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Projects The Best 1955 Cadillac build

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by VonBurke, Jan 26, 2009.

  1. tathataboy
    Joined: Mar 11, 2009
    Posts: 84

    tathataboy
    Member
    from Olathe, KS

    OMG. Beautiful. It gives me hope for my rustbucket, as I just want to get it good enough to drive safely!

    Say hello to "Bogey's" for me. I worked for a year at 99KG in Salina back in '89. Ray Pollard owned it- helluva guy. Ate many a double-cheeseburger and curly fries at Bogey's. :)
     
  2. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 22,307

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Love the interior!!

    You guys have always stopped traffic before with your wild Kustoms. Being
    able to see the Caddys kruzin together would be kool to seel....Kan't wait till
    next week......
     
  3. I'll just have to echo knucklehead, "DANG!!!"

    The car is looking great Roger I can't wait to see it in Joplin.

    Great vision, great execution, good choice of colors.
     
  4. publicenemy1925
    Joined: Feb 4, 2007
    Posts: 3,187

    publicenemy1925
    Member
    from OKC, OK

    Interior is super cool! Fantastic build!
     
  5. poorboy
    Joined: Feb 8, 2003
    Posts: 1,467

    poorboy
    Member

    Impressive build!
     
  6. cavistyle
    Joined: Aug 20, 2008
    Posts: 531

    cavistyle
    Member
    from baltimore

    grrrr..... I love this caddy..really like the interior!!
     
  7. Smokin hot interior.
     
  8. Ghost28
    Joined: Nov 23, 2008
    Posts: 3,200

    Ghost28
    Member

    The other night with all three caddys. Dans, yours, and Rons. All parked together what a site. And as I told ya just riding in your car, will cure what ails ya. What a nice vehicle. Can I park my old truck next to your caddy? Maybe some of the kool will rub off...John
     
  9. Hackerbilt
    Joined: Aug 13, 2001
    Posts: 6,254

    Hackerbilt
    Member

    Man...Roger thats just beautiful!
    Love how smoothly the dash integrates with the doors...you'd think it grew there!!!!
    You really nailed the colors too.
    Can't wait to see this whole car in paint and polish! :D
     
  10. Double Caddy
    Joined: Feb 2, 2009
    Posts: 689

    Double Caddy
    Member
    from virginia

    The interior looks great. How did you do the wood trim ? Is it paint or vinyl. You keep us inspired to finish our cars. I am moving along on mine . slowly but its getting closer.

    Todd
     
  11. Wicked50
    Joined: Apr 14, 2008
    Posts: 883

    Wicked50
    Member

    Cars coming along real nice
     
  12. mad-cad
    Joined: Oct 31, 2004
    Posts: 723

    mad-cad
    Member

    Thats the most tastefully done custom 55 caddy out there,nothing but inspiration for when I get to finish our 56.
     
  13. claymore
    Joined: Feb 21, 2009
    Posts: 896

    claymore
    BANNED

    Now your talking. Now it has the Caddy "Class" look.
     
  14. sololobo
    Joined: Aug 23, 2006
    Posts: 8,378

    sololobo
    Member

    Knock Out!! What a cool build, I salute your creative approach. Hope to see this beauty at a show somewhere soon. KKOA Salina? Hope so!! Congrats!! ~Sololobo~
     
  15. HoldFast
    Joined: Jan 24, 2005
    Posts: 816

    HoldFast
    Member

    Damn Roger. That is coming out KILLER.
     
  16. DMFB
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 551

    DMFB
    Member

    Nice job sir! That is enough ispiration to get me off of my ass in front of the computer and go to the garage. That Cady is Slick!
     
  17. LeadSledMerc
    Joined: Nov 29, 2003
    Posts: 4,105

    LeadSledMerc
    Member

    Holy $hit Roger, is that looking awesome. :cool:

    I'm glad to see you're still plugging away at gettin it done, and not just driving the wheels off it!! haha

    Thanks for the update, and keep them coming!:D
     
  18. 54Caddy
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 450

    54Caddy
    Member
    from Visalia,CA

    its been a while since ive gotten on but damn that cadillac is coming along nice. Its better than mine, mine is just sitting im going to be leaving to wyotech in two more weeks
     
  19. VonBurke
    Joined: Aug 24, 2008
    Posts: 98

    VonBurke
    Member

    its nice to see all the hard work paying off
     
  20. goatboy
    Joined: May 9, 2009
    Posts: 617

    goatboy
    Member
    from kansas

    coolest car build ive seen in a long time, love it man
     
  21. Mooseman
    Joined: Apr 4, 2007
    Posts: 310

    Mooseman
    Member

    How do you get the wheel off?
     
  22. VonBurke
    Joined: Aug 24, 2008
    Posts: 98

    VonBurke
    Member

    you dont... you buy brand new tires and drive carefully
     
  23. 40StudeDude
    Joined: Sep 19, 2002
    Posts: 9,536

    40StudeDude
    Member



    You jest, Shirley...???

    Surely you jest, Mooseman...???

    The wheel is held on with five lugnuts...it's a simple twist of the wrist with the wrench in hand and they'll come off...

    And now I see you live in Wanganui, New Zealand...do you not have automobiles over there...???

    Seriously...the skirt is removable...all it takes is a 7/16" socket to remove six bolts...and the whole skirt comes off (both sides are removable, BTW)...then you can "change the wheel..."

    I apologize, but if you'd read the whole thread, you'd have read where I said I had to make everything removable so it could be replaced in case something broke or the car got wrecked. The above applies to the skirts.

    But, as Von Burke said, I did buy new tires so I don't have to remove/change the wheels/tires.

    R-
     
  24. kisam
    Joined: Feb 28, 2005
    Posts: 1,922

    kisam
    Member

    Wow = incredible detail! Can't wait to see the final product!
     
  25. Ole_Red
    Joined: Jul 29, 2009
    Posts: 596

    Ole_Red
    Member
    from 206, WA

    just spent my morning at work reading this build up. simply beautiful. cant wait to see the final product.
     
  26. carshowgirl
    Joined: Jun 16, 2007
    Posts: 111

    carshowgirl
    Member

    Sweet ride! Cant wait to see more pics.
     
  27. Mooseman
    Joined: Apr 4, 2007
    Posts: 310

    Mooseman
    Member


    Haha Must of missed that post about them being removable the body work is absolutely amasing I just took one look at that picture and couldn't see any seems and it got me wondering . Now that you have said that it is removable and the fact that it doesnt look removable thats even more impressive . Great work
     
  28. motorhead711
    Joined: May 7, 2008
    Posts: 734

    motorhead711
    Member

    Great pics. Killer work. Keep those update photos comin'!
     
  29. VonBurke
    Joined: Aug 24, 2008
    Posts: 98

    VonBurke
    Member

    now that the show season is coming to an end whats the plan for the caddy?
     
  30. 40StudeDude
    Joined: Sep 19, 2002
    Posts: 9,536

    40StudeDude
    Member

    Hey Von Burke...thanx for kicking this back to the top...I was about to do an update on it...so, I'll answer your question at the end of this update...

    Let's go:

    When we last left this Caddy building saga (thread)...the interior was just getting finished up...I still hadn't finished the grille...so, when I got back from Salina, KS, where I met CadillacCoffin (of Lincoln, NE) at the HAMB M & G...and, just so you all know again, CadillacCoffin is the HAMBer that lasered my grille bars...I cannot give enuff props to him...he is great to work with...IF you've got a one-off you need made...give him a shout. I just want to say here...IF you've never been to the Leadsled Nats in Salina, KS...you are missing one hell of a good time...waaaayaaaay too many kool kustoms, retro and new...lots of "celebrities" and plenty of trad rods...sometimes even a few bubble top cars show up...last weekend in July, 2010 for those that plan ahead.

    Now then, I sent CadillacCoffin a new pattern for the sides of the grille...said pattern had to include an area to be lasered out behind the 'bars' for the park lights...I gave him measurements and a couple days later he fired back a sample...

    So, here's the way the grille looked going to Salina... note the area alongside the Dagmars and the square park lites...that's the area I'm going to finish.
    [​IMG]

    This is what I got back from CadillacCoffin...note the square area in the middle of the bars...I had to have 16 of them done this way ...
    [​IMG]

    Next I laid out my "stuff"...the threaded rods that would hold it all together...the spacers for between the bars and my lone wrench...gotta KISS, ya know...???

    Assembly began...bar, spacers, bar, more spacers...bar...more spacers...oh, BTW, I painted all the spacers flat blak (horrors--flat blak on one of my cars...???) Yep, I painted them flat blak so they'd "disappear" ... read into that last statement what you want...!!!
    [​IMG]

    With the bottom bars in place, I had to determine where the park lite would set, it needed to be in the middle of the bars...eight bars later it was in the perfect spot.
    [​IMG]

    The finished piece...I purposely left the rods long at the top because I didn't know quite yet how I was going to mount the piece to the body...
    [​IMG]

    It looked great and would make the car look even wider...I couldn't wait...with one side completely assembled, I had to see what it was going to look like, even tho I had a lot of work building the brackets to hold it in yet to do...I positioned it in the 'hole'...note the top piece of trim has been removed...all the better to see how it would fit and to figure out the brackets.
    [​IMG]

    The easy part was done...now I had to remove the tire and wheel and climb inside the well to figure out how to build the brakets and mount the grille solid so it wouldn't rub, squeak or make noise against the bumper or the body...

    It took the better part of two days to figure out brackets as I fit, make patterns, remove, plasma cut, drill, weld, build more brackets, fit again, drill more holes, remove, modify, fit again, weld and finally, once the brackets are finished and welded in, bolt it all back in...and that's just how I build things...

    When all is said and done...the whole front end looks like this...
    [​IMG]

    and this...
    [​IMG]

    As you can see, the Dagmars have been spot welded together...those need finishing yet...the lower bumper needs chroming/finishing and the hood still doesn't fit correctly, but I have a "professional" working on the hinge assembly right now...so it will when he gets done with it.

    So, Von Burke...the summer was a whole kick...my brother, Dan, in his green flamed '54 Caddy, my pal, Ron, in his white '56 Caddy, and I went rod running...can you just picture three Caddys rolling into an event...??? Talk about turning heads...and isn't that what it's all about...??? Why we build our cars...to turn heads...???
    [​IMG]

    We do our best "head turning" out on the hiway...it's prolly a really strange sight to see three Caddys rolling down the hiway...and parked together at an event.
    [​IMG]

    We've had a couple people tell us that "it's awesome to see those three Caddys rolling into an event."

    My brother and I rolled to Wichita mid September for the Starliner event...which was a mistake on my part...

    No, no, the event was great and I'm really glad I went...but I shouldn't have taken the '55 Caddy...ya see, it took six quarts of oil to go to Salina in July (and another six home)...I didn't go to the HAMB drags in Joplin cuz I didn't trust the engine in the car to make the 13 hour trip...and so, two months later, the engine is running fine, it's getting decent gas mileage... I figured OK, one more trip with the Caddy before I tear it down...should have listened to my gut and took one of my other cars...but the Caddy is so much fun to drive. Well, It took 8 quarts of oil to get to Wichita...and 12 to get home to Denver...

    Yeah, the previous owner was correct four years ago when I brought the car home...it does have "good oil pressure"...IF the oil would stay in the engine...!!! Needless to say...it's time to rebuild the engine...

    I have two more 'local" events to go to before the car comes apart...and the teardown will happen in mid-October...I won't be doing any more bodywork, it's close but not flat...and I won't be doing the paint...I want this car to be good...and neither my finish bodywork or paint work just isn't that good. This is a Cadillac...it HAS to be good.

    The first thing that will happen is to pull the front clip, then the engine goes to the rebuilder...then the interior will come out as well as the glass...then the doors and trunk will come off...and the car will be trailered to the body man...

    I hope to have it done and back together in time to drive to Moab, Utah in late April...and Norm Jones has personally invited us to the Lone Star Round-up, but that's the first of April and we'll see how close I get before I commit to that...

    So, stay tuned to this saga...there is more to come in the next months...

    R-
     

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