6219_Rules Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 This is a topic that is well covered but I have a slant that none of the books cover.I need to expose sites that may have rust under the paint on my '47.There are bubbles under the paint the size of quarters on one or two spots on the rear fender.The paint was done adequately but has some flaws. The color is wrong to start with and I suspect it was not prepared as well as it could have been. The problem is cost. How much of this can I do on my own without damaging the car? Is it better to just keep the color it is now?The previous owner painted the interior and exterior the same blue. It is a bright blue where it should be a deep midnight blue. As I understand it, I will have to take everything out of the interior to do it right. My restorer glued the carpet to the floor. God knows how he put in the headliner. I am at a loss. I can keep the current blue (It is very pretty) but I have NO IDEA which it is. If I do, can I, a lowly novice and disabled person, touch up the bad spots if I could find the right color (I do have a source for this)? I see a MAJOR undertaking in the offing. Uh....help?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 Randall, Use red and yellow flames. They'll never notice the Blue paint job. Somebody help put me out of this misery. I've gone amuk!!!!! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> W............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted June 25, 2003 Author Share Posted June 25, 2003 Uh....Ok. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />sounds like a wiener to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Miller Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I would just gently attack the bubbles in question to get at the underlying problem and then touch up those areas after fixing the problem. Of course beign lazy I would just let it ride until they started to ooze or corrode, truth be known, HA! You should be able to get the paint matched at a local auto body paint supplier, either save some chips or take the car to them.You seem concerned about things that were done to your car by a PO that are incorrect (color/interior fabric). If it were my car I wouldn't worry about these things, I would just drive and enjoy the car. Often when a car is "perfect" it is no longer fun to drive because you have to worry about any little scratch or ding that occurs so much it is no longer enjoyable. 47 caddys are drivers. they arent all that rare, so it isnt like you car has been ruined or anything (Luckily, he didnt put a 350 in it). Go ahead, put in that CD player. The only time these issues will come up and bite you is if you have it judged. Unless you really like collecting hardware, just enter it as exhibition, you still get to be on the show field.the great thing about 47 caddys is you can just hop in and drive across the country if you are so inclined. If something breaks along the way parts are actually pretty easy to come by. You dont realize how many of us envy that situation.dont worry, be happy! You have a nice car!Shawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted June 25, 2003 Author Share Posted June 25, 2003 So true, Shawn! Actually I chose the fabric and interior. The paint was the POs. Anyway the car runs great. I was restoring the Cadillac to be a touring car and driver. I don't mind the current paint, as I said the color is fine. And who the hell can afford a paint job these days?? And Earl Scheib costs $500 and only guarentees it for 4 years. I suppose were I to do all the preparation that would work. But I did do all of this (the new wiring harness and comfortable interior with the restored radio) so I could drive the car. I just want it to be nice and I do worry about the rust on the chrome and the bubbles under the paint. I will take it in to have the paint identified and then I will be able to touch it up. How cool is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw24spec6 Posted June 26, 2003 Share Posted June 26, 2003 wow earl has a warranty, i couldnt even buy the primer for 500.00. hey are the bubbles hard or soft? if hard the probably are rust or filler coming up. if soft just paint. ill put my money on the rust or filler. not good but it can be fixed. jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted June 26, 2003 Author Share Posted June 26, 2003 Jim:Yes they are hard, right along the fender line. I suspect bondo myself but rust is a very real possibility. I can check on that. I am now trying to get an analysis of the paint so I can have some touch up paint made. Then we will see.Thanks for your input.Randy <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 This reminds me of the line in the Paul Newman movie where the prison guard says..."what we have here...is a failure to communicate"....Let's try and agree on some definitions. First...to "restore" a car...has little to do with "FIXING" a car. Many of us FIX old cars we need as "beaters". When we FIX an old car, ( and there is certainly no shame in that) we are doing what we have to do, to get it running, and keep it running, so we can use it. When we FIX an old car, the way it was when new is of little relevance, because we need it as a CAR, not as a history lesson in how the car was when it was delivered to its first owner as a new car.The term "RESTORE"...means "return to its original condition". Obviously, a new car ready for delivery to its first owner did NOT have "bondo" used as a "quickee" repair, to fill in and/or cover up rust or accident-damaged sheet metal areas. It DID have a PROPERLY PREPARED paint surface. And that is the key. There are THREE vital things to remember about painting cars you are RESTORING (again...as distinguished from FIXING). PREPARATION.....the second...is PREPARATION...and the third is...yes...PREPARATION.A car that is RESTORED ( again...not "fixed"...if you are just trying to "fix" the paint job...."bondo away"...who cares if it will bubble up a few years from now ). is going to be stripped to the bare metal, and any damaged metal areas replaced with METAL. Yes, "bondo type" fillers ARE used by restoration shops in some cases...but again...THINK of what we mean when we say "restoring". That means the car will look ( and run and operate) ...NOT "fixed"...but the way it did when it was first delivered. That is the whole point of Classic Car Club Of America judging...it is what our Club has always been about....these magnificent "best of the best" cars, with their elegant and beautiful workmanship..inside and out.While the later cars now being "admitted" to classic status by our Club certainly do not have the elegance of the biggest and best classics of the 1930's...they were MOST DEFINITELY NOT FIXED when first delivered as new cars. Again...RESTORED is not "fixed". Let's use the correct terminology...so we can discuss WHAT should be done with a car, so that it best meets the needs of its owner. It is, after all...HIS car. !PFH(Perfidious...etc...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted June 29, 2003 Author Share Posted June 29, 2003 Too true, PB!! And thank you for the clarification. I guess what I really meant was to repair my car's finish. Actually I would like to have the car totally repainted in its original color which was a beautiful deep midnight blue, I have no idea what they really called it, but for now I can only afford to touch up the current blue, I call it China Blue but who knows what it is. I would like to restore the car but given my income level that is impossible. The car I am doing looks better each year and would suit just about anyone who wants a perfect project car. I am hoping I can get it to the point where it is reliable so I can use it more often.I need to replace all the rubber on the car. The strips between the fender, and all of the small pieces that buffer the metal plates, and all the window stuff. But I wanted to know about fixing bubbles in the paint that are hard and stable. I want to check the whole car for rust.What do you think, Perfidious? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 Hi again, Randall !First of all - thank you for the compliment of your asking me to comment further on your situation regarding painting. But, I must also add that I deeply resent, and am offended by your continual attack (see bottom of Randall's "posts" ) on us "stupid people". I have been a "stupid people" since as far back as I can remember - if you dont believe me...ask my friends...hey..buddy..knock it off....we stupid people have rights too...!Hopefully, other "posters" with more experience in this will see my "post", and try and help you out with better information than I can provide for your situation.....here's some thoughts on your question.We out here in the mountain west and south-west coast have much less familiarity with rust problems, then you guys east of the Missouri River do. It is not unusual to find a 60, 70, or even 80 year old car with no rust...yes...NO sheet metal corrosion problems whatsoever.Of course cars from the "snow / salt belt" do occasionaly show up in hobbyist's garages out here, and when they do, we "panic"...and justifably.You are wrong if you think ANY "bubble" in your paint is "stable". If the job were "stable"...there wouldnt BE "bubbles". We can be pretty much certain, that what you are seeing is the insidious, destructive effects of oxidation. The metal in your car is "oxidizing" (fancy name we college boys use for rust), meaning, it is trying to return to its natural state.Techically, a bubble is the result of the oxidation process generates gas pressure, which literally is blowing the paint off your car.As car hbbyists, we are trying to keep machines intact, that were not designed to last more than 10 years. Just as an example of how what we are trying to do with our collector cars, is a bit different than what the original builders intended.....some of you may have seen the Packard advertisements that bragged they were building "TEN YEAR CARS". Wow...they tried to make em last TEN years....and here we are....so many years later....Bottom line....Randall...you are NOT going to like my suggestion...it is going to be expensive and difficult for you, perhaps even impossible.You have to halt the corrosion process. PERIOD. If you now have bubbles in SOME areas, you can bet your hindquarters it will start showing up in other areas eventually unless you halt it. That means, you have to take off ANY sheet metal where there are seams and "welt strips" (rear fenders, in the case of your '47 Caddy) or direct contact with any other metal (such as grill and trim parts....) and get ALL sheet metal down to the BARE METAL. Since, because of your own personal situation, we are trying to come up with a FIX, rather than a RESTORATION, we can and should take a few "liberties". That means once the metal has been FULLY CLEANED, I would go ahead and use "bondo" to fill in pitted or damaged areas. Then the sheet metal has to be sealed with primer, typically "red oxide" based.After that is done, you can think about paint choices. GM cars were typically painted with nitro cellulose lacquer up to the mid-1950's, when the first of the "magic mouse milk" chemical paints (in GM's case...so called "acrylic laquer" started showing up. In your harsher climate, on a car you were going to use more often than the average car buff, I would FORGET about the "authentic" finishes, and go for the MUCH more durable modern "two part" paint systems. I would stick to a non-metallic color - these are easier to "spot repair" the eventual "dings" and breaks in the paint surface. ANY break in the paint surface should be treated as a potential major disaster, because that is how moisture gets in behind the paint and primer film, to start working on the bare metal, with the inevitable result of "bubbles" and "rust thru".Randall - you seem like a heck of a nice guy...I really hate situations like this...where I have to tell a well-meaning nice guy that I have NO realistic solution for your particular problem. Trying to keep a collector-car preserved and running as a "daily beater", for a fellow who is disabled and thus probably not able to do much of his own work, on a limited budget, is not realistic. Think of it this way - yeah...we OWN the things....but do we have a responsibility to think of ourselves as "guardians" of historical-interest cars....for the future..? And if so....seriously...and I know this is a bitter pill......are you qualified to be a "guardian"...?I respectfully suggest you consider modifying your plan for how you propose to utilize your collector cars. If you are forced from your own personal limitations to just do "spot repairs", perhaps it is time for you to think of your "collector cars" as "fair weather" friends, using them only on the nicest days, for limited purposes, storing them when not in use in the driest, most tempertature-stable storage you can get, and NEVER turn a hose on them (wash gently with damp cloth, so you dont have water running into the seams.Wish I could be of more use to you...but...a sad fact of life..is that not all problems are solveable.Good luck !Perfidious Reindeer Hunter (who has given up hunting Reindeer...and now hunts the great Arizona Nauga....(big money in nauga hides.....!)PFH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted June 29, 2003 Author Share Posted June 29, 2003 Another wonderful post, PB. I regret you took my comments against stupidity personally. It was not a shot at any one person or group but hopefully a flare to bring attention back to the reoccuring trends to glorify narrow mindedness and basic ignorance over intellectual and spiritual growth. It is what Friedrick von Schiller meant in his poems trying to raise awareness.So I did NOT intend to insult you, of all people, or anyone out there.My sincerest apologies.I see your point on the guardianship of the car. I would have to agree and because I do agree I have posted several notices to sell or trade it to someone who can better care for it.I have had not comments let alone any interest but that is not surprising. I hope to approach the local Cadillac LaSalle club to see if I can pass it on. Until that time I will do all I can to continue to bring it back from ruin. I have done a fair job and I think it is a good project car. Unfortuantely there aren't many who care for the 6269 of 47. That is OK. I am sure there is someone who will want it.Again thank you for the advice. I print these off and add them to my book for reference! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 29, 2003 Share Posted June 29, 2003 "lighten up".....Randall...this is supposed to be both educational...AND fun !PFH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted June 30, 2003 Author Share Posted June 30, 2003 heheheh would that I could! Ive been dieting for years!! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted June 30, 2003 Author Share Posted June 30, 2003 OK less seriousness and more fun! No really...I have been a Northern Arctic Wolf for many, many years and I LOVE to hunt moose and reindeer. The painting question may have been too inprecise to say what I meant to say. I realise I need to pull the fenders and take it all to bare metal. I am looking at doing just that. Now that the interior is done (I am pricing putting in the proper broadcloth...a lovely blue grey affair but until then the deluxe limo cloth will have to do) and the mechanics are almost done to spec, I want to do the body in the proper blue. Do you guys know what that might be? What numbers off the body plate would tell me that?I am still intent on selling the car but since the response has been SO underwhelming, I am proceeding on the ass-umption that it will take some time and I will be owning the car for a while. Honestly I would love a '56...that is what I started out with in the first place. Ideas? Comments? And watch the skin, PFH...its tender <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2003 Share Posted June 30, 2003 Robert Turnquist's Hibernia Auto Restoration, in New Jersey, and Bill Hirsh, both sell paints, and have the color codes to get the exact color you want. Bear in mind that colors in recent years are much more vivid than those of the classic era.....even the immediate post-war era ( yes...I know about those wild color schemes in those beautiful FORTUNE MAGAZINE ads...but most of us know those were conservative times....and the people who could afford our classics when new were typically older, more conservative types...).In view of the above, you might not like the REAL, AUTHENTIC factory colors..simply because in our "mind's eye"....too many years have gone by since we've seen them new !No-one would fault you for picking a color YOU like - which you can do at any automotive paint shop - just pick the color - get a sample, and send it to one of the above suppliers.PFH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted July 1, 2003 Author Share Posted July 1, 2003 Ah now there is a concept! I should have thought of that. Well I figure if I am going to do it at all I should get the right color. After all I did not choose this one. And since the gas tank affair I am going through now has gone up from $600 to $1075.00, I should want it done right just because $3-5000 is gonna hurt. But that is way down the line. There is still much to do on the car. Thanks so much for all your suggestions! I will at least get the right paint to fix the problems so they don't get worse and then when it is time to paint it for real, I will be armed with the right paint code for the right color! Huzzah! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Futterman Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Randall I would definitely listen to PB here, I cant tell from his posts that he knows what he's talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Randall's story about how much he is sinking into his old car, should be a lesson to all who contemplate getting involved in the hobby.The sad truth is, there is NO such thing as a "cheap way to get started". Invariably, that run-down / neglected old car "priced low, ( "since it is a "starter" car" ) is going to turn into an economic disaster.The economic facts of life are it is MUCH cheaper to buy a nice, well-maintained DRIVEABLE car, than to try and resurrect the end result of someone's neglect. And not only do you save TONS of money, the nice well-maintained DRIVEABLE car, gets you something you can use and share and be proud to show off (without fear of someone turning up their nose in disgust about less-than-authentic "compromises". As Randall has discovered, about the only thing more disappointing than buying a neglected old car and trying to fix it up, is......trying to sell it after you are done "fixing" it.Unless, of course, you have done it RIGHT. But "there's the rub"...."doing it right"....means understanding what we mean in the English language, when we say "restore". At the risk of repeating myself ( I am doing so because I feel this is SO important to those of you thinking of getting involved in the old car hobby, and/or adding a car to your "stable"....let me again point out...that RESTORE means something....it is a REAL word....and it dosnt mean "FIX "!Poor Randall....oh...he "fixed" that Cadillac...and...now he cant GIVE it away. Had he RESTORED it..meaning had he "returned it to a condition most closely resembling the way it was on delivery day"....it would probably be snapped up pretty quickly.But...again...the cost to take the end result of neglect, and RESTORE is typically going to be many MANY TIMES MORE than buying a properly maintained "near-MINT" car would be. So even if he had RESTORED rather than FIXED that old Cadillac, he would have suffered a catastrophic and frustrating financial loss. For example, he wont be able to do the CHROME on this old car of his for what it would have cost to buy a damn near MINT one. Cars are made of metal. Metal corrodes. You RESTORE the metal-work the RIGHT way, or the corrosion process will CONTINUE to get more and more obvious under the "fixing"..... until you have, at best...a "parts car" that will be valued accordingly.Like it or not..that IS the way it is. I wish we could "get the word out" to more nice people like Randall, and put a halt to this tragic process of people throwing money away on what will eventually become a big disappointment to them.Perfidious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 So your advice to him would be to crush the car and take his losses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 You werent listening...my advice is to THINK. Cool, dispasionate, analysis. Yeah...I know...I know....THINKING where a course of action will take you, might prevent a lot of those "road to hell is paved with good intentions" folks from wasting a lot of asphalt.......Hmmmm....but that would be bad for business for the guys selling asphalt to well-meaning people....Perfidous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Dear Restorer32,YOU know what lawyers charge for advice,be cheaper for Randall to keep the car .diz <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Itr would be even better if you guys recognized Randall means well, and needs advice. We best serve him by giving him cool, dispassionate THINKING, rather than sugar-coated emotional enthusiasm that could lead him in the wrong direction. The guy has limited funds, and, apparently, physical disabilities and/or technical skills that may limit how much work he can do for himself. Have a heart...guys...the fellow needs LEGIT. advice.Perfidous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Dear Nauga breeder,herder,tanner and lover of the Packard.Your post in regard to the metal work and related mud work struck a chord,last night thats what my brother and i were doing on the Zephyr coupe.While we were working we were discussing how much it would cost if you had to pay someone to do the work.Gotta believe to RESTORE the body and paint CORRECTLY could be upwards of 15 thousand.When i bought the car it had all the symptoms of an old lacquer job,checking,when i started stripping it i found lots of plastic and NO metal work was done.Would have been pretty dis-heartening if we could not do the work ourselves.Randall you are opening a BIG can of worms,if you are not capable of doing the work yourself i hope you have a big checkbook.Please excuse me,i just noticed the title of the post and i was discussing a ZEPHYR,YIKES.diz <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 PackardBUFF, From a purely objective viewpoint I couldn't agree with you more. The fact is that the vast majority of those with the enthusiasm to become involved in the hobby do not have the resources or inclination to "invest" large sums of money into the correct restoration of a Classic car or any old car for that matter. We typically buy what they can initial afford or want to pay and try to gradually work on the car until it is driveable and presentable with the discrectionary income left over from a middle income paycheck. We honestly beleive that this is possible. I have had the opportunity in my lifetime to purchase at a very reasonable cost three Classic cars. I bought the first one in 1965 which was a 1947 Cadillac 75 Imperial Limousine. I quickly learned from that experience that a rich mans car never becomes a poor mans car (in my case a provincial game warden) if it is to be maintained properly. The next two were a 1930's Packard Super 8 and a Piece-Arrow V-12. Lovely automobiles even in neglected state but beyond my financial or personal abilities to properly restore and I did not buy them reflecting on my earlier experience. I now own a 1947 Packard Super Clipper which I will never bring to Meadowbrook or Pebble Beach but which I both enjoy working on and taking to local shows. It has several "issues" which may or may not be attended to but I love it and it is a Packard in my garage and that's really enough for me. I will maintain it and do what I can afford on my pension to restore it with my own hands or some local help but it will never see Hibernia or RM's shops while I own it which will be a long while yet. I think that not unlike the middle class in a democracy that the old car hobby and the preservation of these old cars depends on those of us who can only dream of owning a 100 point Classic but nevertheless become involved with what we can afford by buying a "fixer upper" and trying to make it look and run no matter how irrational that may seem or be. In our local area there are really only 3 CCCA Classics which go to the local shows and "cruise nights". One has an incorrect modern driveline and the other two need extensive retoration (mine included) but nevertheless we all show up and the cars are admired for what they are. Your advice while well meaning is not unlike that of Marie Antoinnette in the infamous.."let them eat cake" advise to the poor people of France even though I agree from the forementioned objectivity void of emotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Dear Randall,Upon further thought,Shawn offered you the BEST advice.DRIVE it,ENJOY it,thats what its all about.You have a great car,blow the horn when you go by,i will be the guy in the garage blocking the primer,CHAINED to the car.My choice,not complaining.diz <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted July 23, 2003 Author Share Posted July 23, 2003 Sorry..I had not checked this thread in a while. Believe it or not I do agree with PB. We should all be dispassionate and clear thinking in whatever we do. I dare say I would have avoided the heart ache of knowing my car was never going to be like new, but then again, that is not why I bought it. I bought it because it was a 1947 Cadillac, not a 2002, in good running shape, needing mostly cosmetic work. It is OLD therefore I realised it was going to cost quite a bit to make it reliable. On the whole it is the best thing I have ever done. I love this car and while, yes, it is hard to sell at the moment I will possess my soul in patience for that 1956 Cadillac I want. If I die tomorrow, well it was best summed up in the book "The Undertaking" when the author said "The dead don't care."Lest you think I am disheartened or pathetic in any way, keep your concern because I am not! I am very happy to have a vintage car, and yes while the seat cloth is not Broadcloth, the car is in its original state. Better than that, it drives and is an eye opener. PB sarcasm not withstanding, I do not feel in any way put upon. I have issues with some of the inevitable hardships of the hobby, who does not? I thought voicing them was part and parcel of discussion...although I did know better really. Still, the general response from the group has been wonderful and I appreciate every note and idea, even PB's (although I never understood why being unpleasant and generally acerbic was considered in "good fun" ...I guess that is a lawyer thing) because he has many very good things to say, and some damn fine data to share. Liking a person is not necessary to appreciating or acknowledging them for their positive attributes. (In otherwords, you have a terrible online demeanor and are probably a pill in person, but on substance you are a very good person to know!) That is one man's opinion.However to get back to the general tenor of what was said, if we were dispassionate and clear headed, the hobby would only be a rich man's hobby; most of the cars seen locally would have been scrapped, and lesser marques would be gone. Were it not for the middle class worker who on his sundays crawls under his car to work out an annoying clatter, we would not have many of the examples that are out there. I am constantly amazed at the work and love that simple, hard working people put into their cars. A personal friend in Estes Park barely makes a living as a carpenter but has had time and the support of his good wife in restoring, yes RESTORING, his Model T to new condiiton over the last 30 years. Would you deny him or his family that pleasure? Most of the people I know in the CLC have low, fixed incomes, and are happily working with and enjoying their cars. I am sure most are not 100 point cars, but that hardly matters really. If the only proper end for this hobby is producing perfect, off the line autos as delivered, then we might as well embrace the government's desires to eliminate old cars and save the museum space for those perfect examples. So I suppose if someone were to tell me they were thinking about getting into the car hobby I would certainly advise them against any pretention of affordibility. In fact I have done so and fortunately they went on to get a marvelous old car enjoying it completely!I thought I would tell you all what is happening with the Caddy. It is getting its new fuel delivery system....I wish I had gotten the advice from the forum BEFORE they started the work but oh well...and I have ordered a totally original OEM exhaust system from a member of the CLC. I am very excited by it. The system should be here in the middle of August. Then I am getting a new set of black wall tires for the car. I am going to radials for ride but I figure the blackwall will make the look. The destruction of the Olds by the drunk teenager was a blessing in disguise really. It means I can start to replace the front end, steering gear and rear springs, and even have the valves and rings done. The object here, now that I am back on track, is to make the car drivable, reliable and enjoyable. I may have broadcloth put in for good measure but I am not too concerned with it. I have the car willed to my son, Jonathan, who wants it so I will not worry about selling it just to get a 56. He thinks he will do that for me....isn't he sweet? Anyway we are on track! No more silliness about car shows, other than local shows, just a nice car to enjoy. I figure were it not for my intervention it would be crushed by now and that would have been a loss. Oh and I still would like to know what methods to use to FIX some of the general body problems...I think Jonathan can weld plates to repair the rust if it goes through. He has done some nice work so far. Enjoy that Packard, Dizz! I hope to see it someday! If any of you are in the Denver area I hope you drop me a line so we can go out for a (non-alcoholic) drink and something to munch.More on the Dutchman as it happens! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted July 23, 2003 Author Share Posted July 23, 2003 I just reread what Shawn said above and I think he, and Dizz, are right! I am keeping the current color. In fact, I will be having a chip analyzed so I can touch up areas that need it. I also want to install the Halogen rear light adapters so drivers can see the stop lights! But no, I won't put in that icky third light in the back window. I have the RCA jack already in the radio so the CD player, or iPod can sit in the glove box hidden from view. If you didn't know it was there you would never know it wasn't radio! I can do alot of the work I need to do myself with the help of friends. It is true my disability makes this difficult but not insurmountable, and I think it helps me to appreciate the car all the more doing much of it on my own. Of course RO probably feels differently at this point (See his ever lengthening story of the 56 Packard oil pump repair in the Packard Forum) but that will probably change as he starts driving it around to the Piggly Wiggly. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted July 23, 2003 Share Posted July 23, 2003 Dear Randall,In the above post you mentioned my Packard,I sir do not own a Packard.No offense taken,I am a LOWLY Ford and Lincoln guy,i Know my LIMITATIONS,diz <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted July 24, 2003 Author Share Posted July 24, 2003 OH my bad! Sorry Diz...nothing at all wrong with Lincolns. I've had two of my own. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Miller Posted July 31, 2003 Share Posted July 31, 2003 Guy, sorry I hadnt visited this thread in awhile, I had no idea it had taken the twists and turns it had. Amazing how a simple question about paint preparation can become such a heavy philosophical piece the hobby at large. Guess this would have been strikes 4 and 5 for PH. Oh well its academic at this point. We are rid of him once and for all, and this time he wont be coming back under any assumed aliases, at least not on my watch.Randall, hope you bring this car an a CARavan soon (isnt there one in your area like next month- it may be sold out though) this strikes me as the perfect CARavan car. Remember there is NO JUDGING on CARavans and from what I hear, CARavans are what this club is all about. Hopefully next season I will get to go on one! Shawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted July 31, 2003 Share Posted July 31, 2003 PH gone???????? Now what will I do for fun???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2003 Share Posted July 31, 2003 P H gone again, what transgression did he commit this time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted August 2, 2003 Share Posted August 2, 2003 Randall, I made a snide remark early in this thread about Flames not knowing what else would pop up, sorry. In actuality, I was saying like, Dizzy and Shawn, drive it like it is. The things you are doing to the Caddy are fine, but you'd never want to completely "restore" it as the fun in the daily driving will be lost. Sorry, Hartman made such a mess of this subject. He just doesn't know how to talk to people. Good luck on your project. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted August 2, 2003 Share Posted August 2, 2003 Dear Wayn-O,Did you EVER meet an attorney that knew how to talk to you?Talk DOWN to you,ALWAYS,but talk to you,pretty rare.diz <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw24spec6 Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 What is PFH EMAIL address I enjoy talking with him, i though he put an honest opinion forward always jim PFH email me sparksautobody@saturnnet.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted October 22, 2003 Author Share Posted October 22, 2003 I thought I would bring this back to the top, and interject that I have found out the original color for the car. (Oh sure I could have checked the body style plate but that would have been cheating!) It is Belton Blue Poly. A darkish blue that is really not terribly pretty. Very traditional though. I prefer the color of the car currently. I call it China Blue but I have no idea what it is. (see my icon) So I was thinking of getting a scan of the current blue and having some touchup paint made for it. Then I could handle the scrapes and chips without repainting. Besides the car is a road car and I would hate like heck to spend $7000 on a new paint job only to have it chipped by the rocks and gravel on Colorado roads. In the AACA Tech forum, I posted a question on detailing the engine : in situ or ex machina?Any ideas? What are your experiences? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw24spec6 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 randall, 7000, on paint? id hate to see that happen. i painted a 50 buick around 8 years ago a 85 caddy color it was close to the original color but alot nicer color jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6219_Rules Posted November 12, 2003 Author Share Posted November 12, 2003 The color is a dark blue, but I think I would like Antionette Blue, a Cadillac color of the period also offered in 1947. I like the near black quality of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Harlin Posted November 13, 2003 Share Posted November 13, 2003 RandallIf you like dark Blue, check out Packard Blue, at nigh it appearsto be black. It was one of the favorite choices of colors. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted December 14, 2003 Share Posted December 14, 2003 Dear Randall,As jw24spec6 advised you in regard to the cost of the primer-surfacer.That product alone,2 part primer-surfacer cost me 600.00.diz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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