Projects My pink 1956 Coupe de Ville find

Looks like a mild custom from a while ago. Glitter under the hood, chrome on the motor, custom upholstery in the trunk and a little custom pin striping.

 

Looks super solid! Sweet Caddy!

 

My favorite year Caddy! I bought a nice original black one from an elderly lady in San Jose, 1965. She called the agency to have someone look at it and get it running so she could sell it...it had sat since her husband p***ed, about a year.

I went on the service call, the car had 11K miles, was garaged, brand new Uniroyals, battery was dead. She just wanted it GONE, so I asked if she'd like to sell it 'as-is...'
I gave her $500 cash, (her asking price) and had my pal tow it to my house. Replaced the battery, everything was 'Hunky Dory'.

Yours is very straight looking, grille looks MINT! Rare find, nowadays.

Oh, The agency asked how the service call went. I said, "Wish they could all go like that..."

 

Nice, another Caddy back on the road...Please post up some more photos of it...

Here's mine-the OFFICIAL build thread on it: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329070&highlight=the+best+55+caddy+build

And the OFFICIAL 4552 mile trip thread on it: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...hlight=events+4552+miles+two+weeks+three+days

R-

 

Got it home....it's sitting in the driveway now. I spent an hour climbing all over this car looking for bubbling rust spots or holes and I came up empty. The only rust is the surface rust where the paint has worn through or the paint was scratched off on a dent . Bunch of parts in the trunk....rear bumper,gas tank, driveshaft top part of door panels... Etc.

 

I remember seeing this car on CL. Austin right? I would have been all over it, but I already have a '56 I am neck deep in! So how good of a deal did you get on it? I remember the guy was asking around 6k for it give or take?

I wonder why your firewall is red, was the car red before? Please post up pics of the restore or of whatever work you do on it. Since I have the same car as you, Im sure I can learn a thing or two from you. Take a look at my build thread (below) and tell me what you think!

 

TX,

Is it running? Kool Car...I had a White one/Mint Green top..years ago. Had plexigl*** tubes for the AC along the sides of the rear window....Neat car.

 

Yep...thats the one. Someone did some customizing under the hood. Painted the underhood area red and sprinkled glitter all over it. I've checked out your build a couple times. Keep up the good work.

 

It was running two weeks ago but it isn't right now. The guy was about to pull the ad and go ahead and get it repainted and do some other work to it. He had the gas tank removed to get it cleaned. He was about to remove the carb and send it off to be rebuilt. I told him to hold off until I looked at it.

 

Nice one. That's my favorite year of the Caddy, I nearly bought one last year after I sold the 40 Pickup but invested the money in my Model A and Chevy instead. What's your plans with it?

Alex

 

sweet caddy

 

Welcome to the club. Bought my 56 coupe back in April 2013.

 

Plans are just to get it running and back on the road for now. Brakes don't work, bad fuel pump and the gas tank and driveshaft are out of it. I'm cleaning the tank right now, put new u-joints in the driveshaft but I'm missing the clamp piece that clamps the rear joint to the pinion flange. Fuel pump is ordered, new exhaust is ordered. I replaced the coil and ballast resistor and got it to start for a second or two by squirting gas in the carb. Pulled the carb off and cleaned it out. Waiting for a carb kit. Once its drivable I'll start working on knocking out all the dents.

 

Nice car, the brakes can be a bit of a h***le if it has a treadlevac cause they don't like sitting around not being used.

 

Thanks....I've messed with those before. I found a bag in the trunk with wheel and master cylinder rebuild kits in it. My biggest problem right now is finding the piece that clamps the rear u-joint to the pinion flange.

 

Sweet find....is it a keeper?

Looks like the trailer worked out good

 

Trailer works great.....as far as it being a keeper....who knows. If the price is right I might sell.
It's still on the trailer. I worked on it some on Sunday before the weather changed. Only thing rotted on this car is the exhaust and the upholstered kick panel covers. Gas tank was already removed and had been cleaned by a shop in California ....that's where it came from according to the paperwork that came with it. Paperwork has a date of 1997. So since the radiator shop that cleaned the tank is in the same area I'm ***uming that's the year it was cleaned and was never put back in. I inspected the inside and it has a little surface rust so I'm treating it to remove that before I reinstall. Got the new fuel pump yesterday. Carb needs a new accelerator pump....it's on the way. Was looking the motor over again yesterday and it appears the motor has been removed and possibly rebuilt. Block is clean and all painted with no over spray on anything and the freeze plugs all look new. No grease in any nooks and crannies and the bell housing bolts are new. So maybe I lucked out and got another caddy with a rebuilt motor.

 

Got the fuel pump put on. New exhaust, ignition switch and u-joint will be here Friday. I'm going to drive this thing off the trailer this weekend.

 

Got my gas tank cleaned and lined last night and should be dry by mid day today. I'll install it this afternoon. My carb kit showed up yesterday. Should get more parts today. I think I have this rusty gas tank renewal procedure down to a science. Only took me about 1-1/2 hours to clean and coat the inside.

 

Gas tank is installed. Thought I just needed a new accelerator pump in the carb but found lots of stuff that didn't look right. Tore it all apart and found gaskets on wrong, parts in backwards and holes painted over. So now I think i've got it back how it should be and reinstalled. Ran some new fuel line and added some filters and got it started up. Pretty loud with just straight exhaust manifolds. I have some video if I can figure out how to embed it.
This complete car is not so complete as I'm finding out a little at a time. I have a new exhaust system I was about to put on it and I realized I don't have the exhaust flanges. Also missing the air cleaner and the brackets and latch for the hood.

 

so far Ive added about 3 quarts of fluid to the power steering reservoir and its still not working. Everytime I check it its almost empty. Its not leaking out but not sure where its going. Had it running today and dropped it into gear to see if anything would happen. Nothing.....went to check the fluid and couldnt find a dipstick tube. Found the hole it goes in...so I doubt fluid was ever put back in it. So I have a couple things to do in the evenings this week.

 

Your PS resevior shares fluid with the steering box. I dont know the capacities of the two together but 3 qts might no be enough.
Those monster "jetaway" hydramatics take 12 quarts to fill up. I bet you dont have enough in there for anything to happen. IF you need a rebuilder I have the number of the guy that did mine. Here is a pic.

 

I checked it again tonight and it wasn't low this time, so maybe its finally full. I have to find a dipstick grommet before I can do anything else with the ******. What did it cost to build yours?

 

Worked on the exhaust tonight. I got the front pipes and the mufflers put on. Unfortunately now I can hear all the noises. I don't think I have any oil pressure. Need to verify that on the next session.

 

Chis***ans, could you please share that number with me? I have the same trans along with a caddi 390 to go into my 49' chevy.i think its a smart move to have it gone through before placing this anchor in her.

 

I may need that number. The Trans doesn't look like it was removed when the motor was so it may need a rebuild. I'll wait to see if yours works correctly though. There are lots of people that can rebuild a trans but not many that can do it right.