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Blue Mistress (55 FW)

Started by Caddy Wizard, March 21, 2022, 01:43:58 PM

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Caddy Wizard

I bought this 55 FW several years ago.  It had fewer than 30,000 miles and had been off the road in storage from the late 50s to sometime in the late 90s.  I bought it from the estate of the second owner.  Paint was shot (photos are deceptive in making it look a LOT better in photos than in person).  Interior was beautiful when I bought it, but in the last year or so of my using it, the driver seat is simply falling apart (the fabric is shredding and the yellow foam padding is turning to dust).

I have decided to redo the paint and interior and chrome.  That is pretty much a full cosmetic restoration, in my book (mechanically, the car is tip-top).  I've started tearing the car apart and have removed almost all of the chrome and stainless trim.  Interior will come out too.  Car will go to the body shop in about two weeks.  Chrome and stainless will come back from the plater/polisher in about 3 months.  Looking for an upholsterer to redo my seats and door panels (I have the original fabrics, obtained from SMS after about a year wait).

First four pics are the "before" (the fourth picture is from its appearance in the ABC film "Women of the Movement" about the murder of Emmett Till filmed about a year ago in Mississippi).  Last four are the current state of affairs.

Car will be repainted in its original Ruskin Blue, with a Cobalt Blue Poly top.  All paint will be removed to shiny bare metal.  Then acid-etched and primed with epoxy primer.  Then 2K primers and fillers.  Finally, single-stage urethane (no clear coat).  My hope is that the single-stage will look a smidge more like 1955 paint than a two-stage, base coat/clear coat paint job.
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

novetti

Big job and budget !

Keep us posted on the progress. Good Luck !
54' Iris Blue (Preservation)
54' Cabot Gray (Restoration)
58' Lincoln Continental Convertible (Restoration)
58' Ford Skyliner (Preservation)

Caddy Wizard

Quote from: novetti on March 21, 2022, 06:48:00 PM
Big job and budget !

Keep us posted on the progress. Good Luck !

Yes, it is a big job and costly.  I have had 21 old Cadillacs and currently have 4.  I hope to keep this particular car until I am in the clay or close to it...
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

jaxops

WoW Art.  What a nice car.  I never got the chance to start with such a good car.  Mine were all "dogs" except for the '79 Lincoln!  Best of luck!!!
1970 Buick Electra Convertible
1956 Cadillac Series 75 Limousine
1949 Cadillac Series 75 Imperial Limousine
1979 Lincoln Continental
AACA, Cadillac-LaSalle Club #24591, ASWOA

Caddy Wizard

The Blue Mistress is now in the body shop.  It will be there for about 3 months.  Car will be sanded to bare metal, etched, epoxy primed, surface primered and blocked, painted and buffed.  Top will be two stage urethane in Cobalt Blue Poly.  Bottom will be Ruskin Blue (original color of entire car) single stage urethane. 

Interior trim will be painted Bahama Blue Poly (correct interior color).

Upholstery will be redone in original fabrics, colors, and patterns.

Chrome has been off at the chrome shop for three months and I am picking it up next week.  I will polish a number of stainless steel items myself (although I had the chrome shop polish the difficult items, like the rocker panel moldings).
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

Caddy Wizard

A few more pictures...
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

Lexi

Very nice Art. Thanks for the update. Clay/Lexi

Caddy Wizard

#7
It is a little hard to see, but if you look carefully you might see that we have removed the rear chromed upright from the front doors and the front chromed upright from the rear doors.  These 55 Fleetwoods do not have a unitary frame around the windows as the regular sedans have.  Instead, one upright and the top bar are part of the door, but the other upright that frames the window is a removable item that is bolted to the door.  It is a casting and is chrome plated.  On the front doors, it is at the back of the door.  On the rear doors, it is at the front of the doors.  By removing these, it allows one better, fuller access to the painted surfaces for stripping and re-painting.
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

Caddy Wizard

Current state of the Blue Mistress cosmetic restoration.  Paint is off (mostly).  Doors are now off, as are the hood and the front fenders.  Steady progress.

Body looks exceptionally good.  Virtually rust-free and very little in the way of prior body damage.  An excellent starting point for my body guy.
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

Cadillac Jack 82

I love the gauge of steel they used for the 40s-50s Cadillacs.  Nice and heavy!
Tim

CLC Member #30850

1959 Cadillac CDV "Shelley"
1964 Cadillac SDV "Rosalie"
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado "Sienna"

Past Cars

1937 LaSalle Cpe
1940 Chevrolet Cpe
1941 Ford 11Y
1954 Buick 48D
1955 Cadillac CDV
1955 Packard Clipper
1957 Cadillac Series 62
1962 VW Bug
1962 Dodge 880
1966 Mercury Montclair
1967 Buick Wildcat Convertible
1968 Chevy Chevelle SS
1968 Plymouth Barracuda
1977 Lincoln MKV

35-709

A Toyota in every fender.   :)
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

Caddy Wizard

The Blue Mistress has been in "body shop jail" for almost a year now.  Body man keeps saying that he will finish soon, says he has been busy.  I've already paid the full amount of the initial estimate and we are not in paint yet.


I'm sure that you all have heard this or experienced this before. 


Here's hoping that I don't have to go get it while still unfinished and finish the job myself...
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

Lexi

How annoying, especially as you have paid up front and so far have done what is expected of you. Clay/Lexi

Caddy Wizard

Quote from: Lexi on May 04, 2023, 05:57:15 PMHow annoying, especially as you have paid up front and so far have done what is expected of you. Clay/Lexi


Well, I have been paying as he progresses and the total of the progress payments has already equaled the total estimate.  We still have thousands of $ to go to completion, unfortunately. 

I am beginning to wonder if I will end up painting it myself in my workshop.  My workshop is not really set up for paint work, but I guess I could do that.  I am an accomplished amateur painter (my father and younger brother were pro car painters and quite good).  It will really irritate me if I end up painting it myself after paying what I thought was the full price for a proper paint job by the paint and body shop.  Hmmm...
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

dogbergs

Sorry to hear.. But I can see you've got it all figured out, and already been taking the hit of disappointment. Just do it.

Regards from Sweden
-51 62 convertible, project
-64 Dodge Polara
-70 Volvo 121
-63 Plymouth Max Wedge clone, project
-42 Harley WLA
-33 Ford Pick up, project

Scott Nellis

   It really hurts me, as a Cadillac lover, to see how this has unfolded for you Art. You love this car and intend to keep it until your death. It is a low mileage, beautiful example. A real easy job for the paint and body shop compared to the rusted-out hulks they often have to deal with. They certainly can't use the excuse that it took a year longer than expected because they ran into all types of problems trying to deal with rotten metal to work with.
   I'm guessing that it was a really tough decision for you to decide to take the plunge and start tearing apart such a beautiful car that really only needed some cosmetic work, but was still a very attractive and mechanically sound classic Cadillac. Now your worst fears have been realized with plenty of unnecessary stress and uncertainty. I guess your only saving grace here is that you have other vintage Cadillacs that you can still enjoy driving while you are waiting. Try to stay positive Art and please let us know how things turn out. I'm certain that your situation is bothering anyone that reads this thread. It is like someone is mistreating and abusing a member of our family.
1957 Eureka Hearse
1965 Miller-Meteor Hearse
1968 Miller-Meteor Hearse
1968 Fleetwood Brougham
1970 Superior Hearse

Caddy Wizard

The Blue Mistress has been in "paint shop jail" for 11 months now.  Happily, I have some progress to report.  This morning the painter was in the middle of painting the interior trim parts. One coat of Bahama Blue is done in these pictures and he was starting the second coat when I left. (BTW, the shop is an hour from my house). Two more coats and then clear coat should be done today. So the interior trim parts should be done today.20230517_101835.jpg

In addition, last night he painted the sides and bottoms of the four doors.20230517_101907.jpg

As for the rest of the body, it appears to be essentially ready for paint.  He had to cut out a strip about 2 inches by 10 inches on each rear quarter directly above the fender skirts -- this is an extremely common issue on 55's, I think because water gets trapped between a double panel in that spot.  We had some very minor bubbling there on both sides, now cut out and replaced with fresh steel.

We went over (again) the break line between the lower (body) color and the upper (roof) color to make sure that he gets that detail right.
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

Caddy Wizard

Interior trim now has three coats of color and two coats of clear.
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

Caddy Wizard

Some color going on the "extremities" before reassembly for final paint.  It looks like we are approaching the finish line on the paint work...
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)

Caddy Wizard

#19
Color is now on the "extremities" (fenders, hood, trunk, doors), inside and out and top and bottom, and they are being reattached to the car.  The body of the car has had some color applied too.  Next is to paint the whole assembled car from the outside to ensure that the parts all have the exact same color.  Too many times you see a "restored" car that is painted all apart and not all at the same time (so slightly different mixtures of paint and solvent and different ambient temperatures), resulting in slight tone variations from one panel to the next.  This procedure eliminates that possibility.


The break line between the lower body color and the upper body color needs some corrections around the bottom of the rear windshield and the door openings.  That will be handled this week before final "all over" paint is applied.
Art Gardner


1955 S60 Fleetwood sedan (now under resto -- has been in paint shop since June 2022!)
1955 S62 Coupe (future show car? 2/3 done)
1958 Eldo Seville (2/3 done)