Front end work completed today!

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

New Detroit springs in front and NAPA (made my Monroe) shocks, another new set of stabilizer bars (kept the old "new" ones in case I hate these), and new strut bushings. The rear end got new Detroit Springs and NAPA shocks a few weeks ago, proper ride height without the air issues, yes. Stance of the car is perfect, JEEZ what a difference in the feel in front. Michael wanted me to take it to a cruise in tonight, after driving it home I'll wait until the alignment is done, scheduled for Monday at 2pm with Ryan at Cape Tire Service, our wheel/tire guy, those Diamond Backs are too expensive. "You're not going to ruin the tires putting 20 miles on them". Probably not, I'm still not going. Before he started Michael was 'wiggling' the front wheels to check on his bearings job done a while back on both front wheels, no play at all in the wheels but he noticed a 'squeak'. "Can't you hear that?" 'thought it was front right brake'. "wiggle the wheel" (OH BOY, I GET TO HELP!) Traced to the idler arm, which he removed, he did something to it on the other side of the shop, put it back on, no squeak. If its squeaks again DON'T PANIC just look for another one. Took him a staggering 2 hours from start to finish and that includes a lot of chatting in-between. How do I replace this guy, this friend, this shop, anywhere....

This completes "mechanical" for the car. Now to get the body done over the winter, piece by piece, (because the car takes up too much room in the paint bays) and in time for World Of Wheels in Boston next spring. What's left? Getting the AC working at some point but its just not an issue when I have the 4-80 option. Getting the driver's seat restuffed without damaging the 51 year old upholstery, The Ark will go back to Paul's Upholstery for that, they did the application of the new vinyl roof and headliner. Do "something" with the steering wheel, and LASTLY getting the stereo the way I want it and at least 1 working cigarette lighter so I can charge my phone. I just take extra charged batteries with me now to shows, etc.

We're almost there, it will be 4 years this December. Then on to the next one. "Michael, next, I want a '79 Ritz coupe". - 'no'

[Jason Edge]

Congrats on the determined, steady progress on the Ark! I tell people I've restored 2/3's of my 1964 Coupe de Ville in the last 25 years, but need to go back and redo the first 1/3! Needless to say, I'm in the slow lane over in the far right while you are whipping by over in the express lane in the far left!

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

Wow -- what pretty new springs & shocks!!  You have
the optional 4-80 air conditioning whereas when I was
in high school, we only had the 4-60.  Times change.

Let us know what happens with that first drive on the
highway.  I'll bet the Ark feels like brand new!

Mike

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Jason like Michael says - DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT! LOL! You'll get your car finished, you're busy, you're frying other fish, it will get done. BTW, I've sent several folks and shops to you who are doing early 60's Caddy's, hope you made a few bucks and they got the parts they "couldn't find anywhere".

Mike I'll be posting here Monday after our test drive post alignment. Right up to Route 6, WAZE ON to avoid the State's finest and a viscous shake down of the front end. REALLY hoping those new stabilizer bars do the trick like Phil Cobb recommended. I know the springs and shocks will make a huge difference. Remember him asking me if I had a "clicking" sound when I put on the brakes? Mhm... it was the strut bushings just like he said.

Psyched, now we can make the Gillette Stadium cruise in on the 23rd wx permitting. There won't be 3000 cars like during the summer but 600 makes a fun night. So many won't drive their cars at night, blows my mind. LOVE prowling with The Ark in the dark of night, especially flying on the highway. And its amazing how much light those old school fluorescent bulbs throw that I put in a few years ago. Remember The Ark came with halogens that turned the headlight switch into a frying pan? Ice cold with the correct headlights. If I did a LOT of night driving I'd have Michael do the electrical voodoo necessary to use LED or HID lights, I don't want to screw with The Ark's electrical system if its not necessary, its never had an issue other than a new negative battery cable (KNOCK ON WOOD) and I want to keep it that way.

[Cadillac Fleetwood]

Laurie,
I'm always so pleased to read of your adventures, and The Ark's progress toward perfection, not to mention that your efforts rekindle my own excitement and enthusiasm. I envy your ready access to a competent and dedicated repair shop.  That's non-existent here.  As time passes, the old-school mechanics retire, pass on, sell their businesses, and the new owners/mechanics say "that's too old" and won't work on these cars.

And I am going to send you a virgin cigarette lighter and well assembly for The Ark's dash ash tray so you can charge your phone!

Charles Fares

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Laurie,
I'm always so pleased to read of your adventures, and The Ark's progress toward perfection, not to mention that your efforts rekindle my own excitement and enthusiasm. I envy your ready access to a competent and dedicated repair shop.  That's non-existent here.  As time passes, the old-school mechanics retire, pass on, sell their businesses, and the new owners/mechanics say "that's too old" and won't work on these cars.

And I am going to send you a virgin cigarette lighter and well assembly for The Ark's dash ash tray so you can charge your phone!

Charles Fares

Charles I've always said I couldn't own The Ark without Michael, his dad Gary, Chris Pyne and Mike Stabb at Hyannis Vintage Auto. I read so many stories here and on F-Book of the issues so many have with their cars trying to find competent techs, heck competent advice. I'm blessed beyond what's reasonable and I know it. And they've always treated me VERY fairly price wise. I'd like to think its because they like me, LMAO! They like the car... PARTS are everything. Shout out to you, Mike Josephic, John Abend, Jeff Burland for having in stock or being able to find those unique illusive parts. Thank you. ANOTHER GIFT from you? I'm embarrassed and quite grateful, THANK YOU. Your virgin keys are being kept virgin until we hit 'done', then they'll be cut. And attached to a brand new Norwood Cadillac leather key chain, the company who sold The Ark brand new.

[fishnjim]

Many don't realize that a 50+ year old car needs more than "light" maintenance.   Nothing lasts forever, has to be hermetically sealed for that, and then no one can enjoy it.
You sit ~1000lbs on a spring long enough and it's take a set/sag and cycle it enough times and it breaks or loses temper.   Takes me back to my youth cruizing in Wild Bill's Cad.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Many don't realize that a 50+ year old car needs more than "light" maintenance.   Nothing lasts forever, has to be hermetically sealed for that, and then no one can enjoy it.
You sit ~1000lbs on a spring long enough and it's take a set/sag and cycle it enough times and it breaks or loses temper.   Takes me back to my youth cruizing in Wild Bill's Cad.

I'll tell you what, when people like me will pay $250 for the correct right side mirror, the cost of the correct Detroit Springs is pretty reasonable. And the difference fresh springs made in this old car is simply cosmic. Michael sure made it look easy too. Between the lift the car was on and the judicious use of a floor jack, the old springs came off safely and easily, and the new ones went on as easily. Pro tip if you don't know this already: he used 2 small pieces of duct tape to hold the insulator in place on the top of the spring, insert spring, raise floor jack under lower control arm slowly, boom, fini. If you haven't changed all your upper and lower bushings this is the time to do it. If you already have like me, it makes this process a lot faster. REALLY looking forward to alignment tomorrow THEN to Route 6 for a test, this will really be the tale of the tape to get the front end solid again. And like Phil Cobb said these cars had some 'sway' when they were brand new that customers complained about, I'll never get a McClaren front end, but if I can back to 1970, I'll be thrilled.

[Scot Minesinger]

It will be night and day improvement with control arm bushings, springs, shocks, strut bushings and anti-roll bar bushings. 

Those front rubber brake lines look original, and if they are, they should be on your list next (they could just be road grimed up).  If the car pulls to one side when braking, that is usually the culprit.  They are not expensive (all three), and awaiting failure to replace them is not a great option.  Maybe your mechanical crew has already addressed this.

When you start the climate control work let me know and I can offer what has worked really well for me and where to buy all the parts.  When there is no salt on the road a 20'F winter drive is a joy with nice CC.  Also, obviously enjoying a summer drive home during that post car show afternoon thunderstorm - ac is super nice to have.

Enjoy your Cadillac!

[scotth3886]

It will be night and day improvement with control arm bushings, springs, shocks, strut bushings and anti-roll bar bushings. 

Those front rubber brake lines look original, and if they are, they should be on your list next (they could just be road grimed up).  If the car pulls to one side when braking, that is usually the culprit.  They are not expensive (all three), and awaiting failure to replace them is not a great option.  Maybe your mechanical crew has already addressed this.

When you start the climate control work let me know and I can offer what has worked really well for me and where to buy all the parts.  When there is no salt on the road a 20'F winter drive is a joy with nice CC.  Also, obviously enjoying a summer drive home during that post car show afternoon thunderstorm - ac is super nice to have.

Enjoy your Cadillac!

It was sad I put this off a year fixing because I was afraid of tearing the seal between air box and firewall.

And this up against the garage wall when it was still 90 something in the garage.  It now works like I remember these working. 

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Today, alignment then death test drive:

Alignment didn't go as smoothly as it has in the past. And Ryan is the best, he got stumped. Now bare/bear with me, you know how good I am at proper technical terminology, but it was something like this: on the right upper control arm there's a nut, under the ball joint, that THIS TIME needed to be adjusted.. since the new springs brought the body height back to 1970. And that nut wasn't moving, probably because the last time it needed to be adjusted was 1971. Ryan tried so many tools, so many other options. "Try to get Michael on your phone..." called Michael, answering machine, ARGH! 'Michael, its Laurie, we're at alignment, Ryan has an issue, PLEASE call me back ASAP'. Michael called back BEFORE I hit 'end' on my phone. "WHAT!" (LOL) 'hang on, here's Ryan'. They exchanged about 20 seconds of tech talk. Ryan was still perplexed, he was doing searches on his phone. He had me sit in the car, foot on the brake, center the wheel, hold it straight. Which is a crap shoot since there's "play" in the steering wheel, so you guess as to where 'straight' is based on the return you get flipping the wheel left and right. But a funny thing happened when I sat in the car: the value or whatever it was he was trying to adjust, went from red to green. He tinkered some more, he tinkered for 2 hours actually. And finally got everything within limits. Unfortunately the steering wheel is still pointing to the right after all that. Yes he used the mechanical thingy too to keep the wheel straight during alignment. He test drove it, then had me drive it, straight as a arrow but the friggin' wheel pointing to the right, argh. (This happened before, I had to come back and he 'did something' to straighten it). Ryan said "drive the car for a month, bounce it. That doesn't mean off road or hit pot holes, use Camp Street at speed a few times, fast lane changes on the highway at speed, some fast braking without hurting the brakes, some fast starts off the lights, just bounce the body to get those springs to settle. Bring it back in 30 days for another alignment.

Ya, tell me to drive The Ark hard and fast, I can do that.

Now up to Route 6 for the Tale Of The Tape - OMG! Solid a frickin' rock, its NEVER felt like this. *SOLID* in the front end. I know where the bumps are in this highway, especially on some slight turns that would get this body swaying like a drunk. *SOLID* Did some quick lane changes, at 50, 60, 70, and 80. *SOLID* On and off the bending exits pretty quick, no sway, at all. Stunned. Thrilled.

Off the highway and heading home with a smile so wide my face hurt. Back on quiet town streets.

What is that f'ing noise now...
Intermittent, this right turn, not that right turn. On this exceleration, not that one. Backing up this way, but not that way. It sounds like a fog horn from a boat about 3 miles away, coming from the front, and just for a few seconds. I don't "feel" anything in the car when I hear that noise. Vacuum? We'll be swinging by the world famous Hyannis Vintage Auto tomorrow. And when I describe this to Michael, I know exactly the LOOK I'm going to get... I want to take The Ark to an event at a ritzy retirement home on Wednesday with my car club, they're having a barbq and entertainment for us. YES I said I'd never do that again because I cried for 3 days after I did my first one with the club. I need to put myself in their shoes. If/when I end up in one of those warehouses, no matter how nice, I know when I leave there for the last time its in a meat wagon or hearse. And I'd really enjoy 1 last 'car show'. So, we're going Wednesday. I can drink and cry when I get home after The Ark is docked, plugged in and covered up.

Admin feel free to delete the pic of Ryan showing some frustration, you won't hurt my feelings.
#FunWithOldCars #ItsAllAboutTheCar #TheArk #DriveItLikeYouStoleIt

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

It will be night and day improvement with control arm bushings, springs, shocks, strut bushings and anti-roll bar bushings. 

Those front rubber brake lines look original, and if they are, they should be on your list next (they could just be road grimed up).  If the car pulls to one side when braking, that is usually the culprit.  They are not expensive (all three), and awaiting failure to replace them is not a great option.  Maybe your mechanical crew has already addressed this.

When you start the climate control work let me know and I can offer what has worked really well for me and where to buy all the parts.  When there is no salt on the road a 20'F winter drive is a joy with nice CC.  Also, obviously enjoying a summer drive home during that post car show afternoon thunderstorm - ac is super nice to have.

Enjoy your Cadillac!

Hey Scot! Car brakes straight as an arrow. I trust Michael, in the past he's said "replace this", he hasn't mentioned that about the brake lines. I'm careful about what I mention for obvious reasons but thank you! The car has great heat and defrost, front and rear. Its the AC, parts are missing, LOL! I'll reach out to you when the time comes, thank you! What I did notice on the way home, it was getting cool, and only the driver's window was open. When I take my foot off the gas approaching an exit on the highway I'll get a blast on monoxide in the cabin for a few seconds. Phil Cobb said there's a seal missing, or maybe a rust hole, in the trunk. Causing exhaust to come into the trunk then into the cabin. All modern cars have their tail pipes extending just past the rear bumpers, ours are WELL UNDER the rear bumper. Fastest solution could be a trip to see Marc Primavera at Lou's Custom Exhaust in Hyannis and just have him weld an 'extension' onto my tail pipe to get it past the rear bumper...

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Out cruising with The Ark on this gorgeous day running errands. Swung by the shop to see Michael about that weird intermittent noise coming from the front. Michael had been dispatched to Martha's Vineyard for the day to service the cars of the 'sophisticated'. Chris Pyne took a look at it, bounced it a few times, and says there's a problem with the front left spring. "Can I drive the car Chris?" 'Sure, just not to Alaska. Text Michael in the morning.'

Whatever, it will get fixed, it always does. First world problems right?