So, by now most of you have heard that since Rick bought a new house, and no longer has the means to keep his mom's '89 Brougham as a project, he thought of me when looking for a new care giver, and I gladly accepted. So on January 26th, 2008, Rick & the Brougham paid me a visit. We looked at cars; talked; ate lunch; talked; went to the airport... talked, and now I have another Cadillac. :)

To keep everything connected, here's a link to the old project thread
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/rwd-19xx-1984-deville-fleetwood-1985/106524-project-1989-cadillac-brougham.html

And a link the the roadtrip documentary.
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-forums-lounge-member-introductions/129829-roadtrip-georgia-tennessee.html

As of today, Jan. 30th, all I've gotten a change to do for the car cosmetically was a quick wash, clean the windows, and vacuum out the interior. Rick, the sunroof leak you told me about seems to have gotten worse. After I washed it I found that the rear pass. side floorboard area actually had standing water higher than the carpet nap in it. Looked around some more, and the whole carpet was damp. Felt in the litter container, and there was about two inches of water in it. My '83 had the same problem, it didn't have a sunroof, and I never quite figured out what caused that leak. But no biggie, when it warms up enough I'll clean out the drain tubes and see how much that helps the leak.

And it turns out that the coolant leak was the water pump. The day before yesterday, I took the car down to Al's - the guy I got to for bigger jobs and AC charging - to get the compressor turned and generally look it over in case we missed anything. And he confirmed that it was the water pump, so that's taken care of. We also put on a few new belts to be safe. And he has the special tool to easily turn the new compressor, so that's taken care of too. When it gets closer to summer I'll get the system charged, but for now that's not an issue. So the car has a clean bill of health except for the exhaust leak & non-functioning odometer/speedo.

The front end sits about 3/4" lower than the rear, so sometime this year I'll get new springs & shocks on the front to level it out.

Right now the original wire wheels are sitting in my basement waiting for the weather to warm up enough for me to go crazy on them with wheel cleaner and a toothbrush. Then they'll be installed. Oh, by the way, when they were on your '79, what lug nuts did you have them held on with? I didn't find any chrome ones in the car, but I thought I'd ask before I order a new set. Also thinking about investing in a set of dust shields for them, save some cleaning effort.

As for the grille, I know at some point I'll have the car repainted, and when I do the grille will look kind of shabby. So I might look around the area for chrome plating shops, in the mean time I'll be looking for a stock '89 grille in excellent condition to put on while I think. When it warns up I'll see of there's some way that the gold bars could be turned around, hiding the aged side and revealing never touched gold. But they might be welded in place, so I dunno. It'd be cool if it was just that simple... but something tells me it won't be. I still have the one that came on the Phaeton sitting in the trunk, maybe I'll see how that's constructed and use it as a guide.

Oh, and Al knows of an amazing upholstery guy why does top notch work at unbelievable prices, so I'll look him up and get a quote on the front seats. I've heard some really great things about this guy, so that should work out nicely. I originally found out about him when I was looking to get the Phaeton's steering wheel recovered, and Al said he's the the best around.

Some old & new pics for quick reference.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/PDR_0020.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/PDR_0019.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/PDR_0594.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/IMG_0003.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/IMG_2699.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/IMG_0033.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/IMG_0036.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/IMG_0040.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0801.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0812copy.jpg

Just having this car sitting in my driveway is weird, but I feel honored. When I was unloading it I took out the trunk mat from the '93 coupe, and thought about all the old threads I'd seen about it, and how ironic it is that though we don't currently know where she is, I'm holding something that belonged it in. When I was taking out the wire wheels I thought back to when you first got the '79 and it had about four different kinds of wheels & tires on it, then what a difference these same wires made. It's just a lot of history, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

So here's to a bright future for one special Brougham.

Until later,

Ben.

Wow, quite the post :) It'll be awesome to follow up with the car.

I'm sorry to hear about the leak, I knew the carpet was damp after it would rain alot, As long as I've had it in GA it was under the rear carport on the house as I didn't drive it much, and when my parents had it they kept it under their poll barn, so really it's expousure to rain hasn't been all that much, it's just durring the move when I had it in the yard did it start to get wet. If like you said, the drain lines from the moon roof, they have have just filled with enough crud to block the water. I know that there is 1 drain line on each A-pillar, when you open the hood you can see them venting off, you mentioned there are some in the back, I am not sure where those are.

Thats awesome to hear the waterpump fixed it... atleast it wasn't anything worse, when I saw it dripping from right under it, I knew thats what it had to be. Glad to hear the compressor is turned too, that way it won't blow itself up when engaged for the first time.

As for the lug nuts, I know your supposed to use the special ones for it, but I never knew where they were, I just used the same ones that I had taken off. The contact angle looked to be the same. I would just order some new chrome ones, maybe take a wheel to Advance Auto, I know they have a bunch you could match up some that fit.

About the front sitting lower, like I said we had put the progressive rate springs in the back, personally I always liked that stance, and when I ever got around to rebuilding the front end, I was going to put new springs in the front, I'm willing to bet that'll bring it up to match the back, although you could always lower it if you don't like the higher ride height.

Heh, those pictures bring back memories, especially the ones of the house in NY, man that was the first few months of '04.... you can see the Olds and the Coupe in the background, thats when I was installing the Alpine 4ch amp in the car.

I was looking thru some of my attachments on here and i found a few more pictures... this is the '79 durring our Tampa Mall Rats '06 meet, pretty much exactly 2 years ago now, I only had that car in Florida a month before the accident, this was like a week or two before, the last pictures I have of the car... you can see the wheels clean up pretty nice.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/attachments/southeast/17420d1139109915-tampa-mall-rats-06-pdr_1116.jpg

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/attachments/southeast/17419d1139109915-tampa-mall-rats-06-pdr_1114.jpg

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/attachments/southeast/17418d1139109915-tampa-mall-rats-06-pdr_1113.jpg

Theres a hint of the '89 in this picture when I was showing the difference the polishing compound on the hood.... really cleaned that paint up nice.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/attachments/cadillac-forums-lounge-member-introductions/17227d1138595600-go-easy-polishing-compound-okay-pdr_0026.jpg

Once I recover all my old pictures off the discs I saved everything to, I'm sure I'll be able ot pull up alot more pictures of the car too

This will be an awesome thread :)

I got 4 broughams sitting in my grandmothers back yard, with BEN written all over em.

Ive said it before, and say it again. Your neighbors must think your nuckin Futs..... Lol. Though i would be proud to have you as my neighbor. Now... my question. You have 4 cars.... How do you distribute the love-in to each and which do yu drive most often?

I like that top!!
OooOoo here goes the master again....

Wow, quite the post It'll be awesome to follow up with the car.

I'm sorry to hear about the leak, I knew the carpet was damp after it would rain alot, As long as I've had it in GA it was under the rear carport on the house as I didn't drive it much, and when my parents had it they kept it under their poll barn, so really it's expousure to rain hasn't been all that much, it's just durring the move when I had it in the yard did it start to get wet. If like you said, the drain lines from the moon roof, they have have just filled with enough crud to block the water. I know that there is 1 drain line on each A-pillar, when you open the hood you can see them venting off, you mentioned there are some in the back, I am not sure where those are.

Thats awesome to hear the waterpump fixed it... atleast it wasn't anything worse, when I saw it dripping from right under it, I knew thats what it had to be. Glad to hear the compressor is turned too, that way it won't blow itself up when engaged for the first time.

As for the lug nuts, I know your supposed to use the special ones for it, but I never knew where they were, I just used the same ones that I had taken off. The contact angle looked to be the same. I would just order some new chrome ones, maybe take a wheel to Advance Auto, I know they have a bunch you could match up some that fit.

About the front sitting lower, like I said we had put the progressive rate springs in the back, personally I always liked that stance, and when I ever got around to rebuilding the front end, I was going to put new springs in the front, I'm willing to bet that'll bring it up to match the back, although you could always lower it if you don't like the higher ride height.

Heh, those pictures bring back memories, especially the ones of the house in NY, man that was the first few months of '04.... you can see the Olds and the Coupe in the background, thats when I was installing the Alpine 4ch amp in the car.

I was looking thru some of my attachments on here and i found a few more pictures... this is the '79 durring our Tampa Mall Rats '06 meet, pretty much exactly 2 years ago now, I only had that car in Florida a month before the accident, this was like a week or two before, the last pictures I have of the car... you can see the wheels clean up pretty nice.







Theres a hint of the '89 in this picture when I was showing the difference the polishing compound on the hood.... really cleaned that paint up nice.



Once I recover all my old pictures off the discs I saved everything to, I'm sure I'll be able ot pull up alot more pictures of the car too

This will be an awesome thread


Thanks, and any other pics you can dig up, I'd love to see.

Technically, all of these cars from 1977-1992 sat at 10.5" all around from the factory, but end up sagging to around 9.0" Usually the rear sags slightly more, so when you take the car into a place to get a lube/oil change/general check up, (sears loves to do this) they say you need new rear springs. Then they recommend heavy-duty type springs. So many owners will go forward and replace the rear, while leaving the front original. In effect, giving the car a rake. I can't recall why you had the rear springs done, but that was the story with both of my '79s. So there's a choice, on my Phaeton I got slightly shorter rear springs (from a '95 Impala SS) and Gabriel Hijacker shocks to pinpoint the exact height I want & level it out. But on the '89 I'll probably just get new front springs & shocks, I'm sure they could use replacement anyway after that many miles.

As for the sunroof, the other set of drain tubes goes down the C-pillar and run out between the wheelwells under the rear package shelf, over the rear axle. On my '90, the (never removed since new) tire jack was pressing up against one of the tubes, pinching it and causing backup. This was also on the right side. So I'll try to get to that as soon as possible, it's not good to have water stuck in those tubes with the cold weather, obviously it could freeze and split a tube... not good.

Ben.

No offense to anyone.... but are you gona take that lightning rod off the fender??

I got 4 broughams sitting in my grandmothers back yard, with BEN written all over em.

Ive said it before, and say it again. Your neighbors must think your nuckin Futs..... Lol. Though i would be proud to have you as my neighbor. Now... my question. You have 4 cars.... How do you distribute the love-in to each and which do yu drive most often?

I like that top!!
OooOoo here goes the master again....
Haha, well I need a 1989 grille. I think it's the same kind that the 1990-1992 Broughams have, with the wider, more Rolls Royce style bars, know what I'm talking about?

The neighbors on one side are real car people, they have about eight cars sitting around their relatives' property. The whole family is made up of car people. Just not Cadillac lovers. They love pick-ups and Corvettes (big surprise).

Actually I have five cars. My daily driver is a near-mint '84 Cutlass Supreme that was passed down from my grandfather. I use the '90 for trips as a highway car, the Phaeton is the weekend ride/cruise-in prowler, and Denice & the '89 are projects. But something's gotta give, I just haven't decided which one it'll be. Insurance is just crazy! And parking... forget about it.

And yes... that antenna.... it looks like I stole Doc Brown's power harness off the Delorean doesn't it? Well, as you can see in the last pic I was able to push it down to around half it's original height, but Rick Also included a new factory power unit, so that'll be going on at some point.

Ben.

Don't put nuttin' on the market yet, Ben! I have yet to get my tax return check and sell my '91 fwd coupe. Just another month or two.. lol


Greg

The stock 89 grille is an egg crate arrangement of small squares, like the stock on the 79. Now we all need to take up a collection to get you a sign to post curb side at the house that says "Cadillac Ranch" and you'll be all set. For what, don't ask me.

Craig

The stock 89 grille is an egg crate arrangement of small squares, like the stock on the 79. Now we all need to take up a collection to get you a sign to post curb side at the house that says "Cadillac Ranch" and you'll be all set. For what, don't ask me.

Craig

I'm pretty sure in '89, the grill was like the '82-86 grills, and the '90-92 grills. You're thinking of '81 and '87/88.

Greg

Haha, I guess four makes it official.. time for a sign.

Actually, the eggcrate pattern ran from 1986 through 1988, then in 1989 had the 1990-1992 style waterfall grille. The 1982-1985 style had slimmer bars, and slightly less chrome.

Ben.

I got 4 broughams sitting in my grandmothers back yard, with BEN written all over em.


Yeah but where is the history?. You need to post like a bajillion pics of them daily with huge descriptions of every little intricate thing you do to them, I dont care if you just change the little cap where the air goes in the tires, just post it!. Once the cars are permanently etched in everyone's head then and only then will they be part of "history" and then would be a good time to spring the 'ole "I just bought a house and need to sell my Broughams" on everybody. LOL.:eek:

BTW: Looking forward to seeing the 89 all fixed up!. :thumbsup:

Haha, I guess four makes it official.. time for a sign.

Actually, the eggcrate pattern ran from 1986 through 1988, then in 1989 had the 1990-1992 style waterfall grille. The 1982-1985 style had slimmer bars, and slightly less chrome.

Ben.

Actually the eggcrate came back only for 1987 and 1988. '86s still had the previous style.
http://carad.ebayimg.com/i8/01/a/000/77/fd/0bfc_1.JPG

Yeah.. brain fart. I realised that after I posted and it was too late to edit.

Destroyer... thin ice.

Yeah but where is the history?. You need to post like a bajillion pics of them daily with huge descriptions of every little intricate thing you do to them, I dont care if you just change the little cap where the air goes in the tires, just post it!. Once the cars are permanently etched in everyone's head then and only then will they be part of "history" and then would be a good time to spring the 'ole "I just bought a house and need to sell my Broughams" on everybody. LOL.:eek:

BTW: Looking forward to seeing the 89 all fixed up!. :thumbsup:

What would we do without you :)

Destroyer... thin ice.Whaaaaaaaaaat?:cool2:

What would we do without you :)lol, I'm just too damn honest after a few rum and ice teas. What can I say?.:histeric:

Its funny cuz its true...

Them wire wheels are going to look good on this car Ben... The top is going to go well with them.

AWESOME!

Whaaaaaaaaaat?:cool2:

lol, I'm just too damn honest after a few rum and ice teas. What can I say?.:histeric:
lol, I'm used to you by now. Just messing with ya.

The wires will look nice, but the center caps need some help, all four are cracked, and the chips are broken, one or two have them completely missing, revealing the Appliance 'A' underneith. Not sure what to do about that, any ideas? I mean, I guess they look fine for a driver, but if there's anything I can do, I'd like to do it. Maybe just something I could put on there for them all to match.

go to your nearest quick sign shop show them a cap and they will probably give you enough sign vinyl in the closest color match, or color you like to stick on them.
Stick it on, trim carefully with a sharp Xacto. Any air bubbles will go away after a few days in the sun.

A few days ago I was able to get the wire wheels cleaned up, then I came down with bronchitis, so I hadn't been able to post pics until now.

They cleaned up nicely, as I expected, and I can't wait to see how they look on the car. Once I'm fully recovered (and I can figure out what kind of chrome lug nuts I need) I'll get them mounted up.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0826.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0828-1.jpg

So here's what I'm dealing with about the center caps. As you can see, it's not exactly a flat surface you could put a cute little decal on and call it a day. Until now I didn't know that they just stuck Cadillac chips over the Appliance name. Now, a lowrider guy or somebody has got to know, would the chips with the Cadillac crest that they put on Dayton wire wheels fit on these center caps? Is it the same size? Because that would just be too easy.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0832.jpg

Wow, they sure cleaned up nice! I don't think I ever got them that clean. The chip thing bugged me too, but as time went on I just got used to it and never bothered. I know to remove/install tires on the rims, the caps need to come off, and my father didn't realize that and just put the rim on the tire machine (he has his own) and it sorta cracked the inside of the cap on one of the wheels, not sure which one it was... I think we glued it back on or something... but... just something to look out for if you are ever going to put new tires on those rims, I'd take the plastic center caps off the rims myself.

Sorry to hear about you being sick... man that really stinks! I hope your health recovers soon :)

Small update.

I still have a little cough, but it was 65 and overcast here today, so I got some work done anyway.

I went through about half a tube of chrome polish, I started with the front bumper, what a difference. So I moved on and actually did the rear bumper & fins, even though it has a couple holes in it lol. But it really did make a difference, I didn't realise how much the chrome needed polishing until now. Then I detail cleaned around all of the headlight chrome, so it catches the light nicely. After that I broke out the Mother's mag & aluminum polish and did more of the stainless trim. After this I was sitting back admiring my handy work, and started to notice how dull the wire wheel covers looked. All I'd done so far was wash them with the car right after I bought it, so I got out the Eagle One Chrome & Wire Cleaner with a toothbrush and got to work. Wow, they shined up like mirrors! Rick, did you say you got them from a junkyard? You really wouldn't tell. I'm almost tempted to get some correct red center caps and put the wires on something else... but I'll still throw 'em on and see how it looks. ;)

Next I need to replace the high-beams, the old ones have 'dead-eye' if you will, water has gotten in and messed up the reflector, making them look dark and dead. Really screws up the front end look.

So here are a couple pics.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0838-1.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0848.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0845-1.jpg

The wires, before & after.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0841-1.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0842-1.jpg

I'm happy, it's starting to look up. It's nice to see the years slowly start to roll off. Just wish I had more time to work on it. It's supposed to be a high of 37 tomorrow, then start raining..

Ben.

Wow!. That old Fleetwood actually turned out very nice!. Never ceases to amaze me what some good old fashioned elbow grease will do. Nice job!

Wow! that is awesome! I never thought that front bumper would shine up like that, I'm surprised.

Yeah, the 4 hubcaps are from a junkyard... came off an '88 Brougham IIRC, it was late 80's tho... I just happened it see them and all were in good shape except the one with the dents from the curb, so I figured I'd snag them Personally I think they look really good, the spokes have a nice look to their own, but something is nice about the factory hubcaps, especially since hubcaps today are left for the cheapest of cheap econo cars, those hubcaps are actually of quality with attention to detail and stuff. They are from the same junkyard the tires on the spoked rims were from... they were on a '95 Fleetwood brougham, I saw them with nearly new tread on them and coudln't believe it, worked great too cause the '79 badly needed tires too, thats when I put them on those wheels. They are good tires, I never had problems with them, even in the snow they were good. One of them had a slow leak, a screw got stuck in it at the junkyard (didn't leak until I removed the screw, sisn't even notice the screw until i got them home) so I plugged it.. it's been fine ever since. Nearly all the miles I put on the '79 were on those wheels/tires, which was about 10k... and like I said, the tires look close to new on that car... I'm not sure why it was there, it was a nice LT1 Fleetwood, wasn't in any accidents, looked to be in normal condition for such a car.. it had alot of dents down the sides but I think it was from the loaders they move the cars around with... I guess it had some sort of a mechanical problem, cause I really don't know why it was there.

BTW to remove the hubcaps, just pry around the edges. The ones on Rich's '87 you would remove the center crest and there was a hex behind it, I sat there for a long time one day trying to figure out how to remove them, until I gave upa nd said, I'm just gonna pry and if it breaks then so be it... so I did, and it started to slide off... I felt dumb afterwords, but atleast got them off without further damage :)

I just got all my stuff moved out of the old house and came across more of the stuff I have to give to you, mostly things for the '79's, tail lights, good side opra lights, the clear front turn signal lens from a '77(use with the Silverstar bulbs, they have a blue tint when off but light up amber), origanal non-wreath hood ornament from the '79, speedometer from my '79 etc.. for the'89 I do have the stainless steel trim parts that go around the back of the roof, and then the origanal cassette tape that talks about the car. Although a few of the things I put in boxes, with everything else, and I am not sure where they are now at the new house, so once everything is settled down and I organize everything, I'll put all the Caddy stuff together and we can meet up again :)

Shes looking really good though!

That Brougham is looking nice man. Hey Ben, what chrome polish do you use and how to you apply it? I need to hit my front bumpers on my 85 & 89.

Wow! that is awesome! I never thought that front bumper would shine up like that, I'm surprised.

Yeah, the 4 hubcaps are from a junkyard... came off an '88 Brougham IIRC, it was late 80's tho... I just happened it see them and all were in good shape except the one with the dents from the curb, so I figured I'd snag them Personally I think they look really good, the spokes have a nice look to their own, but something is nice about the factory hubcaps, especially since hubcaps today are left for the cheapest of cheap econo cars, those hubcaps are actually of quality with attention to detail and stuff. They are from the same junkyard the tires on the spoked rims were from... they were on a '95 Fleetwood brougham, I saw them with nearly new tread on them and coudln't believe it, worked great too cause the '79 badly needed tires too, thats when I put them on those wheels. They are good tires, I never had problems with them, even in the snow they were good. One of them had a slow leak, a screw got stuck in it at the junkyard (didn't leak until I removed the screw, sisn't even notice the screw until i got them home) so I plugged it.. it's been fine ever since. Nearly all the miles I put on the '79 were on those wheels/tires, which was about 10k... and like I said, the tires look close to new on that car... I'm not sure why it was there, it was a nice LT1 Fleetwood, wasn't in any accidents, looked to be in normal condition for such a car.. it had alot of dents down the sides but I think it was from the loaders they move the cars around with... I guess it had some sort of a mechanical problem, cause I really don't know why it was there.

BTW to remove the hubcaps, just pry around the edges. The ones on Rich's '87 you would remove the center crest and there was a hex behind it, I sat there for a long time one day trying to figure out how to remove them, until I gave upa nd said, I'm just gonna pry and if it breaks then so be it... so I did, and it started to slide off... I felt dumb afterwords, but atleast got them off without further damage

I just got all my stuff moved out of the old house and came across more of the stuff I have to give to you, mostly things for the '79's, tail lights, good side opra lights, the clear front turn signal lens from a '77(use with the Silverstar bulbs, they have a blue tint when off but light up amber), origanal non-wreath hood ornament from the '79, speedometer from my '79 etc.. for the'89 I do have the stainless steel trim parts that go around the back of the roof, and then the origanal cassette tape that talks about the car. Although a few of the things I put in boxes, with everything else, and I am not sure where they are now at the new house, so once everything is settled down and I organize everything, I'll put all the Caddy stuff together and we can meet up again

Shes looking really good though!

Awesome, RWD caddy parts are always welcome, lol. And I can't wait to get the roof trim put on, that'll really bring things together.

I've always really liked these hubcaps too, so deciding whether or not to go with the wires is a big thing to me. But to me, the all chrome center caps on the wheel covers look odd on a late-'80s Brougham, so if I keep the wheel covers, I'll switch out the center caps. Right after I left the airport I thought 'oh crap, what about the wheel cover locks?' Because I have a bad history with those things, lol. So far my mechanic has lost two of the keys, so I can no longer get the wheel covers off my Phaeton. I'm glad these aren't the locking kind.

Oh, and about the moonroof. I was able to blow compressed air through the two front drain tubes, but when I got in the trunk; the rear two are different than the ones on my '90. I can't find a place where you'd unhook them to blow air into, the tubes just seem to go down behind the back seat & out of sight. So, next warm day we have here I'll take everything out and get to the bottom of it. but I just think it's interesting, with the whole original/aftermarket sunroof debate.

So, 'til later,

Ben.

EDIT: AElayyat, I used MAAS metal polish, it comes in a silver tube. I actually just got it at Wal*Mart. Amazing stuff. Tough enough to remove rust, yet it won't scratch. ;)

Hey Ben,

Would you be interested in trading wire wheel cover off an 87 with caps and locks for the set you have on your 89?

Possibly, red centers? Any curb rash? How's the chrome?

Ben.

Looks great Ben, keep up the good work. Chrome just looks incredible when it's maintained properly

Possibly, red centers? Any curb rash? How's the chrome?

Ben.
They have the red centers no curb rash in very nice shape i can send some pics if you like

Tom

You know, shipping would be nightmare. Come to think about it, why are you looking to trade anyway? Like the all-chrome center better? My set isn't perfect, two or three of them have very minor scuffing around the edges (as you can see in the pics) while one has some denting around the edge of the rim. Not really noticeable on the car, however it's there, I don't know how particular you want to be. But the chrome is top notch.

If you still want to do it, we should probably get a shipping quote, about two years ago I bought one wheel cover off eBay and the shipping was more than you'd expect. For wheel covers, those things are heavy!

No other progress to report on the Brougham, whata ya know, winter came back... I haven't even gotten a chance to change the little caps where air goes in the tires ;)

Ben

Did you use the same chrome cleaner for the wire wheels and the car?? If so, I gotta get myself some of that stuff!!

Actually, I didn't use any polish on the wheels, just Eagle One chrome & wire wheel cleaner. That stuff is pure acid, and removes virtually anything that isn't metal. Combine that with a toothbrush, and you've got some damn clean wheels. Before I used it, I thought they'd need to be dis-assembled and polished, but just the wheel acid did the trick. :) I actually used the same wheel cleaner on the stock grille I put on the Phaeton last summer, ya know how the tight squares in the '79 pattern build up a lot of hard to remove dirt and tarnish, the wheel cleaner cut right through it. Saved hours of tight polishing. I didn't know until then just how much light a stock '79 grille was made to reflect.

Ben

Oh cool. Good tip for both the wheels and the grille. One thing, is the grille supposed to be chrome or plastic?? I would assume chrome... but mine is plastic so I'm not sure.

The grille is plastic, chromed plastic. The header is metal though.

Here you can see how much light it reflects now.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_1498.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_1493.jpg

I have a bad habit of hijacking my own threads...

Haha sorry if I lead you on. But yeah that looks great. I just put my order in for my own cleaner. I can't wait till it gets here. Btw, on another note, I'm still trying to get around to changing the center caps, but it's been cold out and my buddy who was going to help me change them hasn't come over. Are you still interested in them?

I am *interested* but I'm not 100% sure I really need them. what kind of chips do they have? Because you were just looking to get rid of three, right? The one good chip I have has the wreath & crest on a dark red background. So if it's similar to that I'm interested. No rush though, my wires are just sitting in the basement waiting for warmer weather too. :)

Ben

I like the stipe ben, good accent for the car. Is it vinyl or painted on?

On the Phaeton? Thanks, this isn't like me, but it's vinyl. My original plan was to have it painted on, but since I went with the champagne instead of the original saddle, I decided it would be better to have it reversible. Even though I like the champagne better, I thought it would be nice to have the ability to go back to stock if I wanted to, without too much work.

Ben

Very well then. I've only noticed a small, semicircular chip on one of the caps, I don't think it looks too bad, but I haven't taken a close look at it in a while. One thing to know though, as they are universal caps, they weren't all put on at the same time. One of the caps has a slightly different "logo" in the middle, but it's not too different, and nobody would notice (besides yourself of course, which is always irritating!!). But it's good to know you're in no rush to have them, because now I don't feel rushed to change them. I'll take some pictures now, in case you stumble upon some in the upcoming weeks, so you can compare the qualities of them. I just have to see if I can find my camera....

Oh, culture clash haha. By chips I meant the design in the middle. I think the nick-name comes from the relative size & feel in comparison to poker chips.

A couple of mine are cracked, and like you can see in the close-up pic, the center 'chips' are all but gone.. So anything would probably be an improvement.

Ben

Ok, well here are the caps. They aren't great but with some cleaning they should look a heck of a lot better. Oh, and turns out I already had a photobucket account, who knew? Hopefully this post will be a success then. The third and fourth pictures have the cap which has 2 cracks actually. Here are the pictures:
http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/LStopak/?action=view&current=P1000101.jpg
http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/LStopak/?action=view&current=P1000099.jpg
http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/LStopak/?action=view&current=P1000100.jpg
http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/LStopak/?action=view&current=P1000094.jpg

PS. Sorry for further jacking your thread :D.

just post the links. lol. Unless the center caps are square with red X center chips, the pics didn't post. :D

Ben

... What a pain in the ass.
1. http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/LStopak/?action=view&current=P1000101.jpg
2. http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/LStopak/?action=view&current=P1000099.jpg
3. http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/LStopak/?action=view&current=P1000100.jpg
3. (second picture) http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii68/LStopak/?action=view&current=P1000094.jpg

Wow, that's interesting, I didn't know they left any of them plain with just the Appliance 'A' showing. That would actually match up with some of mine quite nicely.

Side note: use the """" tag option to post pics, it *should* work then. :)

Ben

Is that cloth seating in your convertible???? :o

Yeah, I just figured out what I was doing wrong. I just put up new pictures in my first thread ever. And yes, cloth interior, very comfy :).

Back to the Brougham.

Last Saturday, it got into the 50s, so I did some interior cleaning... toothbrush and cotton swab cleaning. It's kinda hard to see this kind of stuff in pictures, but it looks really nice when you get in. Pretty much cleaned ALL plastic/vinyl/other hard surfaces in the car. Including A&B pillars. You kinda forget how much surface dirt can accumulate over the years, I'm amazed every time I clean up a project car. The B-pillars especially had a lot of dark build up. So I went over most things with a toothbrush (to get into the texture) and Murphy's oil soap. I know it's an odd choice, but it cleans very well without drying out the surfaces like an all purpose cleaner/degreaser. Even got in & around all the armrest switches, all crevices in the dash, even cleaned the chrome inside the ashtray openings.

Then I had an idea. Just looking at the center armrest, it appeared that you could simply take it out and flip the cover over, effectively hiding the cracks on the top of the leather. Well, the mounting holes kept that from working out, but at least I was able to detail under it. All that's left to do is clean/condition the leather, and shampoo the carpet. Plus get a couple spots out of the headliner.

So, here are some pics anyway. Everything just looks very crisp, and all of the chrome catches the light *that* much better now that every spec of buildup is gone. In the first pic you can also see the rocker trim, which I removed and polished.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0865.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0866.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0882.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0871.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0873.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0886-1.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0863.jpg

And for fun, here's a 1981 brochure picture that I photoshopped. It's one way I could take it, leave the wire wheel covers on, 1.3" whitewalls, new paint/re-chromed grille/new gold pack, and slightly lowering the rear to level it out (The original artist did that for me, funny how Cadillac liked to lower their cars in brochure pics). Then I just added one of the cars old plates to personalize it more. I think it turned out pretty good. Notice how I even '89'd' the front end, haha.

Before
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/1981_Cadillac-08.jpg
After
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/1981_Cadillac-08copy7-3.jpg

LOL! Thats awesome! Even kept my moms old 533 Air National Guard plate :)

Man it sure cleans up nice.... I'm surprised. Seeing and hearing about you detailing the interior up is making me want to do the same on the Town Car, it needs it badly. Now that I am done moving, the car won't be getting totally loaded up with stuff anymore. I should dedicate a day to really cleaning the car up.

I know the carpet has some various stains... I wonder if that'll come out, after seeing everything else you've done to it I'm sure you can find a way. Atleast it's not worn or damaged. If the carpet is cleaned, the driver seat fixed and new arm rest caps for the front were put on, I'd say the interior is about as good as you can get without a total restore, but that's saying alot cause I think overall it's in decent shape.

The headliner is only a few years old, I know it looks like it is coming down, but thats cause of the moonroof. The place said that was the best they could get it, but I never liked it. I think what happened was, cars with factory moonroof got a special headliner board that was formed, but since this one appears to have been added after the car was assembled, they simply cut the existing board for the moonroof.... something I always thought about doing was finding a Brougham with a factory moon roof in the junkyard and taking the headliner (and moonroof switch to make it look factory) then put all new material on it and install it in the car, I think the overall look would be very finsihed and complete looking instead of like its falling down. Same thing in my Isuzu, it was an add-on sunroof and the headliner board was cut, but to a much less extent, and the way that I re-did the headliner it looks really good, can't tell at all. On the Caddy it's such a large area though and there is no hard end to where the material is glued to the board in the back, so it isn't really even. I never saw behind that board though to see how it was cut and stuff.

Seeing and hearing about you detailing the interior up is making me want to do the same on the Town Car, it needs it badly. Now that I am done moving, the car won't be getting totally loaded up with stuff anymore. I should dedicate a day to really cleaning the car up.

.

:ack:

Ugh.... I only say that because I had to go pick my mom up 30 min away cuz her town cars air ride just let go. She thought she had flat tires. Lol. But hey its a towncar, so you get use to it.

What are you going to do about the seat and door armrest ben? That seat covers pretty hot. :yup:

:ack:

Ugh.... I only say that because I had to go pick my mom up 30 min away cuz her town cars air ride just let go. She thought she had flat tires. Lol. But hey its a towncar, so you get use to it.

What are you going to do about the seat and door armrest ben? That seat covers pretty hot. :yup:

I like the Town Car alot.... for what I paid for it, can't really complain either, though I did rebuild alot of stuff... ah well.

It's funny, I used to think the air springs where the worst thing that could possibly go out on these cars... but its one of the cheapest and most simple systems on the car to fix. Good way to get them cheap tho. Replace the air springs, it's worth it, you can convert to coils, its cheaper, but eh... then it rides like a Grand Marquis. The auto level control is nice too.... plus, when the ignition is off, the car lowers to sit level, cause when its running the rear is raised up a bit.

Only cars I would have got instead of the Town Car would be a '95 Eldorado ETC or '97-'99 s/c Buick Riviera, tho the Riv was my next choice.... but all the Riv's in good shape were going for almost twice what I paid for my TC.... 93k miles for $3,500, Florid and rust free, near flawless paint, minimal wear on driver seat was the only real interior flaw. Lotta mechanical things cause previous owner let it all stock pile, but eh, it's all fixed now and I plan to drive it a long time so as far as I am concerned it's just that much more set for the future :) 107k now and shes just broken in.... 26.5mpg the other day on the highway was sweet too :)

There are arm rest caps, its like $180 for the front pair, dyed to match the inteiror color and shipped to your door. Seat cover is pretty sweet :) Only one that sorta matched, I coudln't stand looking at the ripped seat.

Gear shift knob is also sorta loose, but it dosn't come off, I was gonna put some super glue on it or something, but didn't want to make it impossible to remove in the future, so I left it.

LOL! Thats awesome! Even kept my moms old 533 Air National Guard plate



Man it sure cleans up nice.... I'm surprised. Seeing and hearing about you detailing the interior up is making me want to do the same on the Town Car, it needs it badly. Now that I am done moving, the car won't be getting totally loaded up with stuff anymore. I should dedicate a day to really cleaning the car up.



I know the carpet has some various stains... I wonder if that'll come out, after seeing everything else you've done to it I'm sure you can find a way. Atleast it's not worn or damaged. If the carpet is cleaned, the driver seat fixed and new arm rest caps for the front were put on, I'd say the interior is about as good as you can get without a total restore, but that's saying alot cause I think overall it's in decent shape.



The headliner is only a few years old, I know it looks like it is coming down, but thats cause of the moonroof. The place said that was the best they could get it, but I never liked it. I think what happened was, cars with factory moonroof got a special headliner board that was formed, but since this one appears to have been added after the car was assembled, they simply cut the existing board for the moonroof.... something I always thought about doing was finding a Brougham with a factory moon roof in the junkyard and taking the headliner (and moonroof switch to make it look factory) then put all new material on it and install it in the car, I think the overall look would be very finsihed and complete looking instead of like its falling down. Same thing in my Isuzu, it was an add-on sunroof and the headliner board was cut, but to a much less extent, and the way that I re-did the headliner it looks really good, can't tell at all. On the Caddy it's such a large area though and there is no hard end to where the material is glued to the board in the back, so it isn't really even. I never saw behind that board though to see how it was cut and stuff.

Yeah, except for the stains, the carpet is still nice, not much wear at all. Need to get a drivers mat though. Even though it still has three nice originals, I thought about getting a whole set from Lloyds Mats or something. That way, if I wanted to, I could get a set in light gray, with black edge piping and a gold Cadillac crest in the middle. That would either bring the interior all together perfectly, or push it just a little too far. I think I'd have to see it. Plus there's still that leak I need to deal with, I hate the thought of water inside the car. I dread hosing off the roof, because then I'll have to sop up an inch of water from the right rear floor. I wondered about the headliner, glad you brought that up. I never thought about the moonroof. Now that I think of it, my '90 does have a lowered area for the moonroof.

By the way, where did you get the quote for the armrests?






What are you going to do about the seat and door armrest Ben? That seat covers pretty hot.

Well, like Rick said, there is a source for caps that I'll probably go with, or they could be padded & covered with leather or vinyl. My Phaeton had them done in leather, and I really like it. Like I said earlier, there's an upholstery guy in town that I'll get a quote from on the seat, then go from there. In the meantime, I keep forgetting to check the local auto parts stores and see of they have a better matching cover. Maybe the guy would cut me a deal if I get the seat, armrests, and steering wheel done at the same time.

Ben

Here is the site that has the caps.... $60 each, then $12.50 to dye to the interior color (I would do it) then shipping.

http://www.dashtops.com/dashboard/autodash.cfm/161

Hmmm, the grey mats with black around the edges would be really sweet, I never thought about that. *personally* I wouldn't put gold badge on it, but thats just me, I don't like gold.... nothing else within the car is gold either, so I think it would stick out and possibly look tacky.....

I'm not sure what years will have them, but i know 1991-1993 FWD DeVille for sure has them, the mats have just the wreath embroidered in the front mats, rear are plain. I had a 2nd set I got at the junkyard for my '93 Coupe. When I bought the Town Car, it didn't have any floor mats, and the ones at Advance Auto and other palces are cheap, so I found the ones from the '93 DeVille, cleaned them up and put them in. They don't match, by a good bit actually, but its an accent color (like a medium/darkish tan compared to lighter tan) and looks really good... they fit well too, and i had them already.

But, I know they put similar grey interiors in the FWD Caddys, if you could find a good set of those mats, they would have the wreath already embroidered (sp?) into the mat, then I'd just take them to your upholstery guy and have him stich in black trim aroundt he edges... that'd look really sharp.

BTW, their cover that says from 1980-1988 DeVille, should fit the '79's I don't see why not, its the same thing. They can match into all the origanal colors... check it out :)

Thinks for the link, it looks like a promising site. And now I know where to get a better dash pad for the Phaeton. :)

When I pictured it in my head, I didn't even think about there being a complete absence of gold in the interior, the rest of the car really has the gold/grey/black thing going on, so that was probably my thinking. Some companies do free embroidering on the front mats if you choose from their pre-existing selection of logos. When I got new mats for the Phaeton, I just had the silver Cadillac script done, thinking that a wreath & crest might bee too much, I like how it looks. And I thought the mats might look a little naked with nothing on them, since the originals for '79 had the vinyl crest & edging.

But I thought with even the interior edging for the sunroof being black, the black piping on the mats would fit in well. Although if I go with all gray, I could just get a front set since the current rear set is pretty much new. And the construction of Lloyd's mats would match the originals quite nicely.

I love project cars :) lol

Ben

You know, shipping would be nightmare. Come to think about it, why are you looking to trade anyway? Like the all-chrome center better? My set isn't perfect, two or three of them have very minor scuffing around the edges (as you can see in the pics) while one has some denting around the edge of the rim. Not really noticeable on the car, however it's there, I don't know how particular you want to be. But the chrome is top notch.

If you still want to do it, we should probably get a shipping quote, about two years ago I bought one wheel cover off eBay and the shipping was more than you'd expect. For wheel covers, those things are heavy!

No other progress to report on the Brougham, whata ya know, winter came back... I haven't even gotten a chance to change the little caps where air goes in the tires ;)

Ben

You could be correct. I know the red center ones are a lot lighter then the old chrome center ones. I like the chrome center ones for my older cads. Let me see what these weigh and I will get back to you. Hopefully sooner then i did on this post. Sorry but tax time is a busy season for me :banghead:

Tom

No real update, cleaned up the trunk though, no pics yet.

Main reason I'm posting, is because...

Today I had my first chance to just spend hours driving it around for no reason. You know, just get the feel of the car.... Now I love it even more. I gave it the works; highway, stop & go, back country roads, winding mountain trails, short trips, long drives, basically just getting to know the car. To me it feels solid as a rock, something you usually don't get from high mileage cars. No odd sounds, no random vibrations, not one hiccup, just confidence. And it doesn't leak a drop of anything. I feel like I could drive it damn near anywhere without really thinking about it. And even though the 307 is slow, it's strong. Before, I had thought about replacing the engine as preventative medicine, just if I found a good deal on a new one. But now I really don't see the need, or want to. At the end of the day, coming home at dusk, the 307 gurgling softly, brightwork catching the glint of the streetlights as I cruise by, this Brougham has nothing to apologize for. Sure it's picked up a few dings and nicks along the way, but hey, such is life ya know? I'd take it any day over a trailer queen, it's got character. And today in a parking lot, I stood and stared at it for so long that a soccer mom had to honk at me for standing in the middle of the isle, lol, oops.

Now I want to drive it all the time. I can't even put my finger on it, I just love the damn car!

......And I also briefly nod to the fact that it will be absorbing my free time, along with my wallet until it looks just as it should, like 1989 all over again. It will take some time, But the Brougham isn't going anywhere soon. :)

Ben

But the Brougham isn't going anywhere soon. :)

Ben

Yey :)

Heh, I can honestly say I know exactly what you mean :) If you ever watched the episode of Top Gear when they come to the US and get the cars... well, besides one being an '89 Brougham, when Jermey was in the Camaro talking about it and how its the reason he likes cars in general, it just wants to keep going.... that made me think right back to the Caddy. Theres a certain charm about cars like that.

307 is slow by todays standard, but it actually never felt underpowered to me, everywhere I drove it the power was adequate... not overwhelming, but enough, and in correct tune and condition, these cars should get 16/24mpg, which is pretty darn good if you ask me.

None the less, the car has atleast a neat story that goes with it :)

Update!

Sorry it took so long, I've had a lot on my plate lately. None the less, I finally got the spokes mounted! I was surprised how it effected the look of the car. But, while I was driving home from having them put on, the left front center cap popped off and was never heard from again :( So... I need to find a replacement, it's driving me crazy! A set of spokes with one center cap missing is just wrong. It was funny though, after I realized it was missing, I went back to the neighborhood I was driving through when I thought it fell off, and when I pulled up, this kid on a bike came over and said "Hey Mister, nice car!" lol. Then I got him to help me look for the center cap, till he had to go home for dinner.

Not much else has happened to it, except that I took the back seat out to try and get at the broken door. No dice, even if the back seat is out, the molding around the door keeps you from being able to take off the interior panel. So I'm stumped, guess I'll just have a three door sedan for a while. Although there were a few, well, back seat treasures to be found. And yes, I took pics of it :D Anything look familiar, Rick? There were also a few multi-colored plastic puzzle pieces that didn't photograph well. lol

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0904.jpg


Oh yeah, I had to get the back brakes done. I didn't realise how bad they were, but I started to hear metal-to-metal grinding and knew it was time. Although now, as for brakes, I shouldn't have to worry for a long, long time.

I really need to stop driving it every day, it's killing me on gas but I can't stop! Every time I get in I feel like I'm sitting down with an old friend. I don't get the same feeling with any other car I've had.

So, time for a couple pics of the 89 Brougham with spokes. Ready Rick? ;)












http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0124copy.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0117copy.jpg

After I find another center cap I'll take more pictures, it really bugs me, every time I get in the car it's right there reminding me. Also notice the chrome lug nuts, I ended up only having to buy 19 because one of the originals was still being used to hold the steelies on! haha. Oh yeah, and I still had the gold nugget license plate frame from my '83, so I put that on. Next I need to figure out how to replace the trunk lock cover.

'Till later,

Ben.

For the longest time I thought that car was a big pyle of cow dunn. My opinion has changed, it looks great!. Good job man, I'm sure Rick is gonna love these pics!.:thumbsup:

Like the old Virginia Slims ads used to say, "You've come a long way, baby!"

Update!

Sorry it took so long, I've had a lot on my plate lately. None the less, I finally got the spokes mounted! I was surprised how it effected the look of the car. But, while I was driving home from having them put on, the left front center cap popped off and was never heard from again :( So... I need to find a replacement, it's driving me crazy! A set of spokes with one center cap missing is just wrong. It was funny though, after I realized it was missing, I went back to the neighborhood I was driving through when I thought it fell off, and when I pulled up, this kid on a bike came over and said "Hey Mister, nice car!" lol. Then I got him to help me look for the center cap, till he had to go home for dinner.

Not much else has happened to it, except that I took the back seat out to try and get at the broken door. No dice, even if the back seat is out, the molding around the door keeps you from being able to take off the interior panel. So I'm stumped, guess I'll just have a three door sedan for a while. Although there were a few, well, back seat treasures to be found. And yes, I took pics of it :D Anything look familiar, Rick? There were also a few multi-colored plastic puzzle pieces that didn't photograph well. lol

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_0904.jpg


Oh yeah, I had to get the back brakes done. I didn't realise how bad they were, but I started to hear metal-to-metal grinding and knew it was time. Although now, as for brakes, I shouldn't have to worry for a long, long time.

I really need to stop driving it every day, it's killing me on gas but I can't stop! Every time I get in I feel like I'm sitting down with an old friend. I don't get the same feeling with any other car I've had.

So, time for a couple pics of the 89 Brougham with spokes. Ready Rick? ;)












http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0124copy.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0117copy.jpg

After I find another center cap I'll take more pictures, it really bugs me, every time I get in the car it's right there reminding me. Also notice the chrome lug nuts, I ended up only having to buy 19 because one of the originals was still being used to hold the steelies on! haha. Oh yeah, and I still had the gold nugget license plate frame from my '83, so I put that on. Next I need to figure out how to replace the trunk lock cover.

'Till later,

Ben.

Wow... it's looks really good!

Heh, after about 10 years, another car and a wreck, those wheels are back on the car they originally came on :)

That stinks about the center cap... I never liked how they were plastic tho... I am not sure if you need to get Appliance-specific caps or generic ones will work.

It's the new daily driver eh? Heh, I know it can be addiciting. Hard to tell what its getting for gas mileage, but in proper tune, it should be getting 16/24..... which isn't all that bad, heck its still better then what most new pickups get.

lol, back seat goodies.... man, I was wondering where all that went!.... lol... ah well, it was my moms car for most the time :shhh: :hide:

I got worried for a second when you said brakes, but then I read back brakes.... I was gonna say, I just put brand new Bendix pads on the front and the rotors were in good shape. Did you get the parking brake to work? I never really looked into that... IIRC the auto relase still works tho, right?

But, thats cool that you are driving it often.... but most of all that it's getting fixed up, I'm really happy that you are enjoying it just as much as I have, glad it went to you :)

Finally, another small update!

Progress has been slow, I've had a lack of excess time & money lately, but my Cutlass is up for sale, and the proceeds from it with go to the Brougham. For now, this is what I've gotten done in the last few months.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0145.jpg


Here's a shot taken not too long after I had the spokes mounted, the whitewalls were kind of yellowed, and bleche wite wouldn't touch it. So I got out the 0000 steel wool and carefully went over the whitewalls, that did the job! Rick, remember that spare you sent with the car? Even the whitewall on that came out snow white.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_1121.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_1118.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_1128.jpg

Also, since the Brougham wasn't using them anymore, I cleaned up the hubcaps, painted the center caps, and stuck them on Denice. The Chrome is a lot nicer than her old ones.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_1129.jpg

The top cleaned up surprisingly well with RaggTopp and a horsehair brush. It still could use a re-dye to get true black, but it looks a lot richer than it did, the texture is almost velvet-like.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0157.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0156.jpg

I also got the silver star headlights put in, along with a new set of high-beams. The old ones had "dead eye", they looked dark because the reflector had been eaten away by water. The whole front looks cleaner now.

old headlights

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0149.jpg

new headlights

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0148.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/000_0154.jpg

Also, I still had a set of 480 watt RMS 6x9s and a Kenwood amp sitting around from my old '96 Deville, so a few weeks ago a friend and I put those in the back. Much louder than before!




That's all for now, really sorry I haven't been around as much lately, life is being a pain, getting in the way of more important things. I think Rick's ticked at me for ignoring him :( lol

God bless,

Ben.

Welcome back, Ben!

Car is looking good. Those crests on the caps for Denice are fantastic! What is up with the reflector in the quarter extensions on the 89?

Wow, it's looking great! So is it the daily driver now? Surprised how well the top cleaned up... man, glad you are really enjoying it :)

Can you buy Silverstar headlamps in sealed beam headlights like that or is that a custom job? I recently put some Silverstars in my car and my friends would like to do it to their cars but they are all older and have sealed beam type headlamps.

Can you buy Silverstar headlamps in sealed beam headlights like that or is that a custom job? I recently put some Silverstars in my car and my friends would like to do it to their cars but they are all older and have sealed beam type headlamps.

they are sold at Advance. Probably any place has them too...

Same price as the replaceable bulb units too.... makes you think, since the sealed beam still have a bulb... but this whole glass enclousre... and the same cost....

Thanks, yeah it's kind of the daily now. But that just means I have to wash it more. I've really got to get a gas saver, but I can't stop driving this car! I laugh at myself because after almost a year I still look at it through the window many times a day.... I say goodnight to it... (cue the men in white jackets coming to get me).

Just got done detailing it again today, also did a pretty big change-over... which is secret until I find my camera's cord. But don't worry, it's nothing retarded, in fact I think it looks awesome. I'll probably get pics uploaded tomorrow.

until then,

Ben

Finally found the camera cord, so here's the update.

Now, many of you will think I'm crazy for doing this, some others will disagree with it, but expect it, others might like it.

Rick, don't kill me, lol.

I took the spokes off and put on a set if Dimension IV's with the old wire wheel covers. What pushed me to it was; firstly, the missing center cap that fell off the day I mounted the spokes; secondly, I got a flat that couldn't be fixed, and couldn't decide what I wanted to do, so I tried this, and love it.

Just look.


http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_1196.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_1197.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/Cadillac_guy/100_1201.jpg

I gotta say, I think it looks better. It would look alright if I had mounted the D-IV's on the spokes, but the center cap REALLY bugged me. it was like a missing tooth. I know with the eternal hunt for wires, most of you probably don't like it, but I'd still like to hear one way or another. Like I said, I think it looks great, more classic maybe.

Also, after the pics were taken, I spent some time today going over more of the stainless trim with Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish. Rick, do I remember you saying something about using a Dremel & buffing wheel with the polish? Could I get some details?

Tomorrow I'm going to clean the engine and replace the air filter. I also should take off a couple of the braces and repaint them, some are rusty.

So, let me have it. :bigroll:

Ben

Nothing to apologize for. Looks fantastic.

When's the trim going on the bottom of the top? And, what's up with the reflectors (?) on the 1/4 extensions?

Thank you, I agree ;)

The trim on the top will get put on as soon as Rick and I can figure out a time & place to meet up again, he still has the part, along with a few other little things.

The "reflectors (?)" on the bumper fillers are actually holes... here's the story, from what I remember, when Rick's mom still drove the car, the original fillers rotted out, and the only set they could find to replace them were from a 1990-1992 Brougham with the side molding. So, it has mounting holes. The fillers are great other than that, and I'm hoping my body guy can just patch them and reuse them when it's time for paint.

Ben

Personally I have always liked the look of the wire hub caps over the tru wire wheels. In my mind it just looks a little more classy and a little less sporty. I think it is georgeous(sp). But then agian my mother had one of those when I was about 15 same color combo but it was an '80. I bet i washed the paint off that thing. Minimum of once a week. Those were the days.

It dosne't look too bad.... the wider white walls are not my style, but somehow it seems to blend on that car... dunno what it is with that car, the huge grille, gold stuff, aftermarket top... all the stuff I normally don't like on Cadys just works on that car.

Personally I always wondered how it would look with the pencil line white walls like I've got on the Town Car, it may not look right tho. I think the wide white walls were good for 70's and earlier styles, the standard ww for 80s and the pencil line for 90's.

Those spoked wheels are not factory Cadillac, and I know how they can be a pain in the butt, personally the original wire hubcaps look nice to me too.

Yeah, the trim pieces are sitting in my shed right now, they are a PITA to try and put on, maybe there is a trick to it? but yeah, I gave up. I've got them, along with a box full of '79 parts, spare '79 floor mats, the factory 1989 Brougham service manual and '89 Brougham cassette tape to give you....

I may be taking a little road trip this weekend, if I do, I'll be in contact with ya, should know by tomorrow ;)

haha, that's pretty much what I thought you'd say. When you still had it, I remember you talking about the pencil line whitewalls and I cringed, so I guess we're even. :) When I think about it, it seems likely that it might have had Royal Seals with the 1" whitewall when it was new, so this seems *kinda* factory correct to me.

I was thinking about the roof trim today, the piece on Denice is three separate parts screwed together, which makes it a lot easier, and it seems like the trim on my '90 is the same way.. Is the piece for the '89 only one piece? If so I could see how that would be a pain.

Wish I had more free time to work on it, I only got to spend an hour on it today, just enough time to get more stainless work done and clean the windows. Tomorrow, no matter what, I'm getting the engine clean.

Road trip? Awesome! Just let me know. ;)

Ben

I like it. Never been a fan of the true wires, though I respect them.

haha, that's pretty much what I thought you'd say. When you still had it, I remember you talking about the pencil line whitewalls and I cringed, so I guess we're even. :) When I think about it, it seems likely that it might have had Royal Seals with the 1" whitewall when it was new, so this seems *kinda* factory correct to me.

I was thinking about the roof trim today, the piece on Denice is three separate parts screwed together, which makes it a lot easier, and it seems like the trim on my '90 is the same way.. Is the piece for the '89 only one piece? If so I could see how that would be a pain.

Wish I had more free time to work on it, I only got to spend an hour on it today, just enough time to get more stainless work done and clean the windows. Tomorrow, no matter what, I'm getting the engine clean.

Road trip? Awesome! Just let me know. ;)

Ben

It is two pieces. The parts came unclipped from the plastic clips, so I took them all the way off, most clips were broken or missing so I pulled them from the '87... I dunno, just the design of them, I couldn't get the palstic part to clip inside of the trim parts... maybe you'd have better luck with it then I.

Good to have you back, Ben. We've missed you around here. The wide whites look awesome, though I think I preferred the true wires. They go with the top and grille and tie the whole look of the car together much better. By comparison, the wire discs look plain on this car. Besides, Denise is getting jealous! :)

Craig

I like the wide white walls. But vogues are still the king.

Another small update.

I'm just starting to get over a cold, so it took me most afternoon to do what I did, but I feel a lot better when this car is doing well. First of all, I FINALLY got the glove box put back in. Yes, this whole time, the car has had no glove box lining. Rick took it out to mess with the heater, and ever since I got the car, it had been sitting in my garage holding various parts (including hundreds of GM window switches ;) ). After that I replaced the fuse for the power locks & interior lights*.

Then, there's this little button that controls the interior lights coming on when the door is opened, the one on the driver's side front door was shot, but Rick gave me a replacement in Chattanooga along with a bunch of other stuff (and a few hundred more GM window switches). So I got that put on too. It really never bothered me that it didn't work, but I had the new one, so I did it. Lastly, my right rear blinker/brake light was out, so after a rather block headed attempt to get the taillight out, I figured it out and got that replaced too. Had to run to Advanced Auto half way through though, cause I didn't have the right bulb..

Nothing really big, but just stuff that I needed to fix, that I'd been putting off.

*On a side note, I need to know the following information to prove to a friend of mine that the Brougham isn't out to get him; is there a logical explanation for the power locks to lock the car without the switches being touched, while the fuse for the locks is dead? He was sitting in the car while we were testing out the new speakers, and it locked him in. Yes, this is a serious question, lol.

Ben

*On a side note, I need to know the following information to prove to a friend of mine that the Brougham isn't out to get him; is there a logical explanation for the power locks to lock the car without the switches being touched, while the fuse for the locks is dead? He was sitting in the car while we were testing out the new speakers, and it locked him in. Yes, this is a serious question, lol.

Ben

Christine lives!:eek:

I can only think a) the car was running, has the autolocking feature, and the trans was shifted into gear; b) the speaker wiring somehow got crossed with the door locks, or; c) the car is possessed and really is out to get your friend.

If the radio starts playing 50s rock 'n roll of its own volition, tell him to run. Fast.

Get a bunch of hillbilly's with sledgehammers and axes take a whack at it and see if it fixes itself. :histeric:

Get a bunch of hillbilly's with sledgehammers and axes take a whack at it and see if it fixes itself. :histeric:

You're trying to make the poor kid neurotic, aren't you....:alchi: