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The Huntsman - 1949 Convertible Restoration

Started by CadillacGlasses, January 05, 2022, 04:53:37 PM

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CadillacGlasses

This week I've been working on getting all my trim ready to send to chrome, but I encountered a snag with my rear quarter window frames...

While working on removing the glass from the base frame, I ended up cracking it in half. I've realized this is pot metal and may not be able to be welded like normal steel - has anyone been able to save a piece like this? I've been looking up videos about various soldering solutions that look promising - like this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwLuV00Psu0

Thankfully the second window came out without too much stress on the frame. I guess you learn the hard way many times.

29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

harry s

Don't feel bad I had the same problem with my'48. I was lucky enough to find a replacement. A good chrome shop should be able to repair that. I'd check around before trying to repair. You probably know pot metal is extremely temp sensitive. Good Luck,     Harry
Harry Scott 4195
1941 6733
1948 6267X
2011 DTS Platinum

CadillacGlasses

Thanks Harry, that's good to hear this happens normally! I found somebody who could fix it - there's a guy on youtube (https://potmetal.repair/repairing-pot-metal/) who specializes in pot metal repair and seems to have an extensive list of repairs done. I'm sending my frame to him this week and hopefully it'll come back as good as before it cracked.

I just got my bumper back from the chrome shop, and dropped off almost all of my trim pieces.

Also in recent events, I attended the CLC judging workshop my chapter hosted, where we picked apart a '76 Bicentennial Eldorado to learn how to fill out score sheets. It was really interesting bc this is all new to me. Excited for the GN. My plate also came in, which I've heard there will be more for sale at the show.
29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

CadillacGlasses

I've started to restore the top frame, has anyone else run into issues with plating their frame arms? The shop I took mine to said they couldn't plate them because they were stainless steal. Are they diecast pot metal instead of stainless? They clearly were plated originally from factory.

Anyways, I got them back polished metal.. this doesn't seem accurate. Any advice on what to do?

In other news, the trim is making progress. I got my quarter window back from being welded and it came out great.

29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

CadillacGlasses

Update on the progress - we're almost at paint after a lot of time put into the rear fender fitment. I've started assembling the dashboard, trying to make a 53 glovebox hinge work, and cleaning a bunch of other components that I'll attach to it.

A keyboard stand works surprisingly well to hold a dashboard  ;D

I'm hoping to get the transmission looked at after comes from paint. Its been leaking through the tailshaft and I hope all it might be is the bearing...

The assembly stage seems extremely overwhelming, we'll see once I get it back in my garage, its been away for so long
29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

CadillacGlasses

#25
Messing around with trim parts... I put the V on the hood to feel what it'd be like to see trim on.. Hahah.

I was also hunting through old pictures, it was moved out at one point in 2018 as a total hot mess, crazy to look back and see your former self.

29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

CadillacGlasses

Paint prep progress and some work on the radio grille. We're getting the gaps right, taking time on the rear fender still. Getting close. I'm also collecting more chrome bits...
29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

CadillacGlasses

The car is painted! I'm waiting for it to arrive home this week, and then assembly will begin... But seeing it in the final color has been very inspiring. As mentioned, this is one of the special order chartreuse models, which was quite surprising to discover. I had no idea the color mattered, but in researching it, I fell in love with how unique it looks.

The last photo is my painter and I reminiscing through a video of me driving the car last summer, kinda cool to have those moments when you can reflect on milestones.
29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

CadillacGlasses

The car finally arrived to my house yesterday. Now I can finally begin building the car, so far I need to replace the fuel tank, install bumpers and latches, and begin installing and wiring lights... Already the rear bumper gasket got me learning patience, but I learned that dish soap goes a long way with weather-stripping.

29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

CadillacGlasses

I've mostly gotten the rear bumper on now. My friend and I realized one of the brackets seems bent and is pulling it towards the drivers side. We're going to try shimming the bracket to angle it inwards. Hopefully it works...

IMG_5077.JPEG

 
The bumper makes a huge difference on the car, even if its not completely fit...

The gasket is a pain to fit though.

That same evening, I spotted this really unique ATS convertible. Someone seems to have found a shop that could do it, I'm curious what top they used.

Over the weekend we hosted a really cool "homecoming party" for the car. Its always great to celebrate things, especially when they're transitions into new seasons (mine will now be a lot of me patiently figuring out problems). It was also cool to get my non-car friends together with my car friends.

29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

CadillacGlasses

I've reached a snag with my trim pieces. Has anyone had side molding warp from chrome plating? I don't know if this is what happened, but this freshly plated part seems to be peeling away from the body...

Its occurring at the rear, where the whole spear (which should be flat like the other side) is shaped like a banana. I may have to replace it.
29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

Eldovert

You may have to take that back to the plater..show them the pictures. They may be able to put the shape back in without screwing up the chrome.The back spears (which are tough to find) may need a plate on the back side so you can pull it into shape without distorting the quarter panel..of course, you can only put so much tension on the trim before it starts to pinch into the paint.
Cheers,Pat MacPhail

CadillacGlasses

Quote from: Eldovert on September 08, 2022, 10:55:35 AMYou may have to take that back to the plater..show them the pictures. They may be able to put the shape back in without screwing up the chrome.The back spears (which are tough to find) may need a plate on the back side so you can pull it into shape without distorting the quarter panel..of course, you can only put so much tension on the trim before it starts to pinch into the paint.
Cheers,Pat MacPhail

Good point- I realized I was starting to bend the metal on the quarter when tightening the trim down - I then stopped and decided to reflect for a while. I'll check with the plater and see if they have any ideas. I also was thinking of putting the piece on a tabletop and clamping it down to see if I could bend it. We shall see..
29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

harry s

I had the same problem with the rear fender spears on my '48 conv. When the spears were installed at the front of the fender the rear of spear was about four inches out from the fender. To compound the problem I had waited some period of time before discovering the problem. In that time span the plater which was a one man operation had passed on. I ended up having to make a template of the curve in the fender from wood and sending the spears to another plater which had to remove the chrome to allow for forming to the proper contour and then replating. Lesson learned, always check the completed work even if not to be used at the moment.    Harry
Harry Scott 4195
1941 6733
1948 6267X
2011 DTS Platinum

CadillacGlasses

Wow, Harry that's good to know, I fear this is similar with the plater unfortunately causing an issue. I definitely will be checking next time right when its done.

To experiment (before trying to replate, or replace) I've set up this jig in my workshop. Thinking through the direction the metal needs to be bent, I've tried holding it in place with clamps, hopefully bending the metal past its desired position.

IMG_5585.jpeg

IMG_5587.jpeg 

The first two show the warpage, second is a board underneath the straight part, suspending the part needing bending.

IMG_5588.jpeg

IMG_5589.jpeg 

These show the general idea, pushing one corner upwards, the errant one downwards.

IMG_5602.jpeg

It then required more force, so I used a second clamp to double the pressure, getting the warped corner to touch the benchtop.

IMG_5601.jpeg

68487324888__6CAD25E6-B481-4867-98E6-E1057DF8BC56.jpeg

We'll check back in a few days...   
29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

CadillacGlasses

I've been out of the practice of posting, so here goes a bit of catching up... over the winter I got a wiring harness from YnZ and begun rewiring the car (definitely worth it! for those on the fence, it is the right way to go. I couldn't figure out wiring from scratch, so switching from a universal painless kit to something that gives me instructions was the right call).

Other activities have been installing the dashboard (a few times) beginning the interior, sending the car to Rigg's Brothers in Downers Grove and doing the milling with friends to get the wood components started.

The dashboard has been mounted with the defroster duct inside. I had to remove it entirely to screw L brackets (from shelves) into it to get it to mount to the dashboard. There isn't really any proper way that I could conclude, so I accepted the privative nature of the era and 'just attached it' with a few holes in the plastic duct and screws.

29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

Cadillac Jack 82

I love seeing the progress on this car.
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

CadillacGlasses

Huntsman update - I may be skipping over a bunch of things since my last post, but I've been continuing to work on wiring and sorting out the transmission.



The transmission had a cracked tailshaft, so we had to replace that and redo the rear seals. I can't figure out if the trans is over filled or if there is a weak seal still, because it mildly leaks on the driveway/garage and that is going to be an issue (for my own well being, as it strains relationships of those who own said driveways I will park on)

Essentially I've got the car to the point where it will drive around the block, albeit sketchy. I was able to drive it home from the shop, which was about 2.5 miles. Apart from the coolant being low and it needing a jump at one point, it went pretty well.

I'm in the middle of trying to finish the rear arm rests in order to return the car to the interior shop - then I'll actually be able to drive the car with a real seat instead of a bucket or lounge chair...

29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)

Caddy Wizard

Not meant as a criticism of your car, but in the picture of the car on the trailer, it appears that the front of the front fender is too low and the front fender is pointing slightly down.  Probably needs more shims under the radiator core support at the frame.
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)

CadillacGlasses

Quote from: Caddy Wizard on August 24, 2023, 03:59:10 PMNot meant as a criticism of your car, but in the picture of the car on the trailer, it appears that the front of the front fender is too low and the front fender is pointing slightly down.  Probably needs more shims under the radiator core support at the frame.

Hey Art, it could be, I will try getting a good side view posted soon and see what you think. I remember the body guy was having a tough time getting the hood to fit, and it could definitely be off.
29645 - CLC West of Lake, CLCMRC Board Member

1949 Series 62 Conv. (in progress)