Roger Zimmermann

It's what I discovered yesterday...

The original oil filter holder is made with sheet metal and its shape is too complicated for my taste, therefore I simplified a bit and soft welded the braces and the bolts to the supports. The oil canister was a rather simple job. Yesterday, I had a funny adventure: a bit of brass was silver soldered to the holder's base. Usually, to clean the flux resulting from silver soldering, I'm putting for 1/2 hour the fresh soldered part into a glass jar containing vinegar. When finished, I'm purring the vinegar back into a bottle. Then, water is coming into the jar. After that, the water is dumped into the kitchen's sink taking care that the part(s) is staying into the jar. Yesterday, I had the impression that the tiny part went away with the water through my fingers. I saw nothing into the vinegar's bottle, nothing into the small glass jar. Where went that part? Most probably into the siphon trap...So, Christine and me began to remove the tubes under the sink, which is never easy. Next to the bad odor and accumulated dirt, we found nothing. Well, we thought, it was probably taken away with the water; it's time to do another part. When I wanted to store away the glass jar, I saw that damned part, not at the bottom, but near the top! All that trouble for almost nothing, except clean tubes in the kitchen!

Thanks for your comments. I did not search about that because I'm so far away! I will have to search locally for a solution, because importing something like that is not practical: US is still "enjoying" 110V when whole Europe has 220V. Liquids cannot be sent by regular shipping methods. Some chemical products cannot be bought in Switzerland by individuals like me, we have a very restrictive regulation. I know that some kits are available in France; I have the possibility to buy there, like I did for a tin solution. First I still have to build about 1000 components...

The rear engine supports are made with three element: the supports at the crankcase, another supports attached to the frame and a rubber bushing. I'm not sure why those engines (V8, V12 and V16) needed 3 sets of supports: at the front, at the rear of the engine and at the transmission's end. I see three possible reasons: - the middle supports help reducing the torsion of the frame (on the V-16, the distance between the first cross member and the second one is huge) - the second set avoid stress at the drivetrain by supporting it almost in the middle - it was maybe a precious help when the transmission had to be removed for repair, the engine had not to be supported In my case, I could do without that middle support set! There were some difficulties to fabricate those tiny supports: from design, the hole in the frame is not aligned with the engine flange; I had to be creative to find the correct location of the support's end towards the frame. While doing that, I noticed that the RH support has more offset than the LH one. Why? Obviously, my simple equipment does not allow a great precision... I don't know exactly how this intermediate supports are installed in real life. Most probably, the ones attached to the frame are installed; then the other support is going through the hole from the support to be attached finally to the engine. To complete the set-up, the bushing is pushed from the outside and is secured with a large nut. In my case, I have to attach the parts differently: the middle supports are screwed to the engine (because I cannot torque the screws when the engine is on the frame); the external supports are pushed on the internal one like shown on one picture; then the engine is installed on the frame with some rotating movements. When the engine is secured at the front crossmember and the rear, the external middle supports can be attached to the frame and the rubber bushing pushed in place. I will have to remember this curious method, the sole which is practical! For practical reasons both heads were removed for this task. Now I really can begin the oil filter. The holes for its support can be seen on the last picture.

Randy, thanks for your comments! Do you know what's funny? The camera! I still have the same, an (now) old Sony pocket camera! Some years ago, I bought a Canon reflex camera which was a bad decision: the pictures I did on the model were way not so good than with a small camera, no matter which setting I used. You are complaining that modern vehicles cannot be repaired like the much older ones. This is right, but what would cost a vehicle made like it was done 40 or more years ago? A fortune! After all, it would maybe not be so bad, there would be less cars on the road...

The bias-ply tires on my '56 Biarritz are almost 30 years old; I will replace them this Spring against radial tires. The tires on my 2011 Cadillac DTS are now 11 years old. I will replace them maybe this year because they are getting difficult to balance. I'm still driving them at 75 - 85 miles/hour without bad thinking. I have to say that the DTS is stored in a garage without light. It seems that UV are bad for tires.

Why do you want to replace the original parts? I'm not sure if that's wise...

As stated in my previous post, I intended to do the oil filter. Fine, but it is attached at the intermediate engine support! Due to the tight space between the calculated diameter of the filter and the frame, I have to do the engine supports first. As usual, it's a casting element and not in line with the hole into the frame...

Yes and no. I don't remember what I saw, but there are a number of chemical products I'm not comfortable with. In fact, I don't remember for what kind of plating I was searching. Due to the number of acorn nuts and bolts used on this engine, a nickel plating would be more realistic than paint. The difference between nickel and chrome plating is real, but on small parts it's negligible. The grille from the Mark II was nickel plated as it seems that its very difficult to let chrome a grille; a specific anode is needed. The front bumper and other elements for the grille were chrome plated; it's hard to see a difference. Anyway, thanks for your input. I may revise my opinion about that kind of plating and will search how and were it's available.

The coarse screen issue will be solved thanks to Gary. There are still element to be done to the engine. This time, I did the vacuum pump and the fitting for the oil lines. One is going to the oil filter and the other line to the oil pressure indicator. The fake screws to the vacuum pump will be "installed" during the final assembly. The pump will be black, the crews will be painted silver. Indeed they should be chromed; I'm sure silver paint will be OK. The studs at the fitting have not the same length on the picture. This will also be corrected during the final assembly. Next step: the oil filter.

Thanks, Barney! First I had to look in a dictionary for "elves"! Well...there are some which are kind and others which are nasty! I cannot count them, they move all the time!

It's not what another wiring supplier told me. Some car's wiring are not reproduced because nobody is willing to send that wiring to the supplier. By "good" wiring: I mean an harness which is complete but maybe was properly repaired if needed, however with hard or even split insulation. For 3 months, I had this experience with a 1957 Brougham front door.

It is my understanding that the companies who are reproducing wirings are needed first a "good" original harness. If that harness is incomplete or modified, those people are not magicians, they reproduce what they are getting.

Regarding almost empty fuel tank: in the nineties, I had a Chevrolet S10 as a company car (was working for GM). One day, with a tank almost empty, I parked in front of my garage, on a ramp with the front lower than the rear. When I wanted to go away, I experienced a "no start engine". Fortunately, a neighbor could tow me back on the street. Then I could start the engine and went to fill up the tank. Those vehicles had the fuel pick-up at the rear; with the front down, the fuel pump sucked air.

Without to be 100% sure, the body shell were entirely new for 1959. Most body parts (at Cadillac) have the same part number for 1957 and 58; 1959/60 have different numbers.

Some years ago, I had a bad battery. I put it on the concrete floor from the garage. When it was time to bring the battery for recycling, I noticed that the concrete was slightly damaged by the battery...I think that the idea to put a battery on wood is to protect the concrete!

I saw pictures from the models designed under Harley Earl in Collectible Automobile; they were awful. The 1959 cars at GM were indeed the result of a crash program. There was no time to do a lot of differences between the brands; each had to use the same body shell and the front doors were the same for all, as we could see in another post with a metal molding attached at the upper part of the front door.

Hi Gary It seems that I was well inspired to ask first and not buy directly! I was not aware of the difference...The link from your post is the one I found too; they do not deliver to Switzerland for whatever reason. If you agree, please order it and ship it to me. I'll gladly reimburse your costs; as I sold my '57 Brougham, I have some pocket change! I'm sure the postage will be more than $ 1.30; even if it's $ 20.00, the costs involved to build such a model are so negligible compared to the restoration's costs of a real car... I restored three, I know the difference! Anyway, thanks a lot for your involvement.

If the same part is share with the other GM brands, it has the same part number. I had several Master Parts List from Chevy, Olds, Buick and Cadillac to verify that.

Gary, you are really strong with your estimate: the inside diameter I did for the screen is 6.5mm which is giving more or less 3" in real life! The link you gave is suggesting a 200/inch (if I'm right) 12" x12". I'm sure it is what you are writing about. Unfortunately, that company does not export to Switzerland. By searching with google, I'm getting a bunch of Chinese offerings; buying there is not an option. There is another supplier (could be from the US) but I'm lost with his classification: the smaller the number, the finer the mesh: it is below and I could maybe order a sample from the desired mesh. That could be an alternative. Stainless Steel Mesh Screen (5, 15, 43, 74, 100, 149, 177, 300, 400, 500, 600, 800, 1000 Micron, 1/8", 1/4" Mesh) - Utah Biodiesel Supply From that site, I could order a sample 6" x 6" from the 74 Micron. If I'm right, that should be the equivalent of a 200 mesh screen. Could you please have a look and tell me if I'm right? Thanks, Gary! There are some companies in Europe which would gladly sell a complete roll...I could then stamp millions of screens!

Maybe, but there was not market for custom vehicles in Switzerland 40 years ago. The modification was well executed, it was certainly not cheap!

In the early eighties, two friends of mine saw a 1959 Cadillac Sixty Special in a lot. The car had a bad engine; an issue which can be easily solved. But the huge problem was the rear of the body: a previous owner did not like the fins and let modify the body. One of my friend needed a transmission; the other one let some space at disposal. I went to the party to help to remove as many parts as possible as it was clear that the car, even in a good condition, would never attract the 1959 Cad fans. On the first picture, both friends. The first person would later be the leading one to create the Swiss Cadillac Club and was the first president from that club. The younger guy in the background did the heavy work and still has a small garage near Bienne (Switzerland). I'm on the second picture; still thin and have all my hair but their color changed... At first, I was like the fifth wheel, just helping a bit. At the end, I sold almost all the parts, even the frame. I still have some, almost 40 years after...The body shell went to the crusher. It could have been sold to restore a rotten floor from a convertible, but we had not the space to store a body.

Under the rear seat from my '72 Cadillac coupe de Ville: one "Wrigley's chewing gum" wrapper; two almost complete "Topco" matches holders and one nail file made with cardboard. A small card was under an inside roof molding: this is a registration for a dealer when used with dealer plates. As this card expired on May 31, 1980, that dealer is certainly no more searching that card...

Because you don't have a picture from the original screen! I'm adding one, you will see the difference.

When the band for the generator was installed and the gen again on the engine, I realized that it was time to do the air intake duct. Therefore the generator was removed again, which requires the removal of the intake/exhaust manifolds and the water pump. As I still don't have water in the engine, there is no mess with the cooling fluid. The original set up has provision to remove the water pump actuating shaft; my reproduction shaft does not have it. That rather small part was not easy to do because nothing is flat to squeeze it in a vice; the fingers acted like a vice; some are still sore! The screen at the air intake is too coarse; I'm not sure if a finer mesh is available, I doubt it. To really finish the generator and accessories, I milled the exhaust tube to shape the hexagon at the small end.