Cadillac & LaSalle Club Discussion Forum

Cadillac & LaSalle Club Forums => Restoration Corner => Topic started by: Belgium1958owner on November 18, 2014, 03:33:43 PM

Title: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on November 18, 2014, 03:33:43 PM
Hi everybody,

As few of you already know, I have found a car I was looking for many years : the 1958 Eldo Seville.
Sorry for my english, my mother language is french ...

My first meet with a 1958 Seville was 25 years ago, when I was 15. The car was red. Few years later, I saw a "Gleneagles Green" Seville in a sort of classic car hangar.
The car was for sale at 10.000, but when I was going back to make a detailed visit, the car was sold.

Last month, I find the car # 309. Also in a great dry storage. Standing since 10 years, the car was 98 % complete and the engine starts easy.

At the moment, the car is White (original color), with Blue Metallic leather (full), also original interior. White Vicodec has been removed for works on the steel body.
Good shape, only very few damages, and missing few parts (complete trunk lock and motor).

I'll try to post pictures here.
I'm busy since 2 weeks with the disassembly. The car will be restored. The first step, during the disassembly, is finding parts, missing parts (trunk locking), or replacement parts (crests, blades ...)
And finding service parts to overhaul the engine, brakes, transmission.

The rear seat is restorable, but front seat much cracked. Doors needs to be redone (new leather). I will made the doors panels myself. I will keep the Biscay Blue color.

The car spend all his life in California, to 1995 (last Title), and is now located in Belgium.
Next steps soon :-)
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: 57eldoking on November 18, 2014, 05:18:08 PM
Congratulations on acquiring your long awaited Seville, I know the joyous feeling  ;D

Where in Belgium are you located? I usually fly in and out of Charleroi a couple of times a year for business trips to southern Holland.
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on November 19, 2014, 03:27:57 AM
thanks :-)

My office is 25 miles far from Charleroi Airport, and the car is at home, another 20 miles far.
That would be funny if we could make a meet 'live'.

Here are other pictures.
At the moment, I work on the repair and cleaning of interior switches and Autronic Eye.

Have a nice day.
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on November 21, 2014, 07:56:21 AM
Do anyone know a similar personal website, but for 1958 models ?
http://graylady.webng.com/library.htm

With general technical infos, Serviceman articles, ... ?

Very interesting !
Thanks.
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: raugusti on November 21, 2014, 08:52:00 AM
I refer this one fairly regularly:

http://eldorado-seville.com/

Scott

Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: C.R. Patton II on November 21, 2014, 09:10:42 AM

Hello Emmanuel

You have a nice and rare Seville (one of 855 manufactured).  It is vital that you learn everything about your car.  You can obtain Cadillac Serviceman and other literature related to your vehicle by submitting a request to the Cadillac & LaSalle Club Museum & Research Center.  Our organization is dedicated and devoted to educating owners and youngsters about Cadillac and LaSalle automotive history.
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on November 26, 2014, 05:31:36 PM
Thanks CR Patton.

I have bought the Shop Manual and complete parts list.
Not yet have the Serviceman archives ...


Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on January 10, 2015, 12:52:04 PM
News from my restoration ...
I'm busy to disassemble the car the work on little partly rusted items.
Already 100 hours of works.

Have find some missing parts but still needs :
- dash pad (top)
- trunk lock arm (for the trunk lid)
- crest for the roof side

Thanks forward
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on January 10, 2015, 12:54:14 PM
The last pictures
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on January 16, 2015, 03:57:30 PM
News about the work ...
Floor of the truck is cleaned, most chrome removed. Busy now with the disassembly of the rear bumpers.
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: 57eldoking on January 16, 2015, 06:40:13 PM
Good progress! Will you keep it white or go with a different color?
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on January 17, 2015, 09:11:08 AM
Hi,
Thanks.
I have find some Servicemen articles from 1957-1958, and ordered the "Authentification Book".
Also have a lot of period technical tips and documentation (3 maps).

I will keep the roof color in White as original, interior in Blue as original, but probably repainted from bare-metal to Argyle Blue.
I plan to restore this car as authentic as possible (refert to authentification book, so the engine bay, items colors, and so, as original).

Fortunately, It's not my first restoration ... I have restored my Silver Cloud II from Barn Find to Concours (during 3 years).

Follow soon :-)
Regards
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on January 30, 2015, 08:19:35 AM
Hi,

The roof is cleaned ... a hard job done.
I have find some interesting informations in the 1957-1958 Authenticity Manual.

Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Ralph Messina CLC 4937 on February 01, 2015, 03:29:08 PM
Emmanuel,

You’ve got a great find and I thought you'd appreciate a picture of a rarity about 58 Sevilles and CDVs . It seems that a very limited number of the first Sevilles and CDVs used a different headliner than the balance of the production run. The exact number is not known.  Attached is a picture I found somewhere on the web of that headliner. This style had a hard plastic border around the roof with a fabric inset. The balance of the production run used the more familiar wide transverse pleat with chrome roof bow accents

Ralph.
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on February 02, 2015, 04:32:30 AM
Yes, very early exemple have this headliner.
As # 2
I will look at my database if I have the # of this pictured one.
I'm busy to made a 1958 Seville database.
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on February 02, 2015, 07:00:40 AM
Here is the roof of the body # 19
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on December 21, 2016, 01:22:15 PM
Two years from my last post ... so sorry.
Had some other things to manage.

Cadillac has been re-assembled with a new paint, all parts cleaned.
A complete restoration is now planned for 2 or 3 years later.

The next job will be the engine bay, and some road test.




Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Cadillac Nut on January 14, 2017, 04:29:08 PM
It looks beautiful!
Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on June 05, 2017, 03:38:30 PM
Hi all,

Long time again, news again.
The car has been driven his first 50 miles since 13 years.

Still few little problems, but I resolve it step by step.

Title: Re: 1958 Eldorado Seville restoration project
Post by: Belgium1958owner on September 20, 2017, 02:19:26 PM
Hi all,
Here are news.
I drove approx. 300 miles this summer.
Have redone brakes, booster, ignition, and more.

Just two weeks ago, I recovered the genuine exemple of my childhood's love : the same one but the actual car of my 13 years old.
So I sell the "Alpine White" car, featured here.

Soon news of the "new one".