Projects The Best 1955 Cadillac build

Roger,
Thought I'd chime in. I really appreciate your build. Especially your vision for it and your patience. You haven't rushed things just to get it done. Everything is well thought out. I feel you nailed it with the color too, the yellow wasn't bold enough. All the subtle touches are great, from the coolerator emblem to the humps over the rear window. Nice job!

 

Your a real artist, i'm impressed.......

 

Roger, your Caddy is looking fabulous. Can't wait to see it in person. Gary

 

Coming along awesome, Roger...absolutely awesome!!

I can't wait to see the next update, cause I'm guessing it'll be going back together. This has been a great build thread, thanks for sharing all the pics.

 

"Humps over the rear window"...???

Aaron, I realize you're about half my age...but "humps"...??? Those are "roof scoops"... I guess the next time you come over to my place we're going to have a session of "We'll go over what the correct words are to use."

Thanx. Yep, I'll prolly do an update after paint and then the last update will prolly be it going back together...

Hot Rod Roadster: to answer your PM question-- nothing long distance (back east) until I get the Caddy back together, but Salina, Kansas will prolly be our first...we are planning on doing GG's Spokane in August, GG's Kansas City in September and GG's Scottsdale in November. Don't know at this time about the HAMB drags as there as other events I've been invited to, also don't know if we'll make Mick's Starliner event in Wichita. Guess it depends on how much cash is left in the mattress, and the price of a gallon of gasoline...!!!

R-

 

roger,,,,the car is really coming along, and you seem to be nearing the home stretch, , , ,i love all the little details, and the fact that you've taken your time to make everything just right,,,the color is stunning, and really adds the crowning touch to all your beautiful ideas and work,,,,,,,,,,cannot wait to see her in all her glory when finished!

 

cant believe i missed this thread , great build with great pics , some real attention to detail on that cad . cool ....

 

how is it coming???

 

Roger, what a fantastic job you have done. That is one sweet cadillac. You should be very proud of what you have achieved and how many people you have inspired. Thank you. Bradley J

 

Thank you Original57, and Hotroddub, it's close...matter of fact, I went to the bodyman's place and picked it up on Friday...so let's do a mini-update..we'll call this one:

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AIN'T A TRAIN...

My body guy called on Wednesday, May 19th. "Your car is done. You can pick it up at anytime."

"Cool," I said, 'how 'bout Friday...???"

Of course, after a little thinking on my part, there was an ulterior motive to picking it up Friday...

So, we go down and now the hood is on and is looking good...now one half of my car is assembled...the trunk and fenders are next...and they are at my place.



Here's the body man and I discussing the finer elements of doing body work: adjusting the doors, adjusting the hood, heating and shrinking metal, straightening fender skirts, sanding bondo, spraying sealer and primer, guide coating, blocking. All the elements that go into bodywork before laying on the final coats...it's been a long journey and I've still got a ways to go.



And my bro, manning the camera, figuring we'd better have shots of both sides of the car...that's his Caddy in the background. So, Friday morn, we had some cleaning to do on his Caddy since the new glass was installed and we had to put the interior moldings back in...all in preparation for that afternoon. We got that done and decided to cruise it down to pick up my Caddy. It's always nice to see two Caddy's together...besides, we'd planned on taking my Cad home to the garage and his Cad to the local Sonic cruise. It's about 4:30 PM Friday afternoon at this time...



Well, guess what...since the huge local cruise wasn't that far out of the way...and it was still daylight, and one of the nicer days we've had around here -75 degrees (we got two inches of snow on May 11th/12th and it's been rainey and cold since then), I thot why not take the Caddy over to the cruise and show it off...!!! So I did.

Here I am at the final right turn before heading into the Sonic.




Lots of good comments on it...and lots of "Hey, you lost some parts on the way to the cruise" or "It's legal to drive this car without fenders or glass?" (I answered that one with - "fenderless roadsters do it all the time.") as well. But my pal Mike (rat rod roach here on the HAMB) said it best when he saw me pull in: "I got a huge chuckle seeing you drive that Caddy into the cruise, thinking you were really crazy, but then I realized you weren't doing anything the rest of us wouldn't do."



Thanx Mike.

So far this "summer,", ehhhrrrr...spring...I've missed my deadline to debut the car at GoodGuy's event here...thot maybe I'd debut it at NSRA's Peublo event end of June, but that's not going to happen either...and Dan and I have cancelled four rod run trips so far becuz my Caddy isn't done: SK500 in Dewey, OK, Santa Maria, CA, Casper, Wyo, and Scottsbluff, NE. It now looks like maybe the debut of my Caddy will be the KKOA Lead Sled spectacular end of July in Salina, Kansas...and how fitting is that...???

As soon as the fenders get hung and everything gets adjusted, then it gets paint...I think the light at the end of the tunnel looks like a very bright spray booth...!!!

Stay tuned...

R-

 

looking good man. Bummed we won't get to see it in Santa Maria but maybe next year, but thanks for all the progress pics and updates.

 

Lookin great!

Are you going to be doing the paint? I guess you just used the body guy for the paint prep? All the body shops around here won't even look at a custom deal like that. They will only work on insurance stuff

Bill

 

Even though the Caddy wasn't together I bet it still felt good driving it to the Cruize
night...........I hate deadlines and with your Caddy you've worked to hard to have a
deadline ruin the joy of the build. Keep the faith and forget the deadlines, soon you
will be driving one Kool Caddy.... Thanks for posting the update.

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

I love this build! It was cool of you to drive it to that event as-is. More folks should do that, IMO!

 

Bill, no, I won't be doing the paint...I'm just not that good. I can spray primer but when it comes to BC/CC...nope...!!! I'll let a guy that does it everyday do it. My body man is a friend, he owed me some favors so I collected (it's nice to have people owe you, and when it works out to satisfaction on both parts, it's a deal )...same with the paint, the painter owes me big time...so it's time to collect.

There are body shops around here that are the same way, but fortunately, I know a lot of people around the Denver area and do a lot of art work around here...

Thanx Patrick66...and Mick, it was fun...see you in Salina, eh...???

R-

 

The Caddy is coming along great. The color looks really good. Can't wait to see it. Are you going to have it done by the GG show or Salina?

 

Nice job Roger, good to see the progress on it up at Sonic on Friday.....
how come you had a seat in it instead of a milk crate

Roach

 

LOL Mikey, I like to have my "milk crates" fully upholstered...

Johnny...Salina...what're YOU and Lacy Lane driving to Salina...???

R-

 

Looking great Roger! Love the old Cadillacs!

 

Going to try to bring the 57 Ranchero I just picked up a few weeks ago down. I have a mountain of work to do on it to even be able to bring it but thats the goal.

 

It is very good to have someone owing you a couple of "favours"!!

I sure am looking forward to seeing it all one color!!

Bill

 

Looks great man! Nice job!

 

PAINT...!!!

Teaser shot...




And of course, this shot...



About half way done now...getting closer...and closer...and closer...

R-

 

Thats a Purty Purple Roger......... Thanks for the tease.

 

WOW Roger, Thats absolutely beautiful

 

Great paint job. What color(code) is it? Can't wait to see some more pics!

 

Wow, look at the shine!! Nice progress, shouldn't be long now.

Now all you have to do is put it all back together.....

I sure wish I was closer so I could lend a hand.

Bill

 

1955 Ford Regency Purple (PPG matched)...can't get much more "traditional" than that, eh...???

54Caddy and StrayKat...thanx...BTW, looks like the NSRA Pueblo Nats (June 25& 26) won't be the debut either...Salina is looking better each passing day...!!!

Bill, I, too, wish you were closer...I could use the help...!!!

R-

 

Absolutely stunning!!!!!!!!! Are you still smiling?? You should be...

 

Ear to ear, Bill, ear to ear...and prolly wider this coming weekend...

Thanx for the compliment.

R-