My Wagon was lonely........so

I found a room mate for it in Iowa. My next winters project.

Very Pretty!!

Nice! And my second favorite color too!

Nice pair you have there.....

very nice, cant wait to see more, didn't winter just get done

bamalongroof wrote:

Nice pair you have there.....

Isn't that a pick up line?

rabalc wrote:

very nice, cant wait to see more, didn't winter just get done

Winter may be gone but it sure is not forgotten in my mind.

The illness has began,beautiful caddy too!

Jealous! I would love a Triple Black Fleetwood myself..

We should start a poll. How many of us own both a Fleetwood and a wagon?

kadonte wrote:

bamalongroof wrote:

Nice pair you have there.....

Isn't that a pick up line?

Yes.... I saw a nice white fleetwood today local to me with a driver maybe in his 80's went to go look for his home but didn't find it but its a small town..... Jeff

Congrats! Eager to see what you do with it!

Chris

bamalongroof wrote:

kadonte wrote:

bamalongroof wrote:

Nice pair you have there.....

Isn't that a pick up line?

Yes.... I saw a nice white fleetwood today local to me with a driver maybe in his 80's went to go look for his home but didn't find it but its a small town..... Jeff

y'all beat me to it, lol

nice caddy btw.

I'm also a dual citizen

I placed the new addition in an open section of the shop. I got it as high as needed to be able to work under it. If I were a seasoned car guy I would be able to judge whether I am in a win or lose position with the Fleetwood. I thought I may solicit opinions, advice and recommendations from you who are more knowledgeable. I have been over the entire car and have found a few rust areas that I need to fix. The areas are sporadic on the floor pan. I scraped from front to rear and have found 4 or 5 pin holes that could be poked through. I feel confident that I can cut out those areas and weld new metal in, and seal the underside with rust encapsulator and coat with a spray rubber coating. Frame is solid with surface rust.
The sheet metal and paint as well as the vinyl top are in overall good to excellent condition. Interior is excellent. Mechanically, it was a one owner car and serviced throughout it's life at a Cadillac dealer. The engine has 155k miles, no leaks aside from a weeping oil cooler line and a visible almost drip of coolant from the front seal of the water pump, one brake line replace and by the looks of it the other needs replacing also. Posi rear end was replaced within the past 20k miles. Remainder of services were performed like clock work and all records from the dealer are with the car. It runs, shifts and rides as it should. The entire front end steering components have been replaced within the last 6 months. New tires all around. The Fleetwood is a tow optioned car but has never had a hitch put on. It is a clean Carfax car, stored most winters. It was owned by a 78 year old couple.

My original plan/goal is to repair and seal the under carriage, spot repair paint chips, buff and polish. Mechanically I am replacing oil cooler lines, front shocks, water pump and broken bolts on the exhaust manifold. As with the Roadmaster, it will be stored in the shop from October through May, and used a little in the summer months. About 300 miles or so I would imagine judging what mileage I put on the Roadmaster. I plan on keeping the Fleetwood and the Roadmaster just in case they may be a hoot for my kids or grand kids.
Now with all that litany said, the question is whether to stick the time and money into this Fleetwood as a "keeper", or to look for a better conditioned and lower mileage car. I paid 2500 for the car, and assume that was a good price for the vehicle I got. so....Opinions? Thanks in advance.

   

I'll chime in with one opinion to me the service history and being a one owner car is worth about 2 grand of saved aggravation and repair. So in my mind you got a car that can be a keeper with your skills on the wagon this looks as though it is not beyond your talents. Jeff

Unload this caddy for 2500 and start looking for a cherry rust free car from the south.Save yourself all that work and start with a rust free car to make your own.This car is going to take a lot of work just to fix those holes,by the way I want to see what your PINS as in "pin holes" look like because those are 3 finger holes at the least.

Flasheroo wrote:

Unload this caddy for 2500 and start looking for a cherry rust free car from the south.Save yourself all that work and start with a rust free car to make your own.This car is going to take a lot of work just to fix those holes,by the way I want to see what your PINS as in "pin holes" look like because those are 3 finger holes at the least.

I don't want to brag, but I do have big pins.......

I should have expounded on that sentence. They began as poking through as pin holes.....and got a bit bigger. But they are all surrounded by nice metal.

Appreciate your input

bamalongroof wrote:

I'll chime in with one opinion to me the service history and being a one owner car is worth about 2 grand of saved aggravation and repair. So in my mind you got a car that can be a keeper with your skills on the wagon this looks as though it is not beyond your talents. Jeff

Thanks for the insight.

Whatever you do please take some shots of these 2 cars together once all cleaned up!

Do want you want,.. you will anyway,..

To me being from the north east,. those are just small drainage holes,. 

Looks like a decent car,. people seem to obsess about the underside of their cars,.

i,ve been to a lot of get togethers,. and i haven't spent anytime looking under cars,..

the car came with the 3:42 gears? if so it must be really nice to drive,..

Nick
really suffering these days from fleetwood envy,.. 

After seeing what you did with your RM I would think you will have no problem getting the Fleetwood repaired.  Reminds me of my first car, 1966 Caprice 2 door ht, had pinholes like that, but the frame was rusted so bad the lower control arm let loose on the way to the drive in with six of us in it.  Wish I had that car today.

Here is a pic of me in 1985 working on my pinholes  

phantom 309 wrote:

Do want you want,..  you will anyway,.. 

A Jack Kerouac moment, or sage advice of Parmenides of Elea? 

rabalc wrote:

After seeing what you did with your RM I would think you will have no problem getting the Fleetwood repaired.  Reminds me of my first car, 1966 Caprice 2 door ht, had pinholes like that, but the frame was rusted so bad the lower control arm let loose on the way to the drive in with six of us in it.  Wish I had that car today.

Here is a pic of me in 1985 working on my pinholes  

Thanks for the input, at least I have a pretty good frame. Great picture by the way

kadonte wrote:

phantom 309 wrote:

Do want you want,..  you will anyway,.. 

A Jack Kerouac moment, or sage advice of Parmenides of Elea? 

more towards niki tolstoy,.

that rust is nothing on the fleetwood. looks like a clean car to me. cut and weld or pack and fill, its not that hard. id say you got a good deal.

I'd say that one is a keeper. After what you did to the Roady this one should not be a challenge. For me the fact that it has an excellent service history outweighs the minor rust.I'm also a big fan of really clean interiors, as they are much more difficult to repair than some minor rust. My Fleetwood was a one owner car that was well cared for, and 4 years later, it is still a very reliable car.Besides, if you got a rust free car, what would you do over the winter?

I had another thought. Your color (any color,really) looks great with the factory chrome wheels. I got lucky and got mine for $300 delivered from a junk yard in Pittsburgh to my house in Florida. Also, I really love the slightly wider white walls of the Runway Enduro tires. They ride great, and at $70 or so each are a smokin' deal.

Mark 96 Roady wrote:

I had another thought. Your color (any color,really) looks great with the factory chrome wheels. I got lucky and got mine for $300 delivered from a junk yard in Pittsburgh to my house in Florida. Also, I really love the slightly wider white walls of the Runway Enduro tires. They ride great, and at $70 or so each are a smokin' deal.

Thanks for the input. It is a nice car, and looking on-line produces nicer conditioned cars but out of the price range that I would be willing to pay. Dollar wise it seems that I got a pretty fair car for the model and year. So on with the project with it this winter.
I would love to find a set of chrome rims at that kind of price point. Any I have located have been too expensive to make it feasible.

Make sure if you do find some chrome rims that you get the center caps as well. The non chrome centers fit, and look virtually the same, but the outer ring is chrome for chrome wheels, and brushed for the brushed wheels. When I first bought mine I didn't want to spend the extra $75 for the 4 center caps, but once I put the brushed centers on the chrome wheels I changed my mind and bought the correct ones. Boy am I glad I did because I found out later they are like hen's teeth. And, I re read your wagon build last night again, and I had an idea that by now you may have figured out, but I thought I'd mention. Any time you do automotive painting, always have a second gun just for priming. It doesn't even have to be an expensive gun, but as you obviously learned the hard way, a little bit of primer in your top coat really does not look so good!

Mark 96 Roady wrote:

Make sure if you do find some chrome rims that you get the center caps as well. The non chrome centers fit, and look virtually the same, but the outer ring is chrome for chrome wheels, and brushed for the brushed wheels. When I first bought mine I didn't want to spend the extra $75 for the 4 center caps, but once I put the brushed centers on the chrome wheels I changed my mind and bought the correct ones. Boy am I glad I did because I found out later they are like hen's teeth. And, I re read your wagon build last night again, and I had an idea that by now you may have figured out, but I thought I'd mention. Any time you do automotive painting, always have a second gun just for priming. It doesn't even have to be an expensive gun, but as you obviously learned the hard way, a little bit of primer in your top coat really does not look so good!

I now have two guns...................and a few new words in my vocabulary, thanks.

late to the dance, but looks good, just fix the holes and move on. Agree 100% on the service history part.

3.42 gears? Is this a V4P (tow pack) car? If so, it's pretty rare.

stewzer55 wrote:

3.42 gears? Is this a V4P (tow pack) car? If so, it's pretty rare.

Well that's good to know, cloud lining is getting more silver as I go along. Thanks.

Sprocket wrote:

late to the dance, but looks good, just fix the holes and move on.  Agree 100% on the service history part.  

Great Mr. Sprocket, Thanks.

I think you got yourself a great deal, as already mentioned a nice interior and solid maintenance history are pluses. Sure there are cleaner rust free examples out there...but your going to pay for them. Another option is to find a southern car in the same colors and transfer your soft bits onto it...and then sell your "rusty" one with the southern cars soft bits. Of course if you elected to go that route you would not have a winter project and we would not be able to enjoy your build pictures/posts....so just go ahead and fix that one

Check the SPID if its a factory 3.42 car then its fairly rare and in the fastest color! Factory chrome rims are a must...they will pop against the DCM.

Can't wait to see the progress pictures and the end result.

Maybe just a little more of a project than I had hoped for. Looking about under the Fleetwood's hood I saw that the drain tube from the heater box was MIA. Also, one bolt on passenger side exhaust manifold and at least two on the drivers side apparently took off with the tube to parts unknown. I had decided to remove the inner wheel wells to allow me to get into the bolts with a welder more easily. I thus far have the passenger side out. Not in to bad of shape, a little raggedy up by the battery tray, but good enough for who it's for. Then I started to wonder where did all the excess moisture go if not down the tube to terra firma. Peeling the front passenger carpet back enlightened me fully. So here's a pic or three to start this journey..................










I doubt the factory telephone is going to work.................

I cleaned and sealed both wheel wells then sprayed them with rubber sealant "as seen on TV" stuff. I'm hoping this stuff is as tough as it is advertised. I found a bargain sale on the sealant and have enough to do the whole car underneath. I can tell so far that it sticks like glue to the wells that I sprayed, so the initial feeling is good. The car has had all new front suspension put on it, new KYB shocks and brakes being done this week, and the remainder of the rust areas addressed. The first piece of the replacement metal has been put in the front passenger floor. There is two more pieces to be fitted and that PIA will be as done as I am going to do. The white coating is a commercial Bostik moisture core adhesive/sealant used in the marine field. A vendor left a case of sausage sized soft tubes of it, and once applied it goes nowhere;remains pliable, and is not affected by temperature or moisture. Sloppy as heck to put on with a putty knife, but the end product should keep the panel and surrounding metal good for a long time. Posted are a few progress pictures. Not pretty, but I,m tryin'.








And a couple areas in the back seat by the drain hole and fender well inner lip............

perfect,...as long as water stays out,. passengers stay in,.. its all good,.
put down a layer of ice shield before the carpet,.

And so it came to pass that the Fleetwood is as done as I am going to get it. All the issues I could find were addressed as I found them. All in all it is a good well taken care of vehicle I believe. It sports a new front suspension, front shocks, brakes, water pump, power steering high pressure hose set, new tires all around, rear brakes, all rust areas (2 total) repaired and sealed, rust scale removed, sprayed with rust converter, sealed and undercoated with rubber sealant. Body has been compound buffed, polished and waxed. All chips have been touched up, Vinyl top cleaned and treated with 303. Clean Carfax one owner before me, and service records provided by his Cadillac dealer. Interior leather treated and conditioned, feels good. Now it's on to the next project search........

You've been busy this winter and the Caddy looks great!

Tom

you got her all fixed up and looking nice

Nice job,..kudo's for your patience, and attention to detail,.

I have so wanted a fleetwood for so long,.

white with burgundy first choice,.

dcm and burgundy like yours second choice,.

two questions

1. what color did you use of the rub strips
2. how did you prep the surface of same?

Mine were painted silver and they are all flaking off now.

Car looks fantastic btw

Very nice ride. I see even the Cricket digs the new Caddy.

Andebe wrote:

Very nice ride. I see even the Cricket digs the new Caddy.

Thanks, ya can't kick it without the Cricket,

Sprocket wrote:

two questions

1. what color did you use of the rub strips
2. how did you prep the surface of same?

Mine were painted silver and they are all flaking off now.

Car looks fantastic btw

Prep was scotchbrite pad and prepsol type product.
The color is Black Night Metallic, a Rustoleum can product and the clearcoat wat Dupont Chromaclear 7655.

phantom 309 wrote:

Nice job,..kudo's for your patience, and attention to detail,.

I have so wanted a fleetwood for so long,.

white with burgundy first choice,.

dcm and burgundy like yours second choice,.

Thank you Mr. Phantom.

buickestate wrote:

you got her all fixed up and looking nice

Than you sir.

kadonte wrote:

Andebe wrote:

Very nice ride. I see even the Cricket digs the new Caddy.

Thanks, ya can't kick it without the Cricket,

Still laughing...That should be a t-shirt or at least a bumper sticker.

My wagon and my fleetwood became lonely...........................