roger,
Me being "old school" I don't know what it is called but I've been told there is a service ( right word? ) that one can use to make long distance calls over the Internet for Free.
Sorry I don't have a better handle on it but it might be worth a look.
Bill Rodwick
CLC# 29203

[Roger Zimmermann]

Yes Bill, I know that. The only small issue: both computers must be equipped with the Skype system.
My PC at home is not equipped with it, it's an old machine. However, I have a system for abroad calls which costs are more or less the same as a local call.
The costs for calls is not a problem. The issue is if both at the phone understand each other. With some recent experiences I had, there is a 50% chance that the person in the US is realizing I'm not fluently speaking English when I'm calling, therefore she or he is speaking more clearly as usual. The other half don't change its habits when I'm calling and I just understand 40 to 50% of what she or he is saying. Not fun in those conditions and a waste of time.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

OK, These shouldn't be hard to find and I'll try to help. AFTER I get my taxes done this weekend. From the pictures of the actual parts, I assume these are trim pads that were removed for dash work and then misplaced. Can you get me pictures of where they go? Junk yard people need to know that, not a part #. In other words, they go to the car, look at it and see if what you need is still there. Does he need the screws as well? They will probably send a "gofer" out that is the newest guy there, so he may be operating on only five of eight cylinders. (He will think that anyone is crazy wanting parts for that old a car.) I'll try to find red ones. Who knows, we might get lucky and find ones that look good.

Let me know where the panels go and I should be able to go from there. I'll look at my car the next time I go somewhere and compare it with the pictures you originally sent. (I'm driving it for a few days while the '91 is in the shop.) I'm going to post this, and see if I can make sense of your original pictures before you need to respond. Hang in there, we'll get it done.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks Barry, I appreciate your efforts. As you know, it's not my car. I'm the guy in the Swiss Cadillac club who is in charge to find elusive parts. I will ask the owner to make pictures from the area and will come back here later. I'm still away from home for 5-6 days, I will ask the owner when I'm home, I don't have his contact with me.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

We had a power outage as I was ready to start on my wife's 1099s. Thank goodness the app had auto save when the power came back on. I'll start looking over the weekend. (And look at my own car tomorrow. I copied your photo of the page so I can carry it out to the car for comparison.)

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I looked at my car and think that the parts are black. At least on the LH side. I called my source and I'm going to send the picture I printed out to him to make sure that they are correct. I'll tell him to call me when he finds out and we can go from there. The only "extra" charge will be trans-shipping them to me so the yard doesn't have to worry about sending them overseas. (At least I'll just charge you the "actual" cost.) I just looked at the picture of the dash and it appears that the LH section has already been loosened. Hopefully not cracked. It appears that there is fuzzy sound deadener on the back side of the piece.

[79 Eldorado]

Barry/Roger,
Those are the close-out panels which keep all of the under dash stuff hidden. I have mine off my 79 Eldorado because I was doing some work which lead to other work etc... I should be able to post an actual picture if it helps. I need to check to see if the plastic type is indicated but they are very likely PP or PE which would be very easy to fix (weld repair) if Roger's colleague still has the originals. As I recall there is insulation glued to the back of at least one of them but if the panel was cracked it could repaired from the side where it wouldn't be visible after removing some of the insulation. For anyone other than the person replacing the panel the repair would not be visible.  You would essentially need to be laying in a position with your head on the floor and legs over the seat to put yourself in the position to see it.

Scott
PS: I lived out of the US for 9 years so I was quite well versed in translating "English" to "English" I completely understand what Roger was trying to describe.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Scott, the owner of the Seville does not has those 2 fillers or close out panels. Your description from the missing parts is absolutely correct. If the available panels are blue, black or white does not matter: the owner can let paint them.
On the other side, a broken panel may not be very useful, unless the crack is not important. Maybe it's better to have a cracked panel than no panel at all!

[79 Eldorado]

Hi Roger,
Yes if they are completely missing it's worth finding parts which do not need repair. I didn't want to assume they were missing because I recognized information was being conveyed to you from your colleague. I believe they were all black (not color matched).

The image you posted seems to imply they are the same for 79 E and 80-81 E-K but I guess there could still be a question as to whether the diagram is representative for everything or if they are really the same PN for all applications. I haven't made it over to my car yet but I will post the images for 79 Eldorado so you will have those for comparison.

Scott

[79 Eldorado]

Roger,
A little embarrassing.... It seems like while I do have everything removed I do not have either of those panels on my 79 Eldorado. I have only number 89 from your diagram. I was doing work on the stereo in my 1983 Olds Delta88 and it does have a panel like the ones you noted so I must have been thinking of the Delta.

I guess I will be following the thread to see what you find.

Scott