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#1
General Discussion / Re: 1959 Flat top found in a p...
Last post by jwwseville60 - Today at 12:21:46 PM
100% worth restoring.
Heres mine. "Mr. Pluto."
People look at it and wonder if it's a UFO having landed.
Front and back curved glass? You'll never see that again!

#2
General Discussion / Re: Was the 1964 Cadillac THE ...
Last post by jwwseville60 - Today at 12:16:49 PM
They are my favorites.
63 Fleetwood
63 vista wagon
64 Eldo

They drive perfect;y with good power and handling.
Hey, I need some fins.
#3
Restoration Corner / Re: 1956 Sedan deVille
Last post by Lexi - Today at 11:34:06 AM
Quote from: Saturnin15 on March 25, 2024, 10:15:26 PMI put it on it's side directly on the floor.  The rocker were already replaced and the floor wasn't all rotten so the car was structurally solid.  So no brace were needed.  The steel on these car were amazingly solid so, no damage on the rear fender occurred.

Eric your car looks great. Nice photos and also of the restoration process. Lovely colour. Lots of hard work that paid off as clearly indicated in the photos. I am going to be listing a bunch of '56 Caddy stuff in the coming weeks, some of which may be of interest to you, as well as others who own this year of Cadillac. Let us enjoy our up and coming driving season which is fast approaching. Clay/Lexi
#4
Quote from: Julien Abrahams on Today at 05:23:53 AMIn relation to this topic (not hijacking), I was wondering how long do your batteries last in general?
In my cars I get 10 years of life quite easily. The only thing I do is that I disconnect one battery lead when I park the car and reconnect it when I want to drive it.

Julien, A friend of mine here in Atlanta had a 6 volt battery last 10+ years in a '49 Cadillac and I have heard of others lasting that long. However, I have never had such good luck. The longest I can remember that I have had a battery last in an antique car or a modern car is 5 years or so. I imagine disconnecting the battery when parking like you do helps a lot. Maybe I'll start doing that.

Quote from: TonyZappone #2624 on Today at 05:43:13 AMJay, I have one Optima battery in my '47.  Its been in there 13 or 14 years, and works well.  Easy to get in and out also 

Tony, I did have a single Optima 6 volt in my '49 many years ago.  It worked well until one day I left the dome light on overnight or something equally dumb (I don't remember), and the Optima became completely discharged.  Apparently there is a special procedure to charge them back up in such a situation, but I couldn't figure it out.  I then went back to a standard battery. Maybe I should switch back and I definitely agree they are easier to get in and out.

Actually, the reason I started this thread was because of the difficulty I had finding a new 6 volt Group 2 battery from the vendors from whom I had previously bought them. Interstate and Batteries Plus no longer seem to stock them. I was particularly concerned about Interstate since my last battery from them lasted a fairly long time and worked well.  I'm wondering if this is a general trend and that it may not be easy to find such batteries in the future.

 
#5
General Discussion / Re: 1955 battery removal
Last post by Lexi - Today at 11:19:51 AM
Think your '55 was originally equipped with a Delco DC-7 battery, which the modern equivalent is the 3EE size on the battery chart. These batteries are about 19 inches long and some 4.25 inches wide. So they are long and narrow. They are a PITA to revove and replace, if your car is OEM equipped. If that is what is installed in your car, if memory serves; remove the 4 inch wide flexible air duct above the battery to provide more "swing" room, (if still there). If the the battery top cover hold down metal plate is also still there, unbolt it and remove. Disconnect battery straps. You may have to tie back the negative strap to keep it out of the way & also to prevent it from falling down & out of reach below. Very IMPORTANT: Make sure all cell caps are on tight as these are wet cell batteries. Now for the hard part; using both hands tilt the battery upwards at angle somewhere between 45 and 90 degrees, to quickly lift the battery out as you draw it first away from you just prior to lifting. You want to clear it from under the RH fender which stupidly covers part of it. Perform this lifting procedure as quickly as possible as you may experience slight battery acid leakage from the vented caps, even when tightly closed. Yes, these are the batteries from hell. If you have some other arrangement, it would appear not to be OEM. This procedure is for OEM equipped cars. Good luck and ensure to wear gloves in case there is some acid leakage during the removal process. Clay/Lexi
#6
General Discussion / Re: How to find out who the or...
Last post by Jason Edge - Today at 11:04:27 AM
If by slim chance you have the owner protection manual which was usually kept with the owners manual in the owner's manual pouch in the glove box, the Owner's ID card is on the last page. These were included in the 1963/64 model year owner protection manual and assume other years. Of course these are often missing but if you have yours tucked behind the owners manual and have never thumbed to the last page you might get a surprise.

As an example here is the owner ID card from the last parts car I just pulled on from Illinois.

63B154647z Owner ID Card.jpg
#7
General Discussion / 1955 battery removal
Last post by alzink - Today at 10:41:24 AM
OK I give up.....how the heck do you remove and original battery from a 1955 cadillac

Many thanks
#8
Technical / Authenticity / Re: Fuel filter bubbles bowl n...
Last post by Lexi - Today at 10:13:20 AM
As an after thought, on two occassions I have experienced leaky strainer nuts that while physically tight and properly torqued-they still leaked air. In both cases I had to wrap the threads with gas fitter's tape (not plumber's teflon tape). In one case there was also a missing washer/seal. In the other case the seal was there but I had to replace it. Both of these were with new pumps. Clay/Lexi
#9
Technical / Authenticity / Re: Fuel filter bubbles bowl n...
Last post by Lexi - Today at 09:59:13 AM
Quote from: Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373 on Today at 09:07:27 AMThat always bothered me too. Our 55 has an electric and does the same thing. It seems to fill up more after longer drives. We tend to forget that they run off the fuel in the carb bowl, not the fuel filter. As long as there's gas in the carb, she'll run.
However, I admit, I did a lot of troubleshooting on it and finally gave up because it ran so well.

One test you can do is to pull the line at the tank and plug it. Then fill the line with mineral spirits at the pump side. Then pressurize the line with shop air. Any leaks in your hard line will show up that way. In my case it was bad under the clips. Small leaks won't show normally because the pump is sucking fuel. This test pressurizes the line and makes it easier to see.


Good advice. A buddy of mine has owned four 1956 Cadillacs and all ran with a near empty glass fuel bowl. His cars performed well. That said, like Jeff and I, he could never identify the issue causing the low gas level in the fuel filter bowl. Wonder if now it is partially due to the new gasoline blends? Also, in our cars the fuel filter is situated in what is probably one of the most hottest spots in the engine bay. Perhaps why Cadillac literature at least for '56 shows the glass bowl mounted "up", in an attempt to keep rising heat away from the bowl. My buddy wrapped his fuel lines to insulate them from the heat but he still wound up with this near empty glass fuel filter bowl issue. Clay/Lexi
#10
Jim,
I think if you install the link into the shock arm and install the shock, you will not be able to get the bottom pin into the bracket on the axle housing. I suggest installing the shock, then moving the shock arm manually to get both pins on the link to line up with their holes. Don't tighten anything until all parts are in place, in case any repositioning is needed.