1955 Cadillac

[rickr]

View of dash and controls (and ratty interior)

A close up view. Notice the brake pedal goes down into the floor,not suspended under the dash like most cars. The pedal actuates the brake master cylinder,which is bolted directly to the frame,under the car. The power brake booster is located on top of the left front wheel well. There is a brake fluid fill tube at the left rear cowl area next to the hood hinge. It is NOT easy to remove,and rebuild the brake cylinder when it is located like this.

 

[petek]

Can't see a manly man like you having trouble pulling cylinders. BTW the car looks spit'n'polish

 

[westytoploader]

Ratty interior?? I don't think so! Your 1955 Coupe DeVille is a real beauty inside and out and you know it!!

Interesting gas cap layout, right under the left brake light lens. When did Cadillac switch to the "behind-the-plate" location that we are all too familar with? Our 1989 Brougham D'Elegance had the gas tank access behind the rear license plate; IMHO that was one of the most reliable cars--replaced the radiator once during the time we had it and that was it. Was a real "boat" though! Sold it to someone who shipped it to Japan and turned it into a "pimp-mobile", last I heard.

--Austin

 

[rickr]

Ratty interior/fuel doors

Hi Austin, Thanks for the nice compliment on "The Cat" The outside is very nice,however the inside really is ugly. It has "that old car smell" which I don't mind.(what is that anyway? 50's second hand smoke,rotting leather and cloth,and a touch of mildew perhaps??) It is faded and dirty inside,and the original carpet is gross! I will hang in there with it for a year or two,as the interior should be the last thing restored on a classic car. BTW they really went all out in the 1950's with the leather. Even the door panels,the sides of the seats,and back of the front seat are all leather. The part you sit on is heavy cloth,prolly as most cars then were not air conditioned then.
The "hide the fuel door" trend was in full swing in the 1950's My 58 Chevy had a hidden panel for the fuel door,and I had a 57 Chevy that had the door hidden just above the taillight. Cadillac retained that trend the longest. It wasn't until the front wheel drive body came along in 1985,that a fuel door was placed on the side of the rear quarter sheet metal.On the rear wheel drive models it was still behind the lic. plate. It is interesting to note that your 89 Fleetwood went to Japan. I was aware that the 1950's and 1960's Cadillacs were in demand in Japan,but I did not know that the later models were hot over there also. Can you imagine what it must cost to transport a car that far??
BTW hope you are well on the mend,and "hopping around" by now!

 

[Kevinpreston3]

Speaking of old car smells

I always loved and missed the most nostalgic car for me, the 1961 Pontiac Bonneville Safari station wagon that we had when I was ages 2 to 12. This was the car we went to drive-ins with, literal picnics on the tailgate, filling the back with stuff from the garden nursery, or planks for a project, and our poodle...going cross country with the add-on Mark IV air conditioning going, me laying in the back (no belts of course!) on top of a bunch of quilts and being amazingly comfortable. These were wonderful experiences.

The car had a very distinct vinyl smell, but in this case, it was pleasant. To me, it said PONTIAC. I thought it must have been that snazzy tri-color red, cream and maroon interior.

It took me years and years to find one, and I did in 2001. I bought it sight unseen, and took a risk. It got to my home a real restoration project, and I cracked the door open, and it smelled exactly the same! I had forgotten the smell. It still has it. Cannot explain that one. I hope it stays when I replace the carpet and the front seat. Rear seat is mint!

 

[kenmore1978]

smell

"It has "that old car smell" which I don't mind.(what is that anyway? 50's second hand smoke,rotting leather and cloth,and a touch of mildew perhaps??) It is faded and dirty inside,and the original carpet is gross!"

While you're waiting for that interior restoration, you could probably "spruce up" what's already there in the meantime. Spend an afternoon with rug shampoo, upholstery cleaner, and leather conditioner and some Mother's/Sun of a Gun/Armorall.

 

[rickr]

While I am waiting????

Got a better idea! Come over and detail that fifty year old interior for me Jaune. And while you spend the better part of a weekend on that, and end up with nothing.I will work on the rest of the car in my spare time.... plus two more cars,maintain a 120 year old house, plus all the vintage furnishings,several antique washers and dryers,yardwork on a double city lot,three nights a week at the gym,visting my family,plus a 40+ hour work week,and whatever social life I can find after that....While I am waiting.

 

[tolivac]

they had a white Cadillac like the one shown in the pics here in the Wade Williams Movie "Attack From Mars"It portrayed a Mars creature landing at a movie theater in 1956 and attacking the patrons and staff while a Sci-fi movie was playing.The car was in the parking lot-and shown several times during the show.when the Mars critter "Attacked " one of the charactors in the film-blood was splattered on the front of the car.The movie is part of a boxed set of Wade Williams Mars series.Got the movies over the weekend at Best Buy.

 

[petek]

Boy that's one busy schedule but you'd probably free up oodles of time by enrolling in a Time Management seminar
Start by keeping a list of everything you do throughout the day and night and how much time you doing them. Then prioritize and chuck the non-essentials like a social life, friends and family, those sorts of things LOL

 

[cadman]

Idle Hands are the Devil's Workshop....

Hey Rick- You're not alone- seems car folks are either at one end of the spectrum or the other. Never enough time to tackle all of the house chores, get the cars in order, work the 9 to 5 and handle the other projects thrown our way. I've been meaning to toss up a couple pics of the '59 Deville that Ben has been helping me with but time seems to be scarce. I got caught up in Radarange mania yesterday and spent the better part of today dropping the fuel tank on the '59, disposing of gallons of leaded fuel, yanking the sender (it's toast), dyeing the front carpet, detailing the interior of a couple Radars, handling the laundry, chasing low tires and then enjoying a little social activity. And to add to the mix, I'm going to build a garage to hold these beasts in the next month or so....by myself : )

Gorgeous '55! And for Austin, the 59/60 cars have a door mounted above the license plate that's part of the jeweled rear grilles that hinges to the right to expose the filler. The '87-93 Allantés have a door that's part of the bodyline, right behind the driver's side door and pretty low. Really neat stuff-

 

[kenmore1978]

waiting

"While I am waiting????"

I meant waiting for $ to re-do the interior, not time.

You could problably squeeze it in by substituting an interior cleaning job for one of the outside wax jobs. Needless to say, once the interior is cleaned, etc, it doesn't have to be done as often as waxing the outside, probably once or twice a year.

 

[Kevinpreston3]

I thought I was the only one with car collections AND

various other collections. It actually takes me a long time to show someone all the stuff at my house...I stopped doing it because I felt like I was coming off as a show off. But you all understand, as you are in the same boat. I feel relief when I come here and see someone with 20 washers and dryers. It's nice to see people with things you don't have yet share the same interests. Wish we all lived closer.

I have 9 vintage cars. They go from needing only a few cosmetic items (1980 Avanti II) to needing everything (1957 Imperial). Just keeping the running ones in batteries and fresh fuel, not to mention trying not to forget registrations, is a job. I just try to keep as many of them "drivable" as possible. Only a few of them would I take on a longer trip.

I just rotate the work on them, when I can, where I can!!!!

 

[kenmore1978]

waiting

"While I am waiting????"

I meant waiting for $ to re-do the interior, not time.

You could problably squeeze it in by substituting an interior cleaning job for one of the outside wax jobs. Needless to say, once the interior is cleaned, etc, it doesn't have to be done as often as waxing the outside, probably once or twice a year.

 

[filterflo]

Hi Rick, was late to see the post of your fab car. I love it! I sure understand your not having enough time for it all. Cars, appliances and home upkeep takes more time than there are hours in the day. Throw in earning a living and trying to have a social life, boy! Then there is the complication of others wanting you to fix their stuff "in your spare time" Ha, it sure gets complicated.......But I love your Caddy. Had to help a friend bleed the brakes on one of those once, it was an all day job. I think your system is the Delco Hyrdo-Vac. Its as bad as the Treadle-Vac system on my 57 Lincoln Premiere. Its a miracle those cars stop at all when you step on the brake........
Enjoyed the pics, thanks!.....

 

[rickr]

HA! You guys know what I mean!!

So little time,so many vintage time stealing treasures. I feel much better,thank you.

Cory I would love to see some detailed photos of your 59 Cadillacs. I know you REALLY keep busy,and are ON IT with your restorations and new found treasures.

Jimmy I made a "hillbilly" pressure brake bleeder out of pvc pipe,valves and a bicyle pump. Saved about $400.00 instead of buying one. You are right. Those old brake systems really something! Very hard to bleed the air out.

Jaune you still don't get it. The wax job I did on the 55 Caddy the other day was the first one I had ever done on it. I have owned the car almost two years. The car had not been driven for 22 years. There are more important things to do to it, besides the faulty clock and the thrashed interior.

 

[bethann]

OK Rick!

Why don't we just drive it to the convention, while your driving I'll start cleaning! By the time we get there it will be half way done, and the other half on the way back! LOL!

 

[kenmore1978]

"Jaune you still don't get it. The wax job I did on the 55 Caddy the other day was the first one I had ever done on it. I have owned the car almost two years. The car had not been driven for 22 years."

Well, no I didn't, because I didn't have all the facts until your last post. I thought you'd been waxing it on a regular basis and that the cat was being driven if only on a limited basis. Having kept all these 1978 and older appliances going all these years, along with mine and roommate's vintage and modern cars, I'm well aware of the time problem.

 

[rickr]

BETHANN!!! Your not fooling anybody....

Clean the interior indeed... You just want to take that car so you can fill the huge trunk with estate sale stuff from Omaha! Then when we get back to Indy, Dean will shoot both of us on the spot!! Nice try,but *NO DEAL* LOL!!

 

[kenmore1978]

clock quartzing

Also didn't realize you were already familiar with clock quartzing until you mentioned that you'd had the Olds clock quartzed several posts after I posted about it. Wouldn't have brought that up either if I'd known. I didn't mean to sound like I was SCOLDING you over thos things.

 

[cadman]

Hey Bethann, that's some good thinking there...lots of room in that trunk ; ) Keep working him over, he's bound to crack!

Depending on how things work out, we may show up in the '59! Don't think a Maytag will fit though.

Rick, I'll fire up another thread and post some pics of the progress, we're getting close- Cory