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Longest Cadillac being restored

Started by cadillactim, May 16, 2020, 08:51:46 PM

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The Tassie Devil(le)

Probably deteriorated because it was of no real-world use, and couldn't reasonable be driven anywhere.

I remember going to the N.H.R.A. Museum in Pomona, California in 2002, and outside, in the weather, corroding away was the Land Speed Record Holder, Golden Rod.   At least it was sitting on a trailer.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

cadillactim

One wonders, why even restore it? What value is it?

Tim
Tim Groves

Mike Josephic CLC #3877

Quote from: cadillactim on May 16, 2020, 09:21:01 PM
One wonders, why even restore it? What value is it?

Tim

I have to agree with Tim on that comment.  It's a
monstrosity.  It's ugly enough to being a tear to the
eye of a real Cadillac lover.  Let it "rest in peace".

Mike
1955 Cadillac Eldorado
1973 Cadillac Eldorado
1995 Cadillac Seville
2004 Escalade
1997 GMC Suburban 4X4, 454 engine, 3/4 ton
custom built by Santa Fe in Evansville, IN
2011 Buick Lucerne CX
-------------------------------------
CLCMRC Museum Benefactor #38
Past: VP International Affiliates, Museum Board Director, President / Director Pittsburgh Region

chrisntam

Quote from: Mike Josephic  CLC #3877 on May 16, 2020, 09:38:13 PM
Let it "rest in peace".
Mike

I think "put it out of it's misery" would be more appropriate.

;)
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

Scot Minesinger

I wonder how it turned?  Agree, not worth restoring.
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

fishnjim

What else one going to do with a gaggle of '76s?
Reminds me of my single digit years, "we" decided to take all our bikes apart and hook together end to end to make a long multi-rider one.   
After we got them all apart, we realized it wouldn't work.
Look BEFORE you leap...

wrench

#7
Lol, I can imagine how long it took the car strippers to strip that thing...

I count 24 tires. So just stealing the hubcaps would have taken a week...

Looks like they got tired of stealing the tires and just left some of them...
1951 Series 62 Sedan
1969 Eldorado
1970 Eldorado (Triple Black w/power roof)
1958 Apache 3/4 ton 4x4
2005 F250
2014 FLHP
2014 SRX

TJ Hopland

Was there ever a detailed write up on the details of how that car was built?   Just one engine and pair of drive wheels?  And like others ask about how it turned and went over bumps and hills.  OR was maybe those things one of the many flaws in the design?
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Glen

Quote from: Scot Minesinger on May 17, 2020, 08:55:26 AM
I wonder how it turned?  Agree, not worth restoring.

I vaguely remember that to move it any distance it had to be disassembled.  It came apart in sections and each section was trailered to the location. 
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Cadman-iac

The article said that it was hinged in the middle so that it could be turned, but even with that, you're still turning two 50 foot long pieces of a very heavy vehicle.
I have to agree that it's not something worth restoring, however it would be interesting to look at and see how it was engineered. I would like to know how many engines were in it, and how he got the front wheels synchronized in a turn.
Another curiosity would be the hood. How did it operate, in sections, or all one piece, or what? The doors are simple enough, and so too the remaining axles under the rear of each section.
The hinged part was probably copied from a bus. I remember the hinged buses in Germany that ran on narrow streets when I was there in the late 70's. They had an accordion type of seal between the two sections and hinged on what was basically a fifth wheel plate.
A curiosity for sure, but not something worth the time, money, and effort of restoration.

Rick
CLC# 32373
1956 Coupe Deville A/C car "Norma Jean"

cadillactim

I thought I read it had two engines, and got 1 mpg. I wonder what it cost to build. Someone with too much money to waste. And the cost to restore - yikes! Those Eldorado hubcaps are like gold now.

Tim
Tim Groves

Cadman-iac

Quote from: cadillactim on May 18, 2020, 09:47:55 AM
I thought I read it had two engines, and got 1 mpg.

Tim

That I can believe!! That's probably being overly optimistic too!
CLC# 32373
1956 Coupe Deville A/C car "Norma Jean"

TJ Hopland

So at 1mpg did you have to fill the hot tub with gas to do a road trip?   Have your helicopter do an 'in flight' refueling?   I suppose there was room for fuel tanks inside.   Anyone ever see the movie 'the big  bus'?    It was from 1976 and this car is just a 1 story version of that minus a bunch of features.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

veesixteen

Such "monsters" are needed to allow us to better appreciate our cars and their designers.
Check out this other Ohrberg "Monster" (under "Ohrberg", in the Cadillac Database). My son photgraphed the abandoned "Gui-Car" on France's Côte d'Azur", in the 90s:

http://www.newcadillacdatabase.org/static/CDB/Dbas_txt/Drm67-69.htm
Yann Saunders, CLC #12588
Compiler and former keeper of "The Cadillac Database"
aka "MrCadillac", aka "Veesixteen"

Glen

#15
I think this is the one Yann is referring to.
Its a long way to scroll down to the pic, so I copied it here. 
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

veesixteen

Yann Saunders, CLC #12588
Compiler and former keeper of "The Cadillac Database"
aka "MrCadillac", aka "Veesixteen"