Blue Mistress (55 FW)

[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.

[novetti]

Big job and budget !

Keep us posted on the progress. Good Luck !

[Caddy Wizard]

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...

[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!!!

[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).

[Caddy Wizard]

A few more pictures...

[Lexi]

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

[Caddy Wizard]

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.

[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.

[55 CDV Fan 82]

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

[35-709]

A Toyota in every fender.