What have you done with your Cadillac today?

[Jamurray]

We get winter here, and I usually find storage for the LaSalle. This year I waited too long, and there was nothing available. There may have been places I used in the past, but I didn't like them enough to go back. Other places that I liked were expensive and, by now, unavailable.

For a mere $5,000 the 40 year old, unused,  in ground pool was made to disappear this summer leaving me a back yard that looked like Kansas with not a tree in sight. It seemed like a perfect location for a free standing garage. An idea that would not set well with the wife.

I took the LaSalle out for a ride, and just by chance, really, stopped at a nearby storage building vendor.

"I guess you know why I'm here", I said to the lone salesman who could clearly see the LaSalle in front of his window.

"Oh, yeah, a storage unit. Let me check." I was puzzled. I wouldn't have referred to a garage that way, but ... maybe that's their lingo.

He returned in a flash, "You're in luck. I've got one."

"A storage unit?"

"Yeah, over at 175 Lebanon Ave. We just had one open up."

"A 10 by 20 storage unit? On Lebanon Avenue? How much?"

"It's actually 9' by 20', and it's 125 a month."

"Sign me up!"

Thanks to unwittingly choosing the right words, I've gotten a clean, new, all metal storage facility ten minutes away, for an excellent price. How cool is that?

The cost of a pre-built garage is about $10 grand, so this rental is a lot better option.

[Mike Baillargeon #15848]

A triple black 1970 Fleetwood Brougham in a dystopian world....

Let's hope we can get back to normal soon....

Mike

[Jamurray]

Hills have been presenting special challenges for my LaSalle for some time now. The issue has become much worse of late. I had trouble getting around the block yesterday and decided to check the electric fuel pump. I removed the mechanical one years ago. I got 2.5 psi and that seemed too low, so I replaced it. The new one gave me a mere three psi! Still, it was installed and I decided to try it out. Even though I'd have happier with six to eight psi, the car went up the hills like it went down 'em, so I'm going to leave well enough alone.

I want to go to Cadillac Day in Brookline on Sunday, and I'd like to get there and back without the aid of AAA.

[Andrew Trout]

Last summer my wife and I went out to meet some friends at a local brewery and got caught in a rain storm on our way there. While I seethed in rage at the situation, the kicker was that the wipers wouldn't park themselves. After I dried off the car and calmed down, I checked my shop manual to find out what was going on. After consulting with Tim Groves, I narrowed it down to a defective relay that was preventing the blades from parking. I'd need to remove the motor to fix it though.

Checking with the shop manual on how to remove the wiper motor, I got to work pulling off the wiper arms, escutcheons, and cowl. The wiper arms require a special tool though. My Dad was able to pull the wiper arms off without this tool. How hard can it be if he did it by himself? Quite challenging, actually. The screwdriver-sized nail puller I was using to get leverage slipped and put a nice little slice in my left thumb. Some choice words were uttered and bandaids applied. I squirted some penetrating oil around the spindles to help coax the wiper arms off, and [thunk] off came the arms.

I got the motor out, opened it up and found no issues with the gearing or lever. Everything moved freely without issue. I also saw that there was no simple fix or swap, as I'd need to solder connections for the relay and I don't have a soldering iron, nor the skillset to use one. Peering closely at the spring for the park mechanism, I noticed a small kink in the spring that wasn't in the replacement junkyard motor. I swapped the springs, carefully reassembled the motor, and put it back in the car. With great trepidation, I turned the wiper motor switch on and....everything seemed to work. I turned the switch to off and the spindles appeared to return to a parked position. I put the cowl, escutcheons, and wiper arms back on for a final test. Flawless! I celebrated this victory by replacing the old wiper blades with nicely polished Trico blades with new rubber on them.



I also ordered a wiper arm pulling tool off eBay.

[Jamurray]

It is the joy of an occasional victory after countless failures and disasters that makes this hobby so addictive.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

The screwdriver-sized nail puller I was using to get leverage slipped and put a nice little slice in my left thumb. Some choice words were uttered and bandaids applied.

Be very thankful that no paint or Chrome plating was damaged in the process, as cuts and bruises heal a lot faster, and cheaper than having to touch-up paint, or re-chrome a part.

The gash couldn't have been that bad, as only one Bandaid was required.   I am a great believer in the healing effects of Bandaids.   My secret is to leave them on, until they fall off by themselves.

Bruce.

[robailey]

I worked on cleaning the interior of my car.

[z3skybolt]

My LaSalle...

...spent the day at a local shop getting new brakes all the way around.  Brakes were from caddilacpartsltd and all made in the USA.  Problem was the rear brake shoes were 2 1/4 inches wide. The shop manual calls for 2 inches.  They had to be removed as the drums would not fit over them without rubbing.  So tomorrow I will talk to Mike at caddilacpartsltd and try to exchange them for the correct size.

$483.00 labor cost. Nearly half of which was installing, removing the incorrect size and putting the old ones back on so that I could drive her home.  Have to wait until June 17 for next opening at the shop. Always something with these old ladies.  Lack of personal skill, tools and facilities sure is expensive.  Should have been a mechanic rather than spending 55 years in airplane cockpits.

More to come.

Bob R.

[David Greenburg]

Didn't do anything to the cars today, as I've been installing new cabinets and workbench along one wall of the garage as part of garage expansion/renovation. Like other mistresses, the metal ones expect a nice bedroom, so they got an epoxy floor and tons  of new lights among other things.  Friends are referring to it as "the surgical suite." If anyone is wondering, 83 foot-candles of light at workbench height is plenty!  But despite carefully (or so I thought) measuring everything, when I went to bolt up the last set of cabinets under the workbench, they wouldn't clear the wall-mounted Reelcraft hose reel installed in the corner by about .75".  So I will get to spend tomorrow removing mounting bolts and trying to slide 1200 lbs of cabinets and stainless workbench over by an inch or so and reminding myself why I'm not a professional carpenter.   

[Roger Zimmermann]

It was not today, but last week. Since months, the air tank from the Brougham would be empty after one day. Years before, it was always at the pressure I put into. I removed the license plate holder and the grille, I sprayed some soap water. No air bubbles, nothing. Reinstalled the grille and holder. Next day, it was again empty. No good. I disconnected the line going to the air compressor and the one going to the lock-out solenoid; I plugged the holes. This way, the air tank was alone. Put 8 bar of air and went home. Next day, almost zero. Still no good. Removed again the license holder and grille; I removed the air tank too. Installed the valve to put pressure into the tank and went to the village's fountain. Nice bubbles came from the connection to the air pressure indicator. Why did I saw nothing with the soap water? I don't know.
Improved the connection tank-air pressure indicator and installed. I went again at the fountain, no bubble. Installed the air tank and only the line to the lock-out solenoid. The next day, the pressure was again down. Therefore, the leak is at the solenoid. Removed it (it is very conveniently located between bumper and frame, lot of space for a mouse, but not for human hands...
Plugged the solenoid and pumped it while it was into water. Nice bubbles were coming between the high pressure element and the electrical body. I overhauled that solenoid with a kit from mastermind; obviously, some seals from that kit are not thick enough.
I added the old seals I did 35 years ago together with the Rizzuto ones. Now it's tight.
Installed again the solenoid; I had to retorque one connection which was not tight enough. The day after: the pressure into the tank is OK!
I'm adding a picture showing where the air tank (removed) is located and the lock-out solenoid.

[Matti R]

Front left turn light lens was broken when I got my 67 convertible last month. I bought nice complete assy and installed it yesterday.
Still looking for vertical slat for grille, no success.

[billyoung]

Parked it till sold.

[Big Fins]

Parked it till sold.

Drive it until it's sold.

[Matti R]

Today I repaired the super rare option in my 1967: passenger side outside mirror!

[Mike Baillargeon #15848]

A couple of weeks ago I blew a fan bearing on the 1929 Roadster....found another one on Craigslist of all places....

Replaced it and got the car out for a good run today....

Went over to an old school that has just about finished up a multi million dollar renovation....this school originally opened in 1922 so the 29 looks right at home here....

You can see up on the second floor thru the windows an overhead light that sit on top of a 750 seat theater.....the guys that fabricated my bi-plane bumpers for the 1934 LaSalle did the renovation of this light....

I saw them working on it in their shop when I went over to pick up those bumpers....this light is 12 feet in diameter and over 100 years old....the work they did was unbelievable...

Mike

[Mike Baillargeon #15848]

Someday I'm going to find that convertible top frame for my 1939 Series 75 Convertible Sedan....but until that day arrives the car still needs to be exercised....

So I brought it over to that same school for a couple of pictures....

A good day, both cars ran great....

Mike

[35-709]

Pic. of Big Red while he is on vacation in upstate New York for the summer, staying with my sister and brother-in-law in their garage. 
Pic could be on a postcard, the description of the picture on the back of the postcard could read ---
"1935 Cadillac at the intersection of Main and Bridge Streets, Catskill, NY, June 2022"
 

[z3skybolt]

Went cruising in my 1940 LaSalle.  93 degree day.  Air vents open, windows down, wind blowing through the cabin. It is like turning the clock back to a time before I was even born. Huge steering wheel in my hands. Three speed manual transmission, lots of torque, no air conditioner, no power steering, no computers, no automatic anything....just motoring! I just cannot stop smiling: listening to that 82 year old flathead rumble as I smoothly glide along two lane blacktop back roads. It never gets old. I have driven my two LaSalle over 12,000 mile in the past 6 years.

Happiness to all.


Bob R.

[Kevin Bielinski( Deceased)]

I washed mine

[Mike Baillargeon #15848]

Pic. of Big Red while he is on vacation in upstate New York for the summer, staying with my sister and brother-in-law in their garage. 
Pic could be on a postcard, the description of the picture on the back of the postcard could read ---
"1935 Cadillac at the intersection of Main and Bridge Streets, Catskill, NY, June 2022"
 

Went cruising in my 1940 LaSalle.  93 degree day.  Air vents open, windows down, wind blowing through the cabin. It is like turning the clock back to a time before I was even born. Huge steering wheel in my hands. Three speed manual transmission, lots of torque, no air conditioner, no power steering, no computers, no automatic anything....just motoring! I just cannot stop smiling: listening to that 82 year old flathead rumble as I smoothly glide along two lane blacktop back roads. It never gets old. I have driven my two LaSalle over 12,000 mile in the past 6 years.

Happiness to all.


Bob R.

I like these kind of stories.....The show cars are nice to look at....they are pushed out of their trailers and onto the show field but...

There is nothing like driving and enjoying them !!

Mike