Projects Just bought 1953 cadillac convertible need help

I picked up what I thought was a 1953 cadillac convertible. It turns out its a bit of a frankencar. The body is in excellent shape other than the windshield frame that someone traied and failed at chopping down, luckily I was able to find a replacement. My main problem os the frame of the car. It is definately a cadillac frame but the rear body mounts do not line up (the ones in front of the rear wheel wells). What different frames were there for these cars? Can I just relocate the mounts or do I need a different frame? Please help!

 

I don't know the answer to the "different frames" question, but if the rest of the body fits whatever frame you have and the rest of the mounts line up and the wheels are centered in the openings and the engine tranny fit and the trunk and doors open easily enuff, I'd simply be moving the two mounts...

Somewhere up at the passenger's side, on top of the frame is the Cadillac serial number...perhaps you could find that and trace whatever year the frame is...

R-

 

Thanks for the info on the serial. I will find it when I take the body off. I did a bit of research and it looks like theframe will work by just moving the 2 mounts. Was just a little upset I didnt notice before i bought the car that it wasnt he original frame. More reason to make it custom I guess.

 

1) jealous of your purchase

2) not sure about interchangibility, but there was a bagged chassis on here a while back for like $600--seems like it was 49--don't know if it's the same up to 53, but...

 

You dont want to know how little I paid either. Cant wait to get going on this thing! Going to be all close to stock except airbags.

 

Well this is a bit embarassing. It appears that the car was never a convertible. I inspected it some more and it looks like someone just chopped the roof off a hardtop. I should have noticed this before but Im new to these cars. So, what do I do now? Do I convert to a ragtop or try to find a hardtop to re install?

 

Cheapest and easiest way, is to do a Carson topped custom.

 

Let's see some pix of your faux convertible

R- ...

 

I will post some up tomorrow.

 

I like this idea. Its it very hard to waterproof? It pisses rain here about 8 months of the year.

 

The best place to start would be to ask the PO what they did with the roof they sawed off...?
OR find another similar ´50-53 Cadillac hardtop roof elsewhere. Just make sure it´s off a "62", the "61" -series are shorter cars and consequently, have shorter qtr windows. This would no doubt be the "easiest" fix, as You´d only be dealing w/replacing something that readily "fits".

Like the other guy said, post some pics, these are beautiful cars!

 

DOH, but not all bad. it's not unusual on those cars for someone to whack the roof off and they can be made convertible fairly easily.

unless you're committed to the folding top I'd go the carson route. top bows and mechanism stuff will cost you a fortune, but most of the shiney bits, windows etc are common with the HT. Just have t finish off hte header and the package tray and not make them look cobbled. it might be a need for some additional bracing at the rear of the doors and around the "cockpit" but not insurmountable if you want a vert.

if it's too daunting a project, just load it up and head for mayberry--I'll be happy to take the problem child off your hands.

 

I actually found all the parts locally to convert it to a ragtop for a very reasonable price. I just have no information on where to mount etc.

 

Sorry, no pictures yet. The car is at the inlaws an I wasnt able to swing by today.

 

Just out of curiosity, what all parts did You get? Reason I suggested replacement of the HT roof as opposed to a convertible "conversion" previously, was that with the multiple differences between the HT- and ragtop -bodies, that in order to pull this off properly, You´d really be best off starting with a donor convertible of a similar bodystyle.

 

i'm interested in this car, i had a very similar one and am wondering if this is it.
i never finished it and traded it off years ago, cant wait for your pix. mine too was a 53 caddy coupe cut down to a vert and had a subframe in it at the time. will be neat to see.

 

Sounds like an interesting project; Let's see some pictures, please !!!

4TTRUK

 

Sorry guys, no pics yet! Heading over tomorrow to pick up parts to work on and take some pics.

 

I havent picked them up yet but there is the top mechanism, the windshield frame, along with all the trim needed. I think I may wait to try and find a donor roof from a coupe deville now after looking into converting. Good advise!

 

Only was able to take two pics. Car is blocked in by a bunch of crap right now. Ill pull it out in the daylight tomorrow hopefully.

 

How did you think that was ever a convertible with most of the sail pillar panels intact?

 

For one I know nothing about these cars. Seller told me it was originally a convertible before I looked at it but when I went and bought it I knew, just didnt care. I just really wanted it. I have the ability to fix it so it doesnt matter now. Just trying to figure out which way I should go with it.

 

What sail panels?

 

Body and series on data plate will ID what it originally was. I helped another fellow many years rebuild a OEM 49? Caddy convertible by using a good coupe body as a donor. A lot of work to do properly but once the cuts had been planned and everything executed you could not distinguish it when completed. Convertibles didn't from memory have that panel behind rear seat where roof stacked when down. 1/4 glasses assemblies on could be different and were removable when compared to other bodies? Plus you need folding top and associated supports to do it right as well as header bow across windshield. That chop looks pretty severe as well!
Frame number would assist as already mentioned.

Description..................................................................Model....St........Cyl

Convertible Coupe/Power Windows, 5 Pass.,126"W.B. .........62 ......6267X 8
Hardtop Coupe, 5 Pass., 126"W.B. .....................................62 ......6237 ..8
Ht Coupe/Power Windows, 5 Pass., 126"W.B. .....................62 ......6237X 8
Htcpe/Pow.Win.(Coupe DeVille), 5 Pass., 126"W.B. .............62 .............. 8
Imperial Sed./Pow.Windows, 8 Pass., 146-3/4"W.B. .............75 ......7533X 8
Sedan, 5 Pass., 126"W.B. ..................................................62 ......6219 ..8
Sedan/Pow.Windows, 8 Pass.(Fleetwd),146-3/4"W.B. ...........75 ......7523X 8
Sedan/Power Windows, 5 Pass.(Fleetwood), 130"W.B. .........60S ....6019X 8
Sedan/Power Windows, 5 Pass., 126"W.B. ..........................62 ......6219X 8
Special Spt.Conv't (Eldorado)-Pow.Win.,5 Pass,126"..............62 ................8<tt>
</tt>

 

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately there is no plate and no paperwork. Judging from that list though it looks like I have a series 62 hardtop coupe because of the manual windows.

I am able to get all the parts to turn it into a real convertible but I lack the info on what differences there are between the coupe and convertible. Hopefully there is someone with a rotted out donor I can chop the roof off to restore mine.

 

One of the most crucial components and an integral part of any convertible body is the mid-section "tub" running from each doorjamb on back, around the perimeter of the backseat area, including the backseat floors, side panels, inner wheel houses, and the panel fore of the trunk lid with its extra transverse bracing on the bottom side. Depending on make/model, some convertibles from this era even had shorter deck lids than those on 2d HT -models to compensate for the space the folded top frame occupies.

This section is stamped out of thicker-gauge steel than similar parts in a HT body for the purpose of, (together w/the stiffer frame and thicker-gauge rocker panels of a factory convertible), providing torsional rigidity for the mid-section of the convertible body, otherwise provided by a fixed roof.
This section, as a unit, would readily provide all the various mounting spots for Your top frame, -mechanism/pistons, Conv-spec quarter window regulators, back seat, tack strip, trunk hinges etc.

And as previously mentioned, a convertible always has it´s own unique frame. Typically w/a pair of extra bodymounts and bracing on top and bottoms of the mid-section. Also worthy of a mention are the thicker-gauge rocker panels and an extra "L"-shaped bracing on the inside of the windshield posts.

I wonder if the donor vehicle of these parts might still be available somewhere? If so, get it. All of it. Even if You chose not to follow through w/this conversion, all the parts You say You have, will be of far less value without the "tub" they attach to.

If I were to attempt a "conversion" like that using a "donor" convertible and a solid HT body, the ideal way of going about it would be to start w/the convertible frame, fit the coupe body on it, and then go about fitting in the mid-section/roof+ws frame on the coupe body.
The donor vehicle as a complete unit would be the key here, not only for the sections/components needed, but for all the info on the many unseen differences in construction between the two bodystyles You said You lack at this point.

This is my understanding of the extent of a such "conversion", based on following such projects up close previously. Fascinating stuff.
Good luck.

 

You could probably use the convertible parts and inner body structure from a 53 Buick Roadmaster as they share the basic body with the Caddy,as for having some body mounts that do not line up sometimes the convertibles and hardtops have a couple extra mounts the sedans do not have so it could be on a sedan frame.

 

Great info here, thank you. I would love to try and pull that off but what I meant was I was hoping to find a hardtop roof for my car since it is in fact a hardtop. Just seems wrong to chop it all up to something its not.

 

if it has wind up windows, it's probably a 50 or 51 series 61 "baby" cadillac body. short wheelbase, short rear quarters, small skirts and short trunk lid. post a picture of the butt end. mine is also a 3 speed on the column.

 

Didn't Johnny Cash have a similar car?