http://www.acmefluid.com.au/larry/3000.htmlI know its not a Cadillac but this guy has a very big job ahead of him.
Stampie
I wonder what the shipping alone cost, Im sure they charge more for a car that needed extra care in shipping rather than a solid rollable car.
Well he only needs, a body, frame, tires, rechrome the rims, glass, interior, possible a motor and transmission rebuilt, other than that it looks to be restorable piece :)
Gday fellas,
Now you see why I dont like rust, and, why I will travel to personally inspect a car, no matter where it is. Spending a couple of thousand dollars on a trip and a holiday, and saying no thanks, is far better than being stuck with a freight bill, Customs and Import duties of a piece of junk.
Ill bet the bloke in Houston was laughing all the way to the bank when he got paid for it.
I converted a 68 Corvette that was purchased from pictures. If the seller had taken the same pictures, but from the opposite sides, and angles, then the car would have never left USA.
Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV
P.S. I do hate rust.
That cars going to break someones heart. Badly...
--
Matt Harwood
Cleveland, OH
My 1941 Buick Century restoration:
http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/index.html
Maybe it will totally run away while it is being shipped there and when the open the container only fine piles of rust. Then he can assume it was stolen and collect...LOL!
Well, the car is a wreck! But the guy seems to have done this before from what I could see on his web site. Good that another classic car is saved :-)
I know I would jump at the opportunity to buy a 1953 Eldorado in this condition. I cannot afford to buy one in good condition but spending +ten years of work and spreading the cost over time could work.
I was really disapointed when I missed the 53 Eldo that sold for $1500 on eBay a while back. But from what I understand the seller did not honor the deal, that would really have annoyed me.
In Yanns fantastic Cadillac database there is a fascinating photo of a 53 Eldorado in really poor condition. But if the car was in that condition in the early 80ies ...
That image is here:
http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_eld/el53wrk.jpg/Rikard
1973 Eldorado Pace Car Replica but dreaming of a 1953 Eldorado
http://www.bfm.nu/lul2.jpg
It gets worse! Type "Acme Fluid" into google and search Australian web sites and you get a web page for a factory in suburban Melbourne, Victoria. Half an hours drive from this place is a workshop called The Healey Factory where they sell, you guessed it, Austin Healys. Dozens of them! You can buy anything from fully restored cars down to solid cars that need a full restoration, priced accordingly. AND they are already right hand drive, suitable for Australian conditions. Unless this car has some kind of special history, then this is crazy!
My $0.02
Greg.
You might as well build one from scratch!
What a mess! Compared to this piece of scrap, the 56 Biarritz I bought long ago and did cost me 10 years to restore was almost in "perfect condition"! By the way, Im calling my Biarritz "Belle-Rouille"! (Nice Rust in English)
Roger
.
And you guys questioned my sanity on the 76 CDV?
Stampie,
Whats the big deal? All he needs is a completely different frame, a completely different body, a different engine, trans, and rear, all new interior, exterior, trim, accessories, and basically everything!!
Maybe he can re-use the license plate screws!
I restored a rusty project car, and between the missing and rusted parts, and the normal cost of doing s complete body-off restoration, I would never do it again.
Buy cars that run, drive them, enjoy them, and upgrade certain things to show condition as you are driving the car.
This guy is nuts to take this on, and it will never get done.
It makes no sense to put that much time and money into a car that you can find every day of the week for sale.
MAYBE, if this was lets say, THE first 1953 vette built, or something historically signifigant, but this things a joke.
He should cut his losses NOW.
Brian
I remember going to a Buick dealership in Pontiac, Michigan in the late 70s. The owner had old cars in back, in addition to a multi-story parking garage, junkyard, and assorted buildings around town. He collected old, mostly rusted out junk. In the back of the dealership was a 53 Eldorado. He wanted $5000 for it. The car had no top, the seats were missing, and it was left in the open to collect rain and snow. I just laughed and walked away. Buick ended up yanking his franchise.
Yes he has a big job ahead of him. But let us try and remember that people do projects for different reasons. Perhaps he wants to restore this particular car and do it ground up because he wants to experience the process? Who knows...all I can say is that when you get into the hobby, most of us do it for a variety of reasons, namely to own, drive and show a classic. Some do it because they love the restoration process. I could not afford this, however my son has done it. It took a lot of time, more money, and a great deal of detailed work. Unfortunately he was forced to sell the car before it was completely restored but he proved a rusting hulk could be restored. I was amazed, and he was just 14 at the time. By the time he was 17, the car was ready for the new body and engine. He still talks about that car. That and the 1960 Cadillac that burned. Both were his projects and he loved them. The cars he has now were bought partially or completely restored and do not seem to mean the same.
We are rebuilding my 1956 Cadillac. Initially all I wanted was a driver, but the more I do on it, the more it means to me, and the more Id like to see it restored to its former glory when it was sold in July of 1956....my birth month.
I suspose this is just a way of saying "To each his own". What is insanity to some may be a blessing to others. If completed, this man, I am sure, will have a special connection with this car....or hate it completely. Thats special too, isnt it??? :)
Stampie,
Whats the big deal? All he needs is a completely different frame, a completely different body, a different engine, trans, and rear, all new interior, exterior, trim, accessories, and basically everything!!
Maybe he can re-use the license plate screws!
I restored a rusty project car, and between the missing and rusted parts, and the normal cost of doing s complete body-off restoration, I would never do it again.
Buy cars that run, drive them, enjoy them, and upgrade certain things to show condition as you are driving the car.
This guy is nuts to take this on, and it will never get done.
It makes no sense to put that much time and money into a car that you can find every day of the week for sale.
MAYBE, if this was lets say, THE first 1953 vette built, or something historically significant, but this things a joke.
He should cut his losses NOW.
Brian
Well, not really but check out this "Rustang", man those things must have come from the factory with no paint other than the topcoat.
Makes my free 67 CDV look good and solid.
http://www.karmustang.com/resto1.htmPorter
Cool, $5000 was a lot of money in the late 70ies though. But anyway, it was a 53 Eldorado :-)
Hey, I have never even seen a 53 Eldo in real life... They are rather scarse up here. I know of two though, one in rather poor condition only a few hours South of me and one really nice just a short drive from our summer house. Maybe I can pop by this summer and have a peek :-)
Cheerio!
/Rikard
I wonder how long that thing was under water.
Indeed, my 56 Biarritz was in a better shape than the Mustang. And much more easier to repair: I could find a used trunk floor and rear passenger floor from a Serie 62 Sedan. Both pieces were in a rather good shape. I had to adapt the rear passenger floor from the 4 door to the shape of a convertible, but it was not an impossible task. By chance, the frame was very good; it needed only to be sandblasted.
I let you imagine what the transportation costs were to deliver the floors from California to Switzerland!
Roger
Roger,
They built 100s of 1,000s of those Mustangs every year and they have almost a cult following, (not that anyone would accuse Cadillac aficianados of cult status) henceforth all the aftermarket sheetmetal.
Body on frame has been called a restorers dream, I guess the Mustang would be called a restorers nightmare, and most other unibody cars for that matter.
People like to restore cars and they are allows getting scarce as time goes by.
At some point you have to draw the line, strip the parts off and find a car that still has some steel left.
Porter
Hey Roger, how is the 56 coming?
We have a 1967 Mustang, and while it is not an engineering marvel, it sure is a fun car to drive. :)
Well, Im driving it since 3 years; not a lot, because of the vapor lock problem. Now, I have put the electrical fuel pump in parallel; Im waiting for Summertime to do tests...Right now, its freezing here in Switzerland; not a weather for a convertible.
My other 56, a Sedan de Ville, is maybe more common; however, it was an easy car to restore and I have barely trouble with it. Im driving it since 20 years!
Porter: a body on frame is really a dream. I was not aware that early Mustangs are so popular in the USA. They dont have the same appeal in Europe, if Im not wrong.
Roger
You should see a photo of my 1928 Cadillac 341-A
http://www.cadillacqld.com/Members/kenandersen.htmIt was said at the time by some Cadillac folks in the States that it was and I was, a "basket" case.
This was 2 years ago. If you would like photos of how it looks now, please email me.
Gday Ken,
The difference with your car, and the Austin, is that your parts would fit in a "Basket". The Austin rust would fall through the gaps in the "Basket" and leave a nasty stain on the floor.
Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV
P.S. Have I told you I hate rust.
Hey Bruce,
Would need a big basket to hold it as well as a big basket to hold the cash that I have already spent.
Very close to a pile of rust.
The fellow is sick with the car collector bug to restore that.
02-28-05
IVE seen sicker dogs then that get well!
Good Luck, Jim
Have any of you guys that call this restorer "sick" ever heard of the word "c h a l l e n g e" ?
You know the stuff that builds bridges and space shuttles and invents light bulbs!