Projects The Best 1955 Cadillac build

my goodness....I have never seen this thread before...it took me awhile to get caught up from the first page but well worth it...
I have to say that you have taken on a really big project which required hundreds and hundreds of hours of dedication, patience and skill.
None of which, at 59 years old, I still have. So, I wanted to just jump in here and say..."thanks" and "great job".
I NOW will follow this thread instead of letting it slip through my radar.
YOU must be very proud and I must say that your pride is well deserved.
My hat's off to you and that's saying a lot, 'cause I don't have a hat.

Terrific!

 

I love this picture...

 

Cool. I ♥ '55 Cadds!!

 

Mazooma1, many thanx for the compliments...

Here's my next project. I quit working on this one almost five years ago, when I was 61 1/2 years old, immediately after I rolled the '55 in the garage.



In case you haven't done the math yet, that now makes me 66 1/2 years of age...and I don't plan on quitting any time soon. As long as I can spin a wrench or out think my son, I'm going to keep on building cars...

Keep checking back on this thread, I was just at the bodyman's shop this morn and only the driver's side rear quarter of my '55 Coop DeVille needs to be finished...then it'll get paint...and a month of reassembly...should be on the road (hopefully) by June one.

R-

 

I have no clue how I missed this one. Great job. I really enjoyed spending a quiet Saturday reading the whole post. I look forward to seeing this all done. Great job.

 

Sweet ride! Loved the pinkish color to her.

 

thanks for letting us all follow this build...can't wait to see it finished

 

very nice read from start to finish!! its hard to imagine the car getting any better but i know its possible!! that purple is dead sexy...wow!!

 

At first i was unsure about the Corvair scoops on the roof... but now looking at it, perfect. they're subtle enough but different enough. Good choice

 

Well, seeing as how it’s been a month or so since the last update…let’s do another and I’ll call this one:

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.

The light is growing brighter each day…to wit: The bodywork is essentially done and guide-coated, ready for the last blocking before the paint goes on …


In this shot, the top and scoops are being worked on and this is last quarter to be finished

The painter has not scheduled me in yet as it looks like the final item – the fender skirts (I built), is giving the body man fits. Of course, for the car to look good, those skirts must fit flush with the body -- top, sides, front and rear, any gaps are going to detract from the overall look…and I sure don’t want that. They also must fit properly to be a visual extension of the small body line I built in below the side scoop. So, time must be sacrificed for them to be taken care of.

The roof scoops now fit much better after the bodyman finessed them…I thot I had them looking good…but the man that wields the final finish obviously has a better eye for that than I do. The flow up from the rear window trim is much easier on the eye and actually looks like they grew there. Oh, BTW, Von Burke - they even look better all guide-coated and I’d bet they’re going to look killer in paint. The rear window was pulled to clean it all up under the rubber and trim to get a better paint job, and let me tell you, the factory caulk was abundant under the rubber…there’s no way any of that would have rusted, even if the car had sat outside for 30 years in New Jersey…we must have spent 45 minutes removing all of it…now all I have to worry about it getting it resealed when the new rear window, and new rubber gasket, gets put back in.

In the meantime, the rear window stainless trim was taken down to the polisher and he cleaned it up really well, even took out some deep sand scratches I’d put in it…it looks new now. The side window trim stainless was taken down to him as well and he made it look like new…polishing stainless is akin to chroming in price, but it’s all worth it in the long run.

In the photo (above) the glass has not been removed yet. In the trunk you can see the vinyl masking carrier sheet I used to cover the floor…this is a neat trick and much easier than trying to use paper and masking tape…the vinyl carrier is sticky on one side so all you have to do is trim it and stick it down…it won’t move and it won’t pull up paint if you use it on painted surfaces. It has just enuff tack to hold…and sure keeps sanding dust out of carpet, jute and just about anywhere else you can stick it.

Before I took the car down to the bodyman, I removed all the power window motors and all the side glass and tracks…while the car is away, those have been all cleaned up, greased up and painted. The new tinted glass has been cut for the side windows and the chromed frames have been polished. I decided to forego chroming them as they weren’t in bad shape…besides, my build budget is straining right now.

After getting prices on a new windshield ranging from a low of $600 (including installation) to a high of $1000.00 for just the windshield (excluding shipping and installation), I found a small shop and a very good glass guy here in Denver that was able find two brand new NOS windshields and purchased same. Brother Dan has been tired of his old cracked windshield for several years now…and when the purchase price came in at a less price than both of us expected ($400 each with a $45.00 installation charge), he decided it was time to change his, too. We took his ’54 Cadillac in a week before the Moab, Utah, April Action car show…and left it there with instructions to replace all the side glass as well…a tint of gray was selected. The shop removed all the mechanisms, cleaned and greased them and while they were at it, all new whiskers replaced the original worn pieces, what was left of them anyway. They were put back in the original spots (and the same thing will happen to mine after it gets paint)…and you wouldn't even know they aren't original, that's how good they look. The two young guys that did it are very conscientious about their work and kept telling Dan that they wouldn’t mind taking a trip in his “cruiser” with him…they loved his big Caddy.



I think I showed you a pic of my living room some time ago…it’s getting deeper…good thing this is a bachelor pad…!!!

Now that my living room is getting full of Cadillac parts, just the opposite is happening in my garage. It sure is strange to walk into my garage and listen to an echo…for the first time in months, with both Caddys gone, it was empty…but no matter, I still had work to do. I put one front fender up on the table, masked it off and sprayed paint and undercoating on the inside of the fender…that should keep it from rusting and since it’s flat black, hide it from prying eyes…not that anyone will be peering at the inside of the fender once it get all bolted in. The second fender went a bit quicker...



After I had both done and let them dry for a week, I ordered up some “Raptor” bed lining. I put the fenders back up on the table and remasked them, really good this time as this Raptor goes all over when sprayed. I wanted to make sure I was going to get no “stars” in the tops of the fenders after the paint goes on. Cadillac has inner wheel wells but they don’t cover the tops of the fenders…out on the highway, those radial whitewalls will prolly toss rocks at the top of the fenders and star it up. Raptor is easy to use, it comes in a kit of four small bottles of black undercoating, a pint of hardener, plus a ‘gun’ (I found it on-line for $99.00). Simply pour in the proper amount of hardener, shake well for two minutes, screw on the gun and spray. It took five times longer to mask and cover the fender completely than it did to spray. I used one bottle per fender, I put it on thick. I sprayed it at noon, and by the time evening rolled around, it was dry and really added no weight to the fender. I’m even considering doing the inside of my fender skirts now since I still have two bottles left.



On April 8th, my brother and I took a small trip to western Nebraska, 260 miles (one way) from my home to see an old biker -- my chromer. I took up two pot metal vent windows and two pot metal headlight doors and wanted to look at a couple of engines he told me he had and wanted to sell, so we took a day trip. I’ve had him chrome stuff for me previously and so has my brother, for his Cadillac, so, I know what kind of work he does and needless to say, it’s gorgeous. On April 29th, I received a COD package in the mail…my four items were already done. He simply doesn’t mess around and gives no excuses…at one time in the past, he told us nothing stays in his shop over 30 days…looks like he still lives up to it.



It’s hard to get good pictures of chrome…

Well, in the pic below you can see the last quarter is done on the car. Final blocking will be done by the painter. I’m semi excited to get it done…but I’m not too excited about spending more money at this time (BUT, in order for it to be good, I will). I guess once it’s painted (and paid for) and back in my garage, I’ll be getting a lot more excited…



Unfortunately, I think my deadline of having the car completed to debut at the GoodGuy’s event here in ColoRODo (June 4, 5 & 6) is gone. As it stands now, the bodyman said the skirts won’t be done til the weekend of May 8th…and to get it to the painter, and painted, is going to eat up another week or two. That means I simply won’t have the time to put it back together as I figure I’ve got a good solid month to six weeks of reassembly. The Salina, Kansas, KKOA event at the end of July may just be its debut now.

So stay tuned…I’ve still got a long way to go…and a couple of more updates…

R-

 

I feel your anxiousness to have it done through the screen on my computer... I hope it seems like a blink of an eye and its done.

 

Beautiful, great job Roger, don't worry about deadlines, just do it right.

 

Wow Roger, looking great! I wish my living room looked like that, haha. I think I'm as excited as you to see this thing all done! It's going to be beautiful!

 

those inner fenders look great!!!!

 

Do the pictures show the actual kolor? I hope so because it has a kool
kustom / stock appeal..... Love it!! It is kool that you bit the bullet and
had everything re-polished or chromed. Very Kool!! Keep us posted..

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Lookin good. I wish I had one.

 

lookin good stud!!

 

Your jus lack'n unless your Cadillac'n..

Gorgeous car and great work..

 

Can't wait to see it done... which means get off the computer and paint! NOW!

 

Dang nabbit! I am loving every bit of this one. I love the lines you've done on the quaters and skirts. I even digging that wild color.

 

Looks like a brand damn new piece for Pete's sake!

 

Christ Roger this build is awesome!!!! The fact that you pay such close attention to minor details amazes me. I'm sure you already know this, but this is one very well put together car. I hope that when I'm your age (no offense) I have the patience and drive that you have.

That being said, onto the car itself. I just came across this thread and have spent the last hour reading in on the edge of my couch. This is going to be one kickass kustom Caddy!!!! The skirts, scoops, and the color kill it!!! I cannot wait to see how this turns out and I'm sure you can't either!!!! Great job!!!

 

I'm loving this build. I keep wanting to see more and more...I wish your painter was faster. LOL

 

Hey Roger take your time. Its almost done . did you have to get a second mortgage to pay for all the chrome. That had to hurt in the wallet. nice touch on the inner fenders. I just got the gas tank back for the second time. everything is hooked up and the motor is roaring again. now I am tackling the brakes.

 

The attention to detail is amazing Roger!! One look at the INSIDE of your fenders shows that!!

Great work, its almost there!!

Bill

 

Looking great.

OK inquiring minds want to know what the trophies are for?

click to make bigger

 

cool caddy and a cool build

 

Cadillicious!

 

Mick, the color shown is close on your monitor...it has a lot of pearl in it and changes when looked at from a different angle.

Coming from you, I'm taking that one as a huge compliment. THANK YOU. I take no offense at your statement. I've always maintained that when a person retires, he'd better have something to keep his mind, and body occupied, instead of sitting on the couch wasting away. I've seen that happen too many times. In the statement below, you can see how I stay busy...and I build cars as well...keeps me busy from 7 AM to midnight...and once this Cadillac is done, the '48 Caddy sedanet will once again go into my garage for its turn.

Fortunately, being an artist (and an author), this is the time to ink up all the summer rod run shirt designs...without all the car clubs and individuals I do shirt design for, and without the royalties I'm paid on my four published books, my Caddy would still be sitting in the garage...everything I do is paid for in cash...no credit card building here...that's so I don't have to worry about paying for it down the road. It's taken me 5 1/2 years on this build so far, another month, or two, isn't going to make a bit of difference...thanx.

The tall one was the "Mid-States Rod Run (western Iowa), Best of Show, 2000"...won for my radical kustom '57 Chevy. The one behind it is from a ColoRODo show in 2000 -"Best of Show" same category. I won't put pix of that car on this forum because of all the so-called 'experts' and their opinions of pastel colored paint, aluminum wheels and not rolled and pleated interiors. Suffice to say, Claymore, my chopped '57 Chevy is a true kustom survivor, having been built in 1965-'66, and winning many accolades back in '67-'69. It took me 6 1/2 years (early 1984 to late 1990. I found it on a used car lot, literally a day away from the junk yard) to completely re-do it and to this day, it still wins trophies and awards. Icing on the cake, so to speak...and in case you're wondering, I don't trailer ANY of my cars...they are all tires on the road trips...!!!

Thanx to all the rest of you that posted your comments, I appreciate it and sometimes, that alone keeps me going on this build...

R-

 

Hey us "mature citizens" have to stick together.