60 Eldorado Seville, Where do I stop?

[76eldo]

This is a long post, so I apologize in advance.  I am providing a lot of detail because I am looking for opinions.

OK, I have a barn find 60 Eldorado Seville.  It's actually a double barn find.  The guy I bought it from pulled it out of a garage in 1995 or so and it was sitting for a while.

He said he had it running and driving and had new rear air bags installed at a shop near where he lives many years ago.  On the way back to his garage he started smelling gas and parked the car.  He said that the fuel pump diaphragm had ruptured and the fuel pump allowed gas to get into the crankcase.  He drained the oil out of the engine, never replaced the fuel pump, and let the car sit for close to 20 years.

I was selling some parts at an AACA flea market last year and the former owner of this car noticed that I had some 60 Eldo parts for sale.  A tri power unit, and some Eldo wheel covers.  We started talking and he told me he had this 60 Eldorado Seville he wanted to sell.  The price seemed fair for what he was describing, but when he said the car was black with an all leather red and white interior he hit my hot button.  That was on a Sunday, and I bought it the following Tuesday.  I did not know at the time that the engine was seized and I have posted previously about my many efforts to get this engine to turn over.  Once I had secured another 60 Eldorado engine, I pulled this one out and took it apart.  It's a real mess inside, coolant in the cylinders, but probably rebuildable.  I have a complete running low mileage 60H code Tri Power engine and trans from a beautiful Seville that is currently becoming someone's $350,000.00 custom creation.  That's right, Three Hundresd and Fifty Grand.

They lifted the body from the frame and I bought the complete chassis with all the proper 390 Tri Power goodies, AC parts, radiator, fuel tank, full wiring harness, everything you can think of that's not the body.  But I am getting off track...

So, the engine bay is empty.  It's a 38K mile car, but it's dirty and greasy and I figure while the engine is out, it's a good time to remove and refinish all of the front radiator support pans, inner fenders, splash apron, and it will be easier to install the engine and trans with the core support removed.

So... today I started on that.  Seems that you cannot remove the core support without removing the inner fenders, or maybe the outer fenders too.  If I do all of that, then I have to remove the rocker panel stainless.  Once the bare frame is exposed I can clean, clean, clean.  Then do I remove all of the brake and air and other lines to that I can properly paint the frame and have the proper finishes on the fasteners and lines.  Then do I overhaul the front suspension?  See where I am going here?

So I can either keep pulling parts, bagging and tagging as I go and make this a really time consuming ordeal, or just scrub what I can and spray bomb everything black, get the engine back in and be driving it in a few weeks.

The car also needs paint and the chrome is just OK, straight and somewhat shiny, but all there.  Stainless is mint as it is, and the interior will clean up well enough to use as is.

So, your thoughts....................... Get it running quick and leave it greasy and the way it is, or restore the engine compartment while the engine is out? 

That's the question.

Brian

[David Greenburg]

Brian:

Been down that road on a more limited scale (paint and bodywith mine.  I think you either need to do pretty much all, or pretty much nothing.  If you go halfway, assuming you keep the car, you'll find in a few years that you're redoing things you've already done. I'm sure you realize that whatever you initially decide to do, you will wind up doing more.

Don't worry about removing the rocker stainless; it's very easy. About 6 big screws on the bottom of the car, a couple of gentle upward taps with a rubber mallet and they're off.  In fact, if I were you, I would pop them off to see what's under there.  It's almost like they were designed to cover up prime rust spots. If I buy another '59 or '60 Eldo, I'm going to insist on removing this trim as part of the inspection unless there is documentation of no rust.

Good luck; sounds like a nice and unusual car.

[76eldo]

I'll probably end up pulling the front fenders and inners so that I can do the engine compartment nicely.  Save is an issue as far as storing the fenders while I am doing the work.

I did notice that the rockers looked easy to deal with.

Leaning in that direction.

Thanks
Brian

[Scot Minesinger]

Agree with David, all or nothing, probably leaning towards all if it were me.

Enjoy,

Scot

[savemy67]

Hello Brian,

"So I can either keep pulling parts, bagging and tagging as I go and make this a really time consuming ordeal, or just scrub what I can and spray bomb everything black, get the engine back in and be driving it in a few weeks."

I hope "spray bomb" is just a figure of speech.  If by spray bomb you mean masking off parts that should not be painted black, and painting what remains exposed, think in terms of how long it will take you to mask things (hoses, wires, fasteners, assemblies, etc.).  I would think it would be about the same amount of time to remove everything once, clean, paint, and reassemble.  You would probably be happier with the result.

If by spray bomb you literally mean an under-the-hood Earl Scheib paint-the-tires-and-windows paint job, by all means it will be less time consuming, but not very pretty.  They may say that time is of the essence, but they also say haste makes waste.  Weigh your time against the outcome and decide which is more important to you.  Good luck.

Christopher Winter

[59-in-pieces]

Brian,
My experience is with 59 Eldos - but very similar to 60's.
If you have the abilities, it may not be wise to remove all the many many many - did I say many enough times - pieces of the front of the car to get the engine and trans in.
I would remove the front clip in one piece - that is fenders to core support and inner fenders & perhaps the hood and certainly the grill as separate pieces.
This will allow you access to the engine bay and allow you to clean up and paint away all the engine bay black parts to your hearts content - including masking the frame and brake and fuel lines etc., etc..
A word of caution - you should drill pilot holes next to the mounting hardware through to the underlying metal in order to realign the clip when you reaffix it to the car, that includes the hood. - and the individual parts if that's the way you go.
The pilot holes will save you innumerable hours, particularly if you take the front apart - piece by piece.
The fit and reveals between parts is critical for appearance = wont look like you slapped them together.
If you are not up to a full restoration - but a non-frame off - clean and bomb the heck out of the engine compartment and drive and enjoy the car, sooner than later.
A restoration is not like polishing the toe of your shoe - polish the whole shoe.
Although, refurbished cars can be just as enjoyable with less experience, effort, time, and resources as a full on restoration.
Lots of folks here at the ready to help you to get going, whichever route you decide to take.
Have fun,
Steve B.

[76eldo]

I have done full and partial restorations before.

I do not want to completely restore the car but I can see the need and can justify removing the front end sheet metal in order to do a nice job on the underhood area.

Brian

[Chris Conklin]

Get it running quick and leave it greasy and the way it is, or restore the engine compartment while the engine is out? 

Seems like you're more than half-way there to restore the front end. What do you intend to do with the car? That may answer the questions.

A question I have; what is the roof like? Still covered in vicodec?

[76eldo]

Chris

The roof has a little bit of the old Viodec on it. The top layer is mainly gone and the padding is there.

Here's what I decided to do.  I'm taking the fenders off. Taking the inner fenders off. Slowly.
I'm photographing, making notes, and bagging and tagging all of the fasteners.

There are a lot of parts to keep track of and I will never be able to put this back together from memory. I am bringing the fenders and hood to a local body shop to paint while they are off of the car.  I will refinish the inner fenders and aprons and pans too.

Ill be cleaning the front of the frame and getting the engine  back in it and will build it back up.

It's going to be a lot of work. After its back in running shape I'll need to pull all of the moldings and get the rest of the paint done.  The car is black, not a pastel shade and no firemist so paint matching should not be an issue.

Then there's the chrome....

I guess I'm like Michael Corleone. I said no more projects bit here they go dangling a 60
Eldo in my face. So I'm back in...

Brian

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

You stop when your wife says you have spent enough time and money.
Been there, Done that.
Jeff

[Bill Young]

I personally would weigh do I want to keep this car as a driver and so get Her together sooner rather than later or do you want a trailer queen number one. And number two do you ever want to sell it and if so what do you expect to recover from it vs. what you put into it?

[76eldo]

Not ever going to be a trailer queen.  I understand and respect the people who choose to do their cars to that extent but it's not my one and only car and I just want to take the opportunity since the drive train is out, to clean, degrease, and refinish the engine compartment and front frame area as best as I can.

I have totally restored cars before and I do not want to do this car to that level.  A nice clean driver/occasional show participant is what I am after.

Regarding the wife factor, I am very fortunate in that my wife lets me do whatever I want to do regarding the cars and I keep my finances that relate to the cars totally separated from my household cash.  Luckily she appreciates the cars and understands that these are good investments.

I will start a thread in the restoration forum and start taking photos as I go.

Thanks for the input,

Brian