StudeDudes Caddy build in several installments. This is Installment Number Two OK, here we go again I posted the first part of this build last Thursday if you want to do a search. So, while the under side of the body was sitting and drying (after shooting Lizardskin and black paint), in the meantime, I pulled all the old stock heater crap and air boxes off the firewall (mustve taken off 200 pounds of metal and at least 11 miles of ancient, rotten rubber heater hose) simply cuz I wanted a clean, flat firewall and, with the plan of adding heat/air conditioning/defrost via under-dash Vintage Air all that crap was just so much extra weight and in the way. I welded in new panels (allowing a ½ opening at the bottom of the firewall/air box -- each side) for the outside air ( as well as rain, wash water, snow, etc) to continue the flow in to and out of the openings under the windshield stainless. These opening were used to force outside air into the heaters (one on each side of the interior). Blocking these by welding them shut would result in rust, eventually when -- not if -- they filled with water and debris. It took a couple weeks worth of welding, bondoing, sanding and priming to get it correct and flat and then priming and painting it yellow (color choice at the time) but I think Ive since changed my mind!. I dont think I can deal with that much chicken-fat yellow every day and all the time. This car is not small it has acres of sheet metal. Speaking of acres of sheet metal heres a story about my brothers 54 Caddy. Wed just painted it in Turquoise primer (this story a few years ago), took it to the April Action event in Moab, Utah. We parked in the Moab Diner lot and were watching cruisers on Main street when some guy in a67 Mustang parked next to the Caddy. He walked around the Caddy a couple of times scoping it out, at the rear of the Caddy, he turned to his wife and commented on how big the Caddy was compared to his Mustang coop. He grinned and said, Theres more sheet metal in the trunk of this Caddy than there is in my whole Mustang. He may be correct. Note the expensive making paper below this is a low-buck build !!! Once I was satisfied it was flat I sprayed it yellow. I thot this was a very light yellow when I had it mixed it was lighter than anything else Id seen and the color chip was almost no yellow but, once it was down, still not light enuff for my tastes. Waaaaa-aaaaaaayyyy too much yellow !!! AND since I didnt want to spend the time to sand it all back off I decided to leave it alone...maybe itll grow on me With the firewall looking good, it was time to put the body and frame back together. It took a few hours to lower the body onto the frame. We raised it with floor jacks...we lowered it with floor jacks, one on each side of the car, moving from front to rear and back to front as we carefully lifted, then removed each individual block until it sat down on the frame and we removed the floor jacks. Lining up bolt holes with the body mounts was the tuffest part. But we got it remounted and mounted solid I think we were only ¼ off side to side and front to back remember boys and girls, necessity is the Mother of invention or building cars !!! Done after a few hours of lowering and certainly glad that part of the build is over. After cleaning all the grease and oil off the engine and tranny (my bro, Dan, gets the dirty jobs cuz hes younger than I Besides, I was busy with other stuff thinking, scheming, drawing, supervising and the like oh, I did build some motor mounts, built a tranny mount and made sure everything was level and the oil pan sits ABOVE the lowest part of the Trans Am cross-member dont need anything hanging below the frame rails CUZ its gonna get lowered !!! I was going to paint the engine all up but that old color choice came back to haunt me and I didnt want a yellow engine OK put the engine back in in its original factory color. Were gonna have to take it apart later after we know everything on the car works. We slid the 500/Turbo 400 Caddy back in I hung the front sheet metal back on it to get an idea where the engine was going to set as I wanted to make sure my motor mounts and tranny mounts were built well enuff and everything going to be attachet to it would clear. If youll go back and look at the pic of the car on the trailer, you can see how high the engine/tranny was sitting in the car when I got it I needed it lower than what that was. I think I succeeded. With the front clip back on so I could scope out what needed to be built (and to me, this is the fun part of the build) and fitted then the real work came mating 55 Caddy stuff to a late model disc brake sub-frame. Already looks like that radiator support is going to need some modifying As you can see, sliding the motor/tranny onto the 78 Trans Am sub has the front of the car sitting a lot closer to the concrete and thats the way I like it. Wait til I get the front bumper brackets built and get that 200 pound Dagmar unit mounted !!! After I was satisfied the firewall was close enuff for the girls I go out with (not that theyd care if it was off some anyway) and the body was mounted on the frame close enuff, I turned my attention to the next thing in line Brakes. I needed to figure out how and what. I wanted to keep the original floor brake pedal (and since I made the firewall flat, an ugly ol master cylinder hanging there on the firewall just wasnt going to work, nor look good.). Time to put the thinking cap on, pull up a stool and do some studying As for a time perspective, at this point, we are about 8 months (early 06) into the build. I dont work on it everyday only when time permits and that is mostly weekends only. So it takes me a bit longer to get one on the streets. Back to the problem at hand I knew I wanted a power booster on the brakes big cars need help stopping in my crazy way of thinking and building a car, I went to the junkyard, had them cut part of the X-frame/main frame section out of a 55 four door and I built a dummy master cylinder/booster mount out of sheet metal (not shown) for the new 7 Master Power booster/Corvette master cylinder. The photo below is an after shot and thats the stock Caddy pedal showing there. Having to NOT work on my back, under the car sure made building the dummy mount easy, and to be able to see exactly HOW it would work mounted to the frame I then had it cut out of 3/16 plate, formed up, complete with stock brake pedal and had it all TIGed together, sent it out to be powder coated silver and hung it in the stock frame under the floor of the Caddy fits nice hope it works as nice. Well, there ya go installment # 2 is now in the books, so thats it for this one more in the next installment stay tuned. R-
good read,,,shows what can be done with a logical plan and some patience.....looks like she'll sit nice and low,,,that makes me miss my 55 caddy,,sold it to a guy in australia, and it is presently undergoing a frame-off....
Welding with glasses is a real pain. I'll bring you one of my welding helments, since you lost yours in the first picture. Squinting won't work for long.
LOL Dave...thanx, but I work better without having to flip that helmet down each time I pull the trigger...I don't squint, I simply close my eyes, then reposition the gun and close my eyes again...for spot welding, doing it my way is easiest, besides, I've burned my eyes once while watching that electrode burn white hot...won't ever do that again...sandpaper in the eyes hurts while you are trying to sleep. For longer runs with the Mig, then the helmet is good...and I have one... R-
beautiful job on the firewall. just took off the front end on my new '40 lasalle so thanks for the inspiration. B
Flt-blak...one of my pet peeves...cannot stand to have "stuff" in my way...pick it up, put it away...and the next time I know where to find it. Thanx for all the comments guys...I appreciate it... R-
That firewall is cleeeean! nice work Roger My firewall looks like your firewall in the first picture. I'm still thrashing on the 56 to get it to Moab. Tim
Great start, I have to agree with the fellow member, you make it look easy. Normally at this time I am stressed out while trying to get a job finished. Keep us updated.
I have had the same reservations with color also. When you do the jams and firewall first, all of a sudden the color choice looks wrong. Then when its all done they usually look right....or really wrong . Gary
I like that color..............I thought about sending you a welding helmet, too........glad you own one............I too thought your shop was way too clean for the work you're doing...........And, I'm getting kind of a "Friday Night Read" feeling here............any thoughts, Roger?
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