Hello to everybody ,
I am delighted to be a new member of our forum .
Finally , after long searches , I am the proud owner of a nice example of a dream boat .
I will get my Cadillac Coupe de Ville 1955 in a few weeks , when I will have found the garage to park it !
i am living in France but very often mostly in Huntsville Alabama for work .
i hope to share a lot of interesting discussion with same minded people .
Looking forward
Patrick Slarko
I really like the anti-gravity mod you had done!
In all seriousness however, welcome to the forum - that is one beautiful car.
It is because this baby turns me up side down ...
It is a decent car of which I will take care now , for sure I will have lots of questions here .
Thanks for the welcome words
Patrick
Patrick,
My first reaction to the first picture was that you were from the land down under - Australia - then flipped the photos to try to fit in - north of the equator.
Welcome, and I like yellow.
Have fun,
Steve B.
Nice 55 and welcome!
A big "Welcome Patrick" from the Philadelphia suburbs! :D
Another welcome from a 55 owner (almost ready to get it back on the road).
Congrats and enjoy it. Looks like it has ac?
Jeff
Another welcome coming from Seattle. Great choice for your car!!
G'day Patrick,
A big WELCOME from Down Under.
Your car would fit very well down here.
Bruce. >:D
Welcome Patrick, and you passed the new member test! You posted pictures!
Looks great, let the journey begin!
chris in Dallas.
Welcome Patrick! Are you searching a garage in France or in the US? It seems that right now your nice car is in the US...
Patrick.....factory air....yeh!....walt...tulsa,ok
No , the car is in France already and garages over there are a little tiny ... 8)
Yes it has factory air but it is not working . Question here : is there a kind of second radiator in front of the colling radiator ? I have this on my 1972 eldorado .
Question 2 : how do you refill because freon 12 does not exist anymore ?
Quote from: PatiCadi on December 07, 2017, 04:13:57 PM
....... I have this on my 1972 eldorado .
Now you are talking class.
Bruce. >:D
Welcome to the CLC Message Board.
Nice car!
You will have a really hard time getting R-12 in France and it will probably leak out of the system unless you rebuild everything.
I am not sure if you can adapt a modern compressor to that system and use 134-a but you may be able to install a system from Vintage Air or a company that offers generic systems for custom applications.
Good luck,
Brian
Hello Patrick,
Quote from: PatiCadi on December 07, 2017, 04:13:57 PM
Question here : is there a kind of second radiator in front of the colling radiator ? I have this on my 1972 eldorado
The "second radiator" you refer to is most likely the air conditioning system's condenser. If the air conditionng system on your '55 is not working, it could be due to many things, so even if you could find R-12 in France, it would be a waste of resources to attempt to fill the system without first determining exactly in what condition the system is.
Nice looking car - my birth year. Are the colors original?
Christopher Winter
Thanks for the replies everybody !
Yes color is original , as is the color combination . I think it is ivory and black . I am just learning as much as i can about the car to avoid posting stupid questions . Has somebody a working ac from these years ? Maybe it is not a bad idea to drive with open windows ...
Concerning the oil filter , fram C4 or C4P type ?
The AC number for the oil filter is P115. According to an old AC listing, the Fram equivalent is C21 or C21P.
Welcome Patrick,
I was born and raised in Huntsville,
Glad to see you here, and excited to read about your 55. I bet it would be fun driving that through France.
Patrick,
I ran 134b in my 1955CDV for a few years but truth is at high outside temps the system loses efficiency. I decided to try 414b and was pleased for a number of years then my compressor shaft seal began leaking.(I had "tuned " the seal 10 or so years before but it finally started leaking again) I had recently scored some R12 so I installed a Sanden compressor with it. (my Cadillac is a driver) I did have to fab a bracket for it and run belts a couple of inches longer, but the summer of 2017 was "cool"! There is a shop in Florida that will "tune up" your shaft seal but I went with the Sanden for now. Contact me if you get to the point of refurbishing your A/C.....walt...tulsa,ok...pic of my CDV and 1955 Airstream Travel Trailer attatched...
Hey Walt,
I'd love to see pics of your towing setup sometime. Is it stock? I've been wanting to try towing my 74 Streamline with a Fleetwood, but its a larger trailer and I want to make sure the towing receiver is adequate for the anti-sway system.
Walt , what a nice combination !!!
Love the color of your cdv .
Do you have a condenser grille in front of your radiator ?
Becouse I do not have this part .what do you need to refill with r134 or other ?
W.Love,
I welded a beautiful HD hitch that bolts in. (will send pics if desired)The towing system is an Anderson which is a fairly newer type system but any towing system with torsion bars can be used. (Anderson uses chains) Fact is the "Bubble" is only 16 foot and weighs 1750lbs so it tows great without anything. Sway is an ugly word and bigger trailers definitely need a pro setup to ensure safety. I like vintage trailers of any type but Airstream is definitely the Cadillac!....walt...tulsa,ok
PatiCadi,
All A/C systems have a condenser. There are plenty of generic condensers available. (NAPA has tons in their catalog) You would need to purchase one,replace the receiver/dryer (after flushing the system thoroughly) and checking the system for leaks.(personally, I use both vacuum and then nitrogen pressure to ensure the system is "tight") The type oil is different then R12, but there are oils available that can be used on either system. Then there are the hoses. (now that I think about it the 55 Cadillac doesn't have any "rubber" hoses) Fact is, I would suggest you find someone who is into auto A/C and follow his/her advice. I've been playing with auto A/C for years and still don't claim to be an expert by any means. Greg Surfas in the real pro with the CLC club. He's in Texas. Contact me in the future should I be of ANY assistance.....walt....tulsa,ok
Welcome Patrick, Nice looking car!
Quote from: 76eldo on December 07, 2017, 06:18:45 PM
Welcome to the CLC Message Board.
Nice car!
You will have a really hard time getting R-12 in France and it will probably leak out of the system unless you rebuild everything.
I am not sure if you can adapt a modern compressor to that system and use 134-a but you may be able to install a system from Vintage Air or a company that offers generic systems for custom applications.
Good luck,
Brian
Even R134a is on the EU's hate list now. I wouldn't even bother with R-12.
Find a new condenser and receiver dryer (the cylinder shaped item to the left of the condenser) and a moden POA / Suction Throttling valve assembly (the contraption up in the back on the passenger side near the blower motor), probably a new compressor, and new pressure and return lines. If your evaporator doesn't leak that's all you would need.