1951 Cadillac series62 sedan - Auckland, New Zealand.

[benx13]

I had another thread but deleted it so I could compile it all better.
I started in Mid 2017 and still going.

I'm located in Auckland, New Zealand.


Car purchased ex so cal via Craigslist in around 2013.
Had Chucks restoration supplies go and inspect the car, and ship it home.
I paid $10,000USD for the car. Landed to me in New Zealand for $19,750.

I drove the car around for a couple years but a severe oil leak (rear main) stopped me from getting the car legal, along with bad brakes and front floor pan rust.

[benx13]

In 2017 I pulled the car apart to restore.

I want everything factory correct with the exception of a modern air ride system.

I made a rotisserie and got the car on it 
Car got media blasted. Found a few things as per.
Blaster ruined the roof.
Every other part was dipped.

This is where I started the body work.

[benx13]

Body work.

Found some pin holes in the trunk floor.
Rocker panels were average.
Front floors need replacing.

I opened up a lot of other seems and treated them.
I spent a year working on the cab.

I got someone to door the bottoms of the rear doors.
Some touch ups here and there on the fenders and some work under the windscreen. Car had minor rot but small pin holes in a lot of places.
This took another year.

[benx13]

Engine off for rebuild.
I spent $8000 with a local guy.
The engine was unbelievably grubby. Built up from years of leaks.
This car is somewhat low mileage. 60,000miles however unkept.
He ended up doing absolutely everything incorrectly and ran with the money.

First rebuild pictured.

I painted the motor after many cycles through the hot tank using a product by POR-15 which is a correctly colour matched engine enamel.


Last photo - engine complete

[benx13]

Next up is the chassis.

I got a friend to give it a small C notch and install a 4 link.
C notch required to run factory (ish) sized tall tires. I'm running g78's.
Also out back I cut out the stock shock mount beam and replaced it with a tubular one.

In New Zealand everything must be signed off by engineers.
The chassis needed an inner capping installed to retain strength removed from the C notch.

Up front i trimmed out the spring pocket outer edge and put in a 3mm rolled and capped air spring cup to mount the air spring into. The shocks are mounted off the front.


I ended up making a mistake with the rear 4 link. The front needed to be remounted.
I initially tried to avoid having the four link go into the floor. But that was absolutely unavoidable

[benx13]

Some more photos of stripped chassis.
Also front air spring pocket.
Chopped out tunnel and ever so slightly raised it.

Four link now through the floor.

All covered in by the seat.

Rear panel over diff made and installed.

[benx13]

Car gapped and off to be panelled.

This took two weeks

[benx13]

2020. Christmas.

I had two weeks to prime, paint, and flow coat the car.

I spend just over 200 hours. Over 65 litres of paint.
Over $6000 in paint product.
Everything here is a bit more expensive than state side.

I went with a 1952 colour named Sarasota green. I got an original paint chip/card/sample ex USA and colour matched it and had it formulated.
Base clear. Let it dry for two days and re clear.
The roof I matched also, it was closest to a Volkswagen Golf colour from the 90's, so went with that.


The roof white was matched.

[benx13]

I ran out of time before paint to do the underneath and chassis.

I sprayed inside the cabin and trunk with black raptor liner and the underside I sprayed raptor liner which is tintable. Tinted with the Sarasota green.

Chassis , arms, diff etc all sandblasted and then a direct to metal valspar product applied.

[benx13]

Im jumping around a bit, but I'm 2019, maybe 2020 I suspected the motor wasn't done right.
I was browsing photos and saw the heads didn't get machined or anything.

I had the motor looked at by a local builder and it needed to be all re done.

Motor was stripped, machined, 40 over pistons, new cam, new everything

I don't have any photos of it stripped, but after the built the block and heads I started painting.

Direct to metal valspar again. Matched to the correct Cadillac blue.
I hated the engine enamel I used originally so I'm glad I changed it.
The valspar has been build and appears fuller.


Also are some photos of the carb. I wanted the same matte gold plating. It's not available here. After some samples my electroplater did a gold zinc without the top coat. He said it will last forever / as long as zinc plating lasts.
It looks great still it's been done for about 1.5 years.

Fuel pump and bowl were blue zinc plated. I did all the bolts either blue zinc or blue zinc replacements. Gold lines.

Painted the trans the matching blue. I didn't rebuild the trans. Only serviced.
I fear what I will find, it will cost, and it was perfect before.

Engines finally finished. I picked it up may '22 and installed the same day.
I spent over $25,000 on this second rebuild.

They ran the cam/motor in and hasn't leaked a drip of oil. It's fantastic. I'm very happy with it.

Note the exhaust manifolds not coated.
Am looking into that.
Nothing is going back on the car unless plated/refurbished/new

[benx13]

Forgot to post up the wheels!
My favourite bit.

I went to the states in 2019 to visit caddy daddy and Allcads.
I got some really cool bits.
I bought a pickup and shipped it home full of bits and pieces.

I also got a set of G 78 tires.

I'm very particular with tires. They make or break a car to me.
My car has L78's from factory. They were a bit too big to tuck away with lowering the car.

I was quoted around $3500 to purchase tires locally.
I don't recall what I paid USD for them, but it was a lot less.


Fourth photo is caddy daddy.
After that is allcads.


I got some really great bits from Ed @ Allcads. I got a beautiful set of sedan sill trims.

[dogbergs]

Hi there Benx,

Really nice to see another mans pile of parts, visions, problems, solutions on the other side of the planet.
The feeling is "familliar" and I wish you the best!
You are a painter by profession?

Johan / Sweden

[benx13]

Hi Johan.
Yes. Painter by trade.
Thanks for your words.

Hi there Benx,

Really nice to see another mans pile of parts, visions, problems, solutions on the other side of the planet.
The feeling is "familliar" and I wish you the best!
You are a painter by profession?

Johan / Sweden