Projects making a dream a reality. with pictures

hey guys im Travis, im 18 years old . and I love old cars. me and my dad have been into them for a while and he has restored quite a few and he helped me restore a 1950 gmc from the ground up. (that I drive daily). we started when I was 11 and finished it by the time I was 15 1/2. but ive always loved Cadillacs and always seen them as the pinnacle of the American motor car. especially in the 1950s. these cars were produced during the height of American success and power. and seeing them at car shows gives me a glimpse of what we used to be. i decided (when i was about 13) that i was going to have one. and that when i was old enough to be employed that i would save all my money and buy one. so i did. the only way at my age to attain one of these wonderful works of art is to buy a project and to restore it to its former glory. i bought the car when i was almost 17. and ive documented my progress and i want to show it to you guys. the last photo in this thread is where the restoration is currently.
i did a lot of work on the direwall, all around where the vent inlet holes are had to be cut out and replaced, and the boxes that bolt over them had to be entirely replaced, rats had made it their home




i rebuilt the motor and original jetaway******* with my dad, ready to set it down in there so after the firewall had beed repaired, inner fenders painted, motor dropped in and wired up, i started on the body work. specifically the floors. i cut the old out and fabricated new ones

ended up having to replace a lot of the floors, some of the rear quarters and BOTH rocker panels. so now the body is painted and ive done a couple more things, but this thread wouldn't allow any more images, ill upload them though

 

Looks like darn nice work to me. Keep at it and it'll be a stellar ride to be proud of !

 

Wow, great work.
You had a plan, and stuck to it.

 

so while i was doing all the physical labor that was free. i was saving up and had my front and rear bumpers rechromed, my headlight bezels, hood ornament and a whole bunch of other ornaments, also had to replace all my glass except my rear windshield, which is factory E-Z eye glass, which is a green hue. so when i got my new windows made i made sure to get the green hued glass again. I just took these pics tonight this is where I'm at. one more door glass to install, and the restoration continues.

 

Makes me wish I was 18 again, nice work son.

 

Nice work.

 

Excellent work, it is really nice to see a young fellow with the energy and drive to take on a Big project like a Cadillac. Thanks for sharing and keep us updated!

 

Lotsa great stuff goin on at your house!! Hangin with your Dad #1. Looks like he's into buicks. The Caddy's looking good, hang in there! Tim

 

Its really good to see a young man have the right stuff in him to take on a project like this and stick to it, wish there were more like you out there. The Caddy looks great so far and with your dedication you will have one to be proud of, plus the pride of doing it yourself. Couldn't help seeing the Buicks in the background, since I am a Buick guy I would like to hear about them too. Keep up the good work!!!

 

Very cool.

 

Wow, great job, go get'em!

 

thanks for all the compliments. means a lot. kinda poured all my paychecks, time and energy and still making sacrifices to try and really live this dream out. I consider it building a lifestyle. not a car.

 

its funny you say that my dad has a lot of buicks, and acutally I just bought one a few days ago. a 1951 buick super 2 door hardtop. its on the backburner for now until I get my Cadillac done but I scooped her up for cheap and plan to hot rod it out. got some big plans for that one

 

Very nice, and well documented. Thanks for posting that.

 

You've got your head on straight. Good work!

 

Wow - you are doing great!! Cool ride. is your GMC white & red?

 

yeah its white and red

 

Nice job on the Caddy! I love them too!!!

 

Very nice!
Great job young man.

 

Wow great job Travis. Glad to see your having fun. Hotrodder in the making. Looks like you have a great teacher.

 

Great work kid

 

Good work dude!!! Not an easy first car...


My first "big" car was a '54 Buick 2 door hard top special..... Mile long quarters and big fenders.

 

Looking great!! Great job on doing all the work yourself. There is a lot to be said about to be said about building your skills. Welcome to the HAMB too. You have the right attitude for this place.

 

Impressive. Good job.

 

Very impressive for an 18 year old. Reminds me of when I was a teenager and helping my dad rebuild wrecked cars.
As you see in my avatar I'm partial to the 50's Buicks. I'll watch for your build on your 51.

 

Nice work you man!

You are far more accomplished than I was at your age,the car is looking great! HRP

 

Great Job....Great looking car!!
Makes me happy that this thing we love is not dying off.
Keep up the great work!!!!!

 

Love it! Another one gets a new lease on life. Flux

 

Four local high school football players were headed to the Deli for lunch when a flat tire halted them, only one new how to get that tire changed, sad but true more often than not these days. Great work Travis, keep it up, the Caddy is lookin good!

 

Check out the thread that is in my signature. I am also restoring a 56 Cadillac. Im not 18 anymore (26) but still in the young guy crowd for sure. I FEEL YOUR PAIN when it comes to installing rockers and floor pans in these cars. Maybe one day Ill get around to paint, but as of now, I am just driving it as it. Feel free to message me if you have any questions, but looks like you have it all figured out. Keep it up man!! Ill be subscribing!