Roger Zimmermann

No Randy, they don't usually come in my mind, except when they choose a complex solution! And no, I don't dream about them, nor to the model! Today, I finished the various knobs which will come on the larger pod above the console. There are from left: the wiper knob, the cigar lighter, the ignition switch and both knobs for the radio. Most are made with 2 parts, the knob for the wiper is made with 4 parts. OK, the button in the middle to operate the washer was easy to do, it's a piece of .5 mm rod!

Thanks all for your interest! To West Peterson: same answer as to SiliconS: fluid will be added in 2055! To Barry Wolk: you are right, it's still possible. However, I would have to discard the roof and parcel shelf...On the other side, I'm now glad that there is no roof in the way when I'm trying to install the various elements like brake pedal and steering column. Will I be able to do that some years from now when the roof is on and all parts painted?

There is a sheet metal filler between the steering column and the console; I added that recently. The original part is attached with screws, mine is soft soldered for practical purposes. I added also the pod for the headlamp switch and the brake pedal. The pedal is held back with a spring; the effort on the pedal is like an empty brake system. The chrome bezel and rubber pad on the brake pedal will be added later.

That moving back and forth from the camshaft is not good at all. You will never have a consistent timing for the ignition; you saw yourself that the rotor is moving when the camshaft is longitudinally moving. If you don't have a shop manual I would first buy one, maybe you can see if there is something missing on your engine. Probably other Buick owners know the answer and will tell you what you are missing. Good luck!

Fantastic looking! It was a long way, but worth it.

Just be patient: that linkage will be done later, maybe about the year 2055!

This is unfortunately the reality but they should be more tolerant. First because only a few can speak or write a foreign language and second because, when you read some comments in French forums, they cannot even write properly their own language.

When you are looking at a real Mark II console, it's looking rather simple. When doing it 12 times smaller...well, it's no more that simple. There are surfaces which seem to be vertical which are not. Anyway, it's an interesting assembly and I believe I'm not too far from what it should be. One of the big issues was the control panel for the heater & A/C. The five levers are sliding through chromed bezels; how to do them in a way I'm not getting a mess with soft solder? At the end, I milled them out from a thick plate. Another problem was to make the slit. With a tiny jeweller milling tool I could partially do the slits and finished them with a jeweller saw Randiego sent to me. The lever's handles were a problem too. Finally, I did on the lathe 10 half handles, provided a hole and, for the assembly, inserted a thin rod maintaining the handles halved and the lever in the correct position to soft solder them. On the original car, there is a sharp line at the handle’ middle; mine will have a softener line as it's rather difficult with these dimensions to create a sharp line with a file. On the pictures, you can see a discarded control panel bezel because it was not up to my standard as well as two handle halves; I did some more in case one or two would fly in the air…which did not happen. The screen for the loudspeaker is not done; this is another issue I will have to solve. The decor on the control panel will be similar to what I did for the instruments. I still don’t know how I have to stabilize the console at the firewall…

Sometimes the Google translations are very funny and only with some imagination can the sentance have some sense. Anyway, it's better than nothing!

Nice found! It seems that the cars are in excellent shape/condition for their age and, especially the green one, low mileage.

Interesting detail! Fortunately, your wife understand French when you are looking at that French forum!

It may be a stupid statement: if the vibrations are worse with an angle change, it means that the problem is there. I would try to put the shims to change to inclinaison of the axle the other way, as Spinneyhill suggested.

During the week, I did the lower part of the console and the suspended element under the dash. Now, I "just" need to do the parts which are between both! As good as I could check, I'm in line with dimensions, +/- 1 mm. The whole unit will be assembled with screws and drop into the car. On the real car, the lower part which contains the radio speaker and heater and A/C controls are assembled to the floor. For practical reasons, I will skip that method and fix the lower part with glue.

Nice work! It's interesting to see that the Ford Company still used to buy Saginaw steering gears!

Well, if the exchange rate CHF-$ is staying that way (CHF 0.85 for 1$ since 3 days), this could be a cheap vacation...I'm rather reluctant to travel that far (I'm getting lazy), but who knows, this is something to think about. It would allow me to meet the people who are helping me with that project.

Barry, glad to see you are still following this thread!

On the Mark II, the dash is welded to the body. There is certainly a rail on which the column and emergency brake support are installed. At first, I wanted to do more or less the same, even if "my" dashboard will be screwed on the body. I realized soon that it was not practical at all, therefore I did the attachment points differently. It's almost "overkilled"; on the other hand, there are enough elements which are weak! Once the position was acceptable, the support could be soft soldered to the structure. The next task was to connect the column to the steering box. At first, I wanted to simplify the installation by shortening the tube to have the shaft exposed. By doing that way, the shift lever came in conflict with the body...Consequently, I had to do a similar arrangement as the original. Instead of a gasket pinched between the tube and gear, I did a solid piece which slides on the steering box. The shaft is attached to the worm by a tiny screw. To be able to install the column, I did an aperture into the tube. The solid gasket can be rotated to discover the aperture or, of course, to hide it. This complex method has one advantage on the real car: the steering box is well protected from water intrusion. Cadillacs from this time have a similar steering box (Saginaw); while the '56 & 57 models are rather well protected, the '56 Cadillac models have a thin gasket which is getting brittle with age. The needle bearing is just behind that dust cover. Water can enter, rusting the inner shaft. When this occurs, there is an oil leak which cannot be corrected with a new seal. As you see, I had to remove the LH front fender and exhaust collector to be able to work at the steering box.

This was again a difficult part. One of the problems was that the spokes must have a recess to add the same decor plate as I did for the instruments. I could not do each spoke in one piece; I had to add on top of each spoke a small frame which was soft soldered. The horn ring will be chromed and the rear of it will be painted. There is also a small ring on top; into the hole will come a decal with an emblem. My goal was that the horn ring is an assembly which is separated from the steering wheel; when I began, I had doubts I could do it that way. With some tricks I could realize it the way it was planned. There will be some more time required to have a horn ring which is ready to be plated; this work will be done when I have a good batch of parts to be plated. The assembly will now be installed to the dash and to the steering gear.

Thanks Martin! For one whole week, there will be nothing as we are at our "summer house". Last week, I began the horn ring...It's more complex as I anticipated, had to redo the ring itself and modify the way I planned to do it. Anyway, that assembly is almost done; pictures are for later when I'm back home.

A steering wheel is a simple element, but not so easy to build. It must not turn like an egg and the rim must be perpendicular to the axis. The one for the model is now complete. Complete? Not exactly, the horn ring is not yet done, with the exception of the ring itself and the hub, as you can see: The back side: The indentations for the fingers were the easiest part of the job! Now, it's the turn of the horn ring. As usual with this car, it's a difficult affair; it will be probably not be ready this year.

Yes, Randy, everything I'm using is there! Oh! the carpet is nice, but when brass parts are coming down, I'm on all fours to find them. I have a magnet for steel screws, but with the stainless or brass ones, only the eyes and feel at the fingers are of help. Nevertheless, I have a 97% success with searching! As this "workshop" is integrated into the flat, it must be kept clean. This is my job, as Christine don't clean here...However, Randy, you probably know that pictures are lying; the place is not 100% clean! Today was spent with family: good food and drinks, maybe too much of all...All the best to you!

Thanks Pat! You, like other people are always welcome. The chair you intend to buy must be small; look at the place at "our" disposal: I could however give you something who does need a lot of place, but it's far from confortable: You may have the choice from the red one if you don't like black. However, safety belts are not included for the case you fall asleep! Then, I'm not sure who will be bored first: you because I'm so slow during my construction or me because of your breath on my neck! Merry Christmas!

Ah! Geoff: this is not a Lincoln, but a Continental! This was an independant make till 1957 when it was integrated into the Lincoln brand. You may drive a car in this country with your national driver license, like you would rent a car at the airport, or like I did when I was in the US for vacation or for GM. Merry Christmas too as well as to the other people looking at this thread!

Doing the aperture for the column at the dash without the column? It's a non-sense! therefore, I had to begin with that assembly. The drawings I did for the Toronado about 35 years ago were of help as I had difficulties to figure "how". There is however a major difference: the part near the horn ring was last installed on the Toronado and it's the first one to be assembled on the Continental, with the turn indicator lever. Then, the shifter tube is inserted, the collar with the shift lever is slide in place. A screw is fitted into the hole for the shifter and engages into the tube, allowing the movement from the lever to be transmitted to the shifter tube. The last piece is a retainer ring clamped on the external tube with one screw. On the picture, the shift tube is on the left, then the external tube; the first part to be assembled with the indicator lever is at the bottom, above it is the shift collar with the huge screw as the link to the shifter tube and, on top the retainer ring. The coin is not part of the assembly! Once all is in place: The end of the column towards the steering gear is not finished. As I don't remember why I did not finish the universal joint at the gear, I'm gaining some time and I'm beginning the steering wheel. Maybe when this part is ready, I may remember why I delayed the completion of the universal joint.

Yes, indeed nice place to work!