The Coop DeVille Caddy build in several installments. This is Number One Now that the KIRK!! Jones/Gambino Grime 60 Ford paint job is out of the way, I thot Id place a post about my Caddy not near as cool (at this point), but it will be... A few of you have asked about my CoopDeVille build and whats taking me so long??? Well, OK, heres the project, from the beginning, to lighting the engine, to taking it around the blok. This build started in July, 05, I bought someone elses (unfinished) project. Yeah, I know, Ive heard it all before -- NEVER buy someone elses half-baked project. but, Ive built enuff cars to know what I was getting into, I looked it over well, struck a deal and laid out my cash. So instead of tell, I using that old writers admonishment: SHOW, dont tell. Lets go . The Caddy is a 1955 Coupe DeVille, complete with a 500 incher (used-not overhauled, was told it had good oil pressure. Uhmmmmm, OK, I hope youre not shitting me, but I really have no way of knowing. A Turbo 400 tranny was attached to the engine and both simply placed in the engine bay (not bolted down). As part of the deal, I got almost enuff parts to build two cars the Caddy also has power windows and power seat. Someone needed to save it and since wed built my brother a 1954 Caddy hardtop and were familiar enuff with them, it fell to me why not do another? Could be fun. Now, to put this in a bit of perspective . As of March 19th, 2008 -- two years, nine months after I brought it home, at 2:50 PM in the afternoon, the engine was finally fired off and runs well, sounds healthy (AND has great oil pressure !!!) and the tranny works not bad for an engine, tranny and carb that has been sitting in my garage for well over three years. This then, is the saga of how I built my Cadillac and WHY its taken this long. This is simply my way and done in my back yard garage with only my bro, Dan, helping. First thing is/was, Id been working on my 48 Caddy Sedanet Id had it blasted and was working on mounting a new non-stock gas tank when this 55 fell into my lap I took time out from doing that to go take a look at it. And I kinda figured my bros 54 Caddy needed a running mate, how hard could it be to put this 55 back together ??? We were about to find out Well, like anything else it takes longer than you think no matter how much you hurry and hurrying ends up making you do things twice or even three times until youre satisfied with what youve done or its correct. When we got the 55 home and unloaded from the trailer, we put the 48 into sleep mode for a while, rolled it into safe-keeping in the dry shed and put the 55 in the big garage then we pulled the body off the frame The 55 Caddy is an original ColoRODo car so, no rust then we set about scoping out the 78 Trans Am sub that was only mig welded, full of burn holes and crappy piled up shit welds that wouldnt hold anything together at 70 mph !!! It was mounted into the original frame at the firewall. We pulled the engine and tranny out and set it off to the side first things first, ya know well deal with that later. Before we go farther, please dont give me any crap about putting the body up on cinder blox they hold up a two (or more) story building just fine and they stack them higher then I ever will, theyll work for holding up a Caddy body. Besides, no one is putting any down force on the blocks and the body certainly isnt moving around, and, BTW, that body didnt bend in the middle either, because of no center support. And that was over two years ago not one of those blocks cracked or broke. A note here: when you dont have every tool for every job, you make the best with what youve got it worked. Once the engine and tranny was out, I borrowed a trailer again, hauled the whole thing up to a sandblaster and let them go at the 50 year old crud once back, I cleaned up the frame graft, ground off some of the crap, mig welded up some spots to add a bit more strength to it and then cut 1/8 plate in order to fish-plate the two frames together and then TIG welded all of it together I might add I cleaned it all up nicely and then epoxy sealed it and sprayed it urethane gloss black. While the frame was drying, I decided to do the body the bottom of the old Caddy body was relatively clean (old undercoating already finally falling off after all these years), so, wire brushed that, sanded a bit, sealed it with epoxy and sprayed Lizardskin (best insulation in the world !!!) once that was done, I painted it all gloss black and proceeded to get ready to set it back on the frame. That's it for this installment...More in the next installment R-
Great start, Its certainly nice to find a car with no rust. Keep us updated, cant wait to see the car completed
Thanx C.O. ..plans are to keep this one a mild kustom...grille "improvement" (yes, it's hard to improve on the factory, but I think I can do it), nosing, decking, remove the door handles, maybe some shrouded Lakers, skirts, ww's, air bags...the usual kustom stuff...and maybe a few more body "tricks"...but no chopping...it's mighty hard to see the tops of the mountains around here when cruising the '57 Chevy...and I like to be able to see the tops of the mountains...!!! R-
Can the Jetter Brothers do a mild kustom?? I bet it is hard to fight the natural urges. LOL!! Being able to see the mountains through some of your difficult passes will be a blessing. Driving a chopped car in the mountains suck. Don't blame ya for not chopping the sled, she will have plenty of attitude....... After tearing the Merc down, I've learned the importance of undercoating. You have a kool imagination and I can not wait to see what your plans are for the grill. You guys are going to stop some traffic with all of the Colorado Caddys Cruzin down the interstate. It will be a sight see!! Keep up the good work and looking forward to future updates.... Does Dan ever not smile?? Happy Trails, Mick
Damn Rodger its looking good. Wish my body was that solid. Looks like I'll be on a job in PA for about a year so not likely to get any progress on my sled any time soon. But I should make enough $ on this job so I can take some time off to do some much needed repairs/ Kustom touches. Nothing like driving a Kustom Caddy. See Ya Joe
i enjoy posts like this,,,that looks like a really solid car you started with,,,cant wait to see the rest of the build pics..
Couldn't get five blocks under it...I would've had to remove some wallboard and ceiling joists to get it higher..!! And THAT would've negated the safety factor all around...!!! Mick, Dan doesn't smile when he sleeps...he snores...!!! R-
WoW that is awsome 40StudeDude. I didin know that you did it frame off. Very expensive. Well to me it is to do my caddy, with the little money i scronge up to get where its at. I painted the trunk lid today plan to do the rear fenders next week or weekend. Then all I have left is the doors and it will be one solid color finally. I just bought a 1974 Nova for a great deal couldnt pass it up. So my plans are to get the Nova looking better then what it is, because just say one with no knowledge about cars lost on, one wire and its going to run. I told the fellow over and over but he said he needed the cash so I bought It. But I plan to flip it quick sell it then put that money into my caddy.
I haven't done this yet, but was considering railroad ties, cut to 2" lengths and stacked like Lincoln Logs on each corner... Dude - how in the heck did you get that body off? ~Jason
The Shark.. wheres your caddy build. Ive been waiting to see some movement on yours. I have a few updates coming soon.
money is kind of tight these days so i cant get much work done right now... im waiting to get started on my rocker panels. i will keep you guys up to date, but for now i will just have to enjoy the other caddy projects going on.
Man, what I'd give to find something that old with a floorpan THAT nice...never mind the beautiful lines of a Fat Cad! Gonna be a thing of beauty Roger... The "ColoRODo Caddy Cruisers"...You, Dan, Chris, Ron Brown...any others?
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