Nothing overly original, but here's how I did it. Hang in, I can only post one pic at a time. This is what I started with. Some would say leave it like this. I didn't.
This is after coming back from the media blast booth. There were some small dents in the front, so I filled them with bondo. You can feel that it still isn't perfect, but it looks okay (couldn't get that compound curve right). Don't know why the picture came out small?!
This is after painting it in the driveway. Used rattle can primer from the local Auto Parts store. Ordered Ford Chrome Yellow in a rattle can from Tower Paint in Wisconsin (they have ads in Old Cars Weekly). After the primer, had to spot putty some places. Sanded putty, primered again, found more imperfections, repeated the process a few times. Finally got it in yellow. This took three times since the first two times, I put runs in it and had to sand them out.
The bottom pan came from a generic speed shop air cleaner (remembered this from an old Rodder's Digest How-to about the Big Olds). Found a table of dimensions on K&N's website and after measuring the the Cad housing, used E-3699 which fills up the housing perfectly.
Now add artwork. Got the Jim Osborn Reproductions catalog. It doen't have pictures of all the resto decals, so you need get ideas in the catalog and then look for under hood pictures of the car on ebay or some other site to make sure it would be right.
Front. The problem is a decal for a flat valve cover isn't supposed to fit a compound curve. I found this out after I stuck it on. Was able to peel back the corners to cut them off, but I should have cut off the clear part as close to the lettering as possible before putting it on.
Here's the whole thing, but it still needs something in the top front. Someone around here has a primered Model A Tudor with the Honest Charlie Logo painted there, and it looks good. The original plan was for a Flying Eyeball.
Over the summer we were tourists in Boston. We're walking around downtown and there's this 17th Century grave yard with signs telling about all the famous dead people there. My kid wanderes ahead while I'm reading the sign. He comes back saying something about "cool bones". Hmmmm, bones in a grave yard, I better check this out. He's talking about the pictures on the headstones. This is Mother Goose's grave stone. I know it sound like total bull shit, but that's what the historical marker sign said. I think I just decided on what was missing from the Cad housing.
Took the Cad housing and tombstone picture to Lines & Letters in Bridgewater, NJ. The three options were black line art so the yellow would show through, black lines with white background or airbrushed. I went with the black & white. I found them by doing a google search for truck letterers near my work so I could take it during lunch. This is the end result, they did a really good job.
Post Project Review: My bodywork skills suck, so I probably should have taken it to a professional to do it right. There's a small smash in the bottom center seam which I left alone since I would probably have made it worse. Should have skim coated the top with bondo and block sanded it since some low spots showed up after it was painted yellow. Also should have used finer sandpaper (just had the Auto Parts Store variety pack) because scratches show if the light is right. What the hell... for a mostly backyard job that will sit under a closed hood, it worked out. Really basic tech, but I just got it back today and wanted to take a stab at Tech Week.
It looks cool! I'm going to do a similar thing to mine. I'm going to make up a "name" for the V8. (like plymouth lettered their "Hy-Fire V-8", or ford calling the flathead "strato-star V-8")
That's cool. Don't feel bad. I painted my caddy air cleaner and did my first striping job on it. I was proud. Now of course I'm much better and I think it looks like shit. So I'm going to sand the whole thing down. Oh well. I get impatient sometimes. I can post a pic if you like. Does that place have Apple green in a can perhaps?
I think you did a good job ...remember it's not how big a project youi do it's all about learning and sharing no matter how big or small what you share is for us all I like it I got one of those air cleaners sitting in the shop ..think I'm gonna clean it up and paint it just to sit on the shelf for now ..thanks for the post...fatchuk
Looks really good ! I'll have to get a pic of my caddy air cleaner to put up ( black & flamed) As far as decals to put on it, this would be a good time to use the tech post of how to make water transfer decals that was posted earlier this week. I am always amazed what those air cleaners are fetching.... Steve
Big Daddy, I was looking at your car one time at the Eddy's Donuts Cruise. This guy walks up to it with his girlfriend and is trying to impress her with how much he knows about cars. He points out your Cad Air Cleaner and tells her it's Ram Air.
Luv40, you show a bottom pan in one of your pictures. Can you give me details on that part? I am doing the same thing to an Olds air cleaner housing but was unsure what to use for a bottom pan. Thanks.
52Flatty, I picked up the base from a vendor at the Raceway Park Swap Meet so I don't have a part number or anything. They sold me just the base and element (element ended up not fitting so I got the K&N one). The top that went with it had Chevrolet stamped across it in block letters. It's a 14 inch low profile base. It wouldn't clear the linkage, so I used a Spectre Carb Spacer (plastic ring) which I got in a blister pack at Pep Boys. The upturned lip on the base matched the Cadillac housing perfectly. Probably the base to any 14 inch air cleaner would work. I got the threaded rod (& extension) hold down at Raceway Park also, but they're too short. I'm just going to see if a longer length of threaded rod from the hardware store will work.
Hey Luv, You familiar with Eddies cruise? Its nothig big, just a cruise on the note of the club meeting. you ever have your car up there? I belong to the club that put on that cruise, Rollin Oldies. We also do one on Thurs nites at Bungs tavern on Rt 130 in Burlington. Nothing funnier that somebody trying to Impress someone with their lack of knowledge. Steve
40Luv, The ID of my Olds air cleaner is only 13". That was why I was hoping you had a source. 14" seems to be the common size. I guess I'll just have to keep looking, there has to be something out there.
52flatty, I used the base off of a regular cheap 14" chrome air cleaner asseb. Fits fine. My problem was finding an element that would fit inside & be high enough. Wound up getting a 8" element & putting 1/4 inch weatherstripping around the top & bottom of the element to "seal" it inside the housing
Big Daddy, I was asking you questions about your air cleaner when we had our cars in Soveregn Bank Arena over a year ago. Finally just got mine done. 52Flatty, The Summit Racing Catagog lists a "Ford Racing" 13 inch air cleaner. You could probably find it on their website. Too bad you'd have to buy the whole thing for $35 just for the base.
Looks good! If you find a base plate at a swap meet, take time to measure it. Some "14 inch" air cleaner bases are a little smaller than others. I have one that works great (looks exactly like the one pictured) and another that won't fir around the lip at the bottom of the Caddy air cleaner. Close but no cigar.
looks great ,I saw a website once that decodes what all of the different headstone symbols ment , there was a long list of stuff , might be cool to find out what it stands for , just a heads up , the skull and feathers design is kind of a Hell's Angels trademark , yours looks totally different and its on a car so I am sure it will not even be an issue , but just thought you might like to know.
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