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Projects '56 Cadillac build - Undoing the sins of my youth

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by randy, May 15, 2012.

  1. Strange Agent
    Joined: Sep 29, 2008
    Posts: 2,879

    Strange Agent
    Member
    from Ponder, TX

    Nice choice of color. You're making decent progress.
     
  2. robertsregal
    Joined: Oct 2, 2008
    Posts: 743

    robertsregal
    Member

    glad to see you hung on to it and are bringing it back to life!!
     
  3. pbr40
    Joined: Aug 10, 2008
    Posts: 874

    pbr40
    Member
    from NW Indiana

    looks like a good start
     
  4. randy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2003
    Posts: 679

    randy
    Member

    I got a few things done today...

    I stripped the top half of the firewall and cowl mostly to bare metal. Still more to do.

    [​IMG]

    When I paint the firewall I want to get around the sides up to the front of the door jambs. I figured I should pull the doors. The seat had to come out eventually, so I did that too...

    [​IMG]

    Don't worry! The lame billet Lokar pedal and floor shifter are getting 86'ed tomorrow.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. ThirdGen
    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Posts: 451

    ThirdGen
    Member
    from Wales, ME

    I like this story. Such an up beat beginning, and then a dwindling, forgotten, neglected stretch, and then a distant light on the horizon, that keeps getting closer.

    I am keeping my eye on this. I would like to see it get to where it belongs. Any plans of putting a caddy mill back in it?
     
  6. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Paint the pedal and get a knob adapter and knob for the shifter ? :)
     
  7. randy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2003
    Posts: 679

    randy
    Member

    Yeah, I might paint the pedal. IMO a floor shifter kinda takes the bench out of the bench seat and that's one of my favorite things about 50's cars. I have everything I need to make the column shift work, so I'll go with that.

    Keep an eye on the classifieds for a Lokar floor shifter;)

    For now, A caddy mill is not in the budget. I GAVE the OG 365 and trans away when they went out all those years ago. I have a line on a rebuildable '60 390, but cost is keeping me committed to my trusty SBC. Not original or cool, but a good way to get down the road.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2012
  8. Very cool thread Randy!!

    I think many of us have looked back on our history and scratched our heads lol!!!

    Following along!!!

    Bill
     
  9. sweet man. I can't wait to see this thing through it's resurrection. You're giving me inspiration to get back to my project.
     
  10. 60galaxieJJ
    Joined: Dec 24, 2009
    Posts: 1,525

    60galaxieJJ
    Member

    This'll be a sweet build to watch. And now you have all of us to bug you for updates to where you'll HAVE to work on it
     
  11. forty7ford
    Joined: May 6, 2012
    Posts: 204

    forty7ford
    Member
    from Iowa

    Love the title of this thread.
     
  12. tragic59
    Joined: Sep 16, 2002
    Posts: 766

    tragic59
    Member

    Randy, we've never met but we have many of the same friends. I used to enjoy seeing your car around PG/Monterey when you were making "progress" on it. Although, if I had seen what you started with, I might not have been so impressed. Haha...

    I still think the treatment on the rear fenders is fantastic, and I look forward to seeing your progress this time around. Good luck with the build.
     
  13. tbill
    Joined: Oct 21, 2007
    Posts: 303

    tbill
    Member
    from central ny

    cool thread, cool car.

    best part of this is, most times you start a project like that, you wonder what the hell the last guy was thinkin when he did 'that'. as you are/were the last guy, it takes the mystery out of it, lol.

    keep at it, looking good so far.
     
  14. randy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2003
    Posts: 679

    randy
    Member

    I felt like doing something mechanical this morning, so I pulled the tranny and rebuilt the rear brakes.

    [​IMG]

    Then... back to the firewall. Welded a few holes closed, hammered some stuff out, did a bunch more stripping and skimmed the worked area with mud. Still more to do before it's ready for primer.

    [​IMG]

    gratuitous cowl pic...

    [​IMG]

    it'll probably be a few days before I get back on it.
     
  15. randy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2003
    Posts: 679

    randy
    Member

    poor guy!

    What do you drive? Maybe I've seen you around.
     
  16. subscribed! Love me some Cadillac builds.
     
  17. young'n'poor
    Joined: Jan 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,281

    young'n'poor
    Member
    from Anoka. MN

    I love what your doing here! Keep up the good work!
     
  18. tragic59
    Joined: Sep 16, 2002
    Posts: 766

    tragic59
    Member

    Haha!

    I moved away from the Monterey Peninsula back in 2000. At that time, I was driving a '64 Imperial.
     
  19. jakdupkustoms
    Joined: Jan 17, 2006
    Posts: 227

    jakdupkustoms
    Member

    what the hell is painted on the seat in the background?
     
  20. cederholm
    Joined: May 6, 2006
    Posts: 1,748

    cederholm
    Member


    My thoughts exactly!
     
  21. randy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2003
    Posts: 679

    randy
    Member

    haha. Those are just some stencils I made... & was trying out...on my seat...yeah.

    The top two are early drafts of this

    [​IMG]

    & the bottom is this:

    [​IMG]
     
  22. Pinstriper40
    Joined: Sep 24, 2007
    Posts: 3,602

    Pinstriper40
    Member

    Way to go de-finning the cad. Someone had to do it! Looks great...
     
  23. bbbronc
    Joined: Jan 28, 2011
    Posts: 126

    bbbronc
    Member

    cool thread, great car. As far as the mistakes go at least your redoing your own and not someone elses. You know where they are and what they entail. Looks good so far. Subscribed
     
  24. randy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2003
    Posts: 679

    randy
    Member

    Just posted a want ad looking for some door handles.

    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7794654#post7794654

    Yep, my vision for this car is more like a prototype or concept version of a '56 Cad more than a straight up tuck 'n roll kustom (wit'a"k"). I really think so many lines on this car are beautiful.

    To that end... I'm putting handles back on it. I've done the no handles thing on this car for 10 years. It can be a pain in the ass.

    If you've got any, let me know! Thanks.
     
  25. farmer12
    Joined: Aug 28, 2006
    Posts: 7,717

    farmer12
    Member

    Great story so far. Going to be watching this build for sure.
     
  26. bjinatj
    Joined: Jun 24, 2008
    Posts: 438

    bjinatj
    Member

    This is going to be a great read. Keep up the great work - Subscribed.
     
  27. I would have never imagined de-finning a Cadillac would look so good. When reading that all I thought was ughh. Good vision.
     
  28. randy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2003
    Posts: 679

    randy
    Member

    Alright. Slow day at the shop means that I got to knock some stuff out.

    Pushed the skeletal remains of my car outside...

    [​IMG]

    Got my compressor to blow clean, dry air. It makes painting almost fun!

    [​IMG]

    Shot the bare metal areas on the firewall and cowl in etch primer...

    [​IMG]


    played with tape and cardboard. The Eldo's have a similar wheel opening to this with no skirt. I don't personally dig skirts on many 50's cars and this one is no exception. Reshaped opening with stainless trim surround to tie into rocker stainless. Think '57 cadillac-ish. I have the rocker stainless for this car... Squint your eyes...

    [​IMG]
     
  29. bbbronc
    Joined: Jan 28, 2011
    Posts: 126

    bbbronc
    Member

    I like the idea and shape of the proposed arch.
     
  30. Shane Spencer
    Joined: Oct 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,160

    Shane Spencer
    Member

    slick car. like the wheel opening idea
     

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