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Another Survivor, getting a make-over rather than a resto.

Started by Jeepers Creepers, April 23, 2017, 10:02:40 PM

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Jeepers Creepers

#60
OK Nils, lets see if I can get my head around this photo posting thingy.

Picture #1, This my 53 year old Fleetwood and my 55 year old wife.
Picture #2, Pretty cool huh, our car has a road named after it.
Picture #3, I'm pretty happy with the under hood area now. I know the hood insulation material isn't the correct stuff, but I reckon it looks better anyway.
Picture #4, This shows the fusible link we've fitted to the car. Whilst the car has been fitted with a new late model fuse box, this fusible link is the fail safe in the event of a major short circuit. It will just melt the blue bit and shut down power. The battery cable of course, would still have current to the starter, but everything else becomes disabled.
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

Jeepers Creepers

HA HA HA HA, bugger me, it worked..... I'm not as stupid as I thought I was.

Now I can go back and edit the text.

Good luck with you engine rebuild Nicolas. Take ya time, seek good advice and you'll be fine.
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

Jeepers Creepers

Outside the mates workshop and just another random photo.
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

The Tassie Devil(le)

And I thought you would rather be driving than getting out of the car to take photos. ;)

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Jeepers Creepers

Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

The Tassie Devil(le)

'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

DeVille68

Hi Kev

Gorgeous car! I love the interior of those years. So nicely appointed.

Where did you buy this fusible link?
My 68 should have a few too but all are missing.

Best regards,
Nicoals
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

Jeepers Creepers

#67
Quote from: DeVille68 on July 17, 2017, 03:24:50 AM
Hi Kev

Gorgeous car! I love the interior of those years. So nicely appointed.

Where did you buy this fusible link?
My 68 should have a few too but all are missing.

Best regards,
Nicoals

Mate, I've got a semi  retired Sparky who lives about 100 metres down the road and he supplied it for me. Its rated at 70 amps.
Funny thing is, when he fitted the new fuse box back in Feb., he spent around 5 hours upside down under the dash to solder all the new connections.
Because his back was over the sill/rockers while he was there, he buggered up his 70 year old back (the rest of him is 70 as well  ;).

So, from that point on, now he only does stuff he can do standing up........ I think  the 64 broke him.  :-\ 
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

Jeepers Creepers

After 675 miles/1086 klm, the Fleetwood got its first oil and filter change on the motor.

Bit of a "once over" on every nut and bolt I could get to, you know, just to be sure its all good.
Pretty happy with myself today.....  :)
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

The Tassie Devil(le)

Congratulations, and now time for another day and a half of driving before going back to work.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Jeepers Creepers

The Fleetwood is clocking them up slowly. We had to go to Brisbane yesterday as I wanted to take my 94 year old Mum to lunch. The Fleetwood overhangs the parking bays by about 3 feet at the club, so we took the Jeep for the day.

A bit of good news too, I've been shown a loophole in the PhotoBucket armour, so for the time being, all the photos are back up if anyone missed the first couple of pages before PB changed everything around.  ;D
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

The Tassie Devil(le)

I just love taking my Cadillac to these small parking bays, to show people that they should make their parking bays suitable for all cars, and not just the tiny ones.   Plus, mine with the Continental Kit, plus the Tow Bar bring it out to exactly 6 Metres long.

Love parking it in the Supermarket Car Parks as well.   When the management complain, I just reply, well, there are longer Cadillacs.   This one is below normal Cadillac size.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Jeepers Creepers

I was more concerned one of the old farts would run into it. (then I'd have to kill them.)

Some of those oldies heading for the pokies lose touch and cant focus on driving or parking.
I did however, manage to get permission to park the Fleetwood in a gated section next time we go down there.

Just got to ring ahead and let them know.

Don't ask.... don't get.  :)
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

Jeepers Creepers

#73
We took the Fleetwood to Greazefest 2017 yesterday. Fantastic day out for us and the new motor now has over a 1,000 trouble free miles on it over the past 6 or 7 weeks.
We covered 310 miles (520km) in the day yesterday, :o so pretty happy with my work.
Left home at 6am and returned at 6pm, car ran fantastic, although we did have the wipers on for the last hour to home, but we needed the rain, so all good.
The wife and I hit the dance floor a couple of times, so she was pretty happy. we strolled around, checking out everybody's cars.
Hundreds of cars on site too, nearly everyone attending was "dressed" for the occasion, bands were pumping.
Weather was just magnificent, a perfect winters day in Queensland... Australia.

To me, this is what owning a Cadillac is all about, maintain/restore it, keep it nice and get it out and use it, enjoy it, wear it out and then do it all again.

Some of you will cringe when you see ZOMBIE, but its got to be the most evil looking Cadillac to ever grace a highway. ..... Enjoy

Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

DeVille68

1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

Carl Fielding

Hey Kevin ! Glad to hear you are successfully enjoying your '64 ! Thanks for sharing. Yeah , that "Zombie" is a real snake , all right. If it were mine , it would have strategically placed , but sparse , ultra-thin Crimson pin striping. Does it have a punched-out big block Caddy in it ? Led Sleds forever !  -  CC

Jeepers Creepers

ZOMBIE, i'm not sure on the driveline Carl..... I love it. I might stick a pic on the general discussion area, that should get some comments.

Our car, yeah, going really good.
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

Jeepers Creepers

Quote from: Jeepers Creepers on July 22, 2017, 01:26:55 AM
After 675 miles/1086 klm,

This a very addictive thing, driving a 64 Fleetwood.

Now at 1,230/1,980 Klm now.
I'm always finding an excuse to drive the bloody thing. Yesterday, we took a run to Helltown Hot Rods for burger n shake for lunch.
Good food too and lots of it and a milkshake filled all the way to the top. (not the first time we've been here)

Oh well, I've worse  things to be addicted to.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiHprrU4tTVAhWKbrwKHeHqCbgQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHell-Town-Hotrods-772272182794140%2F&usg=AFQjCNEa5GnwlqH6f9QzeZNuytZfeayKRg
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia

Joker200

Hi Kevin
I congratulate to a very nice car and a successful rebuild engine. I have read your posts with big interest because of several reasons. One is the fact that my car is a copy of yours, a Fleetwood with same color and interior, another not so good thing is that the engine need some new parts. When I took it apart I found three pistons with same damage as in yours. Now when looking for new parts I'm considering custom pistons with slightly increased dish volume to lower the compression to 10:1. Have you noticed any detonation problems, is premium gas still available in your country?
Regards
Jan

Jeepers Creepers

#79
Jan,

Thanks for the interest you have in the car and the good taste you have to own the same thing.  :D (Post a pic mate)

These engines are torque monsters and that goes a long way to getting these heavy ol girls moving. When the rebuild took place, everything was checked, right down to running the distributor up and checking the advance etc was all working correctly. We made sure we retained the 10:5 to 1 compression.

If you think about it, my car covered 124,000 miles or 200,000 klm, so 10:5 to 1 wasn't the issue, or it would've been getting a rebuild long before.
You have to return to the beginning and determine why something failed and then sort the original problem.

The detonation my car suffered, began with the head gasket starting to go between the centre two cylinders which was most likely caused by overheating.
When the car arrived in OZ, it had already been fitted with a new water pump and an aluminum radiator, so its fair to assume the engine may have copped some excess heat, which is a prime candidate for a blown or partially blown heat gasket. (that was an educated guess, but a pretty good one)

I only use 95 or 98 octane fuel in the car (our crap stuff is 91 here) and I've had no issue with detonation. Keep in mind though, you can't always hear detonation either.

The other thing in the cars favour, is I don't flog it either, but having said that, I don't nurse it either..... I just drive it.

My advice, use quality bits and seek out good people to have around you during the rebuild. As I stated way back, I had a friend do the rotating assembly for me, and then I did the remainder myself and installed it all.

Sure, I could've done the rotating assembly myself, but its been 23 years since I've done one, so I chose to seek help.

Good luck and you'll be very happy with 10:5 to 1....... ;D

YESTERDAY'S UPDATE..... The Air Cond System:

After fluffing around with stuff, checking and double checking the vacuum lines and finally being ready, we re-gassed the system and ended up with 6.5 degrees of air coming out of the vents. (very happy)   
Kevin and Astrid Campbell
Australia