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69 Sedan de Ville official restoration thread

52K views 278 replies 28 participants last post by  CADforce69 
#1 · (Edited)
It´s time to open an “official restoration thread” for my ‘69 SDV, as someday it may help to someone who have similar car / similar problems. First I´m gathering up most pictures posted in different threads along the forum.

I bought the car from a man who seemed to be a compulsive collector of classic cars. He had a piece of land and a warehouse where he stored about 20 classics, Mercedes, Bentley, Cadillac, Lamborghini, Ford, Lincoln… In the past he had about 100 vehicles in this land, some inside and others outside the building. Now he needed some money and had to sell some of the cars. This one started easily, engine run very well, transmission worked apparently well (afterwords I discovered relevant trans fluid leakage) and brakes were apparently well, just some humming in transmission that did not worried me at first. The price was cheap and we made a deal. The car title was not very clear as he confessed but he bound himself to get everything solved so I was inscribed as the car´s owner and the car was ready to run legally. I advanced part of the money and the rest would be paid when I picked up the car. Doing the paperwork would take 1-2 months (Finally it turned to be 3 so I had to wait what it seemed to be an eternity for me).

Finally, on December 29 2010 I went to pick up the caddy, that was about 280 miles from home, with some paper still not ready but which I received some days later. The travel was a hell as I could check steering was very loose and front tires about 40 years old (and warped). The result was a horrendous trembling every time the car speed was over 25 mph and the road had any slight unevenness. Then I discovered that if I drove at more than 45 mph such effect did not take place. Later on, when I changed front tires the problem disappeared. I also changed tie rod ends, idler arm and drag link and since then, the car drove like heaven. Distributor timing was too advanced so when engine was hot at idle the car stalled when I turned the wheels to top right or left. Apart from that there was no incident (except for the red brakes light on but braking was good enough) and I managed to park it in my underground parking space not without some effort. It stick out near one meter, what aroused some complain.
A pic of the night travel:


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Some weeks later I took it to mi girl´s mum country house. It has no garage but I bought a good exterior car cover that is preserving it perfectly. Before that 55 mile travel I changed engine oil, oil filter, gas filter, air filter, sparks, spark wires, distributor cap and rotor. We tried to change points but with new points the car wouldn´t start. When I took the car to an experienced mechanic, he realized that there was not a good ground contact with new points installed. He solved the problem just with a file touch.
First pics of the engine: Dirt everywhere


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Distributor cap off and very worn tie rod ends:


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This plate is the original one. Registered in Madrid (Spain) on july 31 1969




I know: What are those lights doing in the rear bumper? Requirements to adapt the car to the european car light regulations. I´m planning taking that out, changing back up lights for turn lights (just an orange bulb and wire change) and looking for the original moldings (not very easy to find)



Rear view is spectacular. I love it! Original trunk lock emblem and "V" were broken. They were changed thanks to the help of Sven914



Rear fenders "Sedan de Ville" and trunk "Cadillac" badges were missing but later I got them back to its place.





There was a lot of work to do with chrome but I´m making it shine... These headlights were not OEM but an adaptation that former owner screwed on the headlight frame. New OEM type headlights would be installed later on. Left turn light would be also changed for another one in better condition the seller gave me with the car… Cracked but not broken.
 
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#2 ·
About the car´s story: Its original color was this:

I think its name is firemist gold. He had also vinyl roof. It was first bought in 1969 by some V.I.P. in Madrid and 2 years later sold to another person. The car had just 74.000 km. (46.000 miles) on its odometer when I bought it. I think front bias ply tires were original with all of their thread shown. It remained sitting for decades in the open at some estate near Madrid. Paint and viny degraded and interior burned by the sun. It was for sale for long time but the price was high for the car condition. Someday it was painted in pink to film some TV ad. Later on it was taken to a shop in Toledo where supposedly some fixings were done and the car painted in blue (very similar to OEM Athenean blue). The car was left stranded, as the owner never picked it up (and pay the invoice) so the shop had to keep the car for themselves and finally sold it 10 years ago to the man who in turn, sold me the car.

Some interior pics of my '69 SdV as it was when I bought it. This is the worst part of him. When some electrical problems are solved I´m going to upholster seats and door panels, as they are very damaged due to long time exposure to sun. Fortunately, dash is not cracked. Just needed a good cleaning and detail fixing.




I´m waiting for a 70 steering wheel that for some reason is delaying. Meanwhile, I have put a cover like many '69 have to use due to rim deterioration. There was rust in the levers I already removed:




Headliners at least are in good condition but somewhat dirty. I was cleaning the part behind the driver sun visor when it ripped about 3 inches. Continuous sun and rain exposure weakened fabric.





It´s an export version. It went right from factory to Spain. Dash is in kilometers. Under the dash two buttons: One to turn on the starter motor; the other for the horn (they could not find a more convenient place):noidea:
You turn the key to switch on contact and then push the starter button, but be sure that no gear is engaged, as you can have a surprise when the car starts. The start button was (I think) a botched job done when someday the start system failed to work, so they bypassed it. The collateral damage is the safety switch is bypassed too. The button wires go straight to the starter. Maybe I find someone here that can bring the system back to original.

Radio turns on but can hear no station (not even white noise). The man who sold me the car told me the problem was due to speakers. These speakers in the kick panels seem another adaptation. I checked them but the wire that should come from radio is detached. I´ll have to open dash top and connect some test speaker to the old ones connection to see if that´s the problem. I´m afraid that the problem is not that easy as dial does not change when you move the FM/AM lever (always in AM). Automatic antenna works perfectly.
Wipers do not work. We checked motor with two wires plugged directly to battery and it works correctly. Wiring was tampered but original relays seem to be in place so the mechanic will try to redo installation.

Heating/air conditioning did not work. We changed A/C heater ATC power servo and checked fan connection. One wire was detached. Now it works at low speed but not at high. Compressor clutch works but we have to refill A/C circuit to see if cooling system works.

Parking brake release is broken. There´s only a little rest of the manual release lever. What a surprise first time I applied it and realized that it did not release automatically when transmission selector moved to "D" or "R" as it was supposed to. Finally I could use the remains of the manual release.
Odometer shows 75.000 Kms. I think it´s real; the car spent long time unused, pedals are not very worn, as front wheels (although old, they showed a good thread). Gas prices in Europe combined with high gas consumption kept him as a low mileage unit.


Here is my 69 Sedan de Ville by a gas station in the way home after a brakes, suspension, steering, ignition and carburetor overhaul. As you can see height is back to normal after changing shocks (rear including a system to keep air level by an inflating valve as original compressor does not work). Some chrome polishing is under progress and A/C Heater ATC Power Servo has been changed so now it works although not in the "automatic" position (A/C gas not yet refilled). Now the car drives like heaven









 
#5 ·
Thanks outsider :) It attracts unavoidably the attention of everyone -even those who does not like cars:lol:- Classic cadillacs are very rare in Spain as only a few arrived here when new as very few Spaniards could afford buying and keeping these cars. Many of the classic caddies you can see here were imported from USA during the last 15 years. When it´s parked in the street crowds of people gather around it. Even in classic rallies in Spain it´s hard to see a 74 or older cadillac though you can see Fords, Chryslers, Dodges, Pontiac, Chevys... It´s a rolling show :lol:

The differential breakdown has slowed down my schedule but I went on doing little fixings while the diff. was coming. I´ll try to keep up the speed as some people say the end of the world will take place on december 21 2012... And I have to drive my caddy for many miles before (LOL)
 
#4 ·


Headlight rims were missing but I bought a new set. Below I´ll show you the new rims/headlight set.



Everything seemed to go perfect but 20 kms before the car arrived home something went wrong: Transmission began to seem retained progressively and then even making a snoring noise and finally like metal were rubbing against metal as I was looking a safe place to stop. When I got out I saw smoke out of the link between transmission rod and differential. I called the tow to take the car to its housing. The car still moves but the rear axle is braking.

Before it happened I could hear a slight howling noise from transmission. The mechanic told me that it came from a worn rack and pinion but nothing important; just an unpleasant noise. The last section of exhaust (fixed by a clamp) was lost in transport. I think it´s time to think about a new line :helpless:

This was the problem: No lube at all :helpless: and progressive wear of gears until differential has failed. Gears were stained in orange as an evidence of overheating probably when breakdown happened. Rack teeth were even sharpened by abnormal friction.

The screw top was not the original one and opening it was difficult. Maybe that´s the cause of negligent maintenance. Probably, differential lost oil through front pinion seal until the problem solved by itself as oil was over:rant2:

Finally I received a "new" differential for my 69 SDV. After contacting several companies, I found AA National Auto Parts, in Phoenix, specialized in used cadillac parts. As they have some 69s, they helped down a differential in good condition and sent it to me by air through a local company that crated it thoroughly. They looked for the cheapest way to send it from AZ to Madrid, so finally I paid $ 200 for the part and $ 640 for the crating & transport (just the diff. weighs 95 lbs.!). It´s the best quote I got. I´ve also bought a new diff. carrier gasket and new diff. pinion seal. We hope the rest is in good condition.

Here are some pics I took of the diff as I just opened the crate. I haven´t a great experience in differentials, but for the info I checked on Internet this seems to be Ok. Waiting for the mechanic opinion. Now the differential is at the mechanic´s home as he´ll start work by changing pinion seal:















I hope we can change differential this week. Let´s cross fingers. I´m looking forward to drive my caddy again.
 
#6 ·
Some progress on my 69 SDV while I was waiting for the new differential. I cleaned steering wheel & dash and painted its totally faded chromed lines. I also took out the wood veneer dash panel, filed it off (it was full of bubbles) and covered it with auto-adhesive vinyl. I also painted the faded "cadillac" letters and lines above the glovebox. I used a silver felt tip pen to renew them. I also covered the sun burned wheel rim.
First I used engine cleaner, as dirt was stuck to surface from decades without proper cleaning, and then I used a dash renewer :


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You can also see the vintage steering wheel cover to hide rim peeling off while I´m waiting for my '70 wheel.


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Burned chrome line around dash was renewed also with flexible auto-adhesive chrome line sold by the meter.
Here is the pic of the flexible chromed molding roll I bought and a detail of the molding:







I changed old glovebox lock for a new one. It was difficult to close and handle was missing. I have to upload some pic

I also replaced headlights with original type ones and recovered missing headlight rims. Now high beam center lights work as there were no sockets in the old adapted ones, which were screwed to the frame:

Left: Old ones. Right: New ones


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I also took the opportunity to polish front chrome in detail.


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The mechanic tested wipers. The motor works well but installation is a mess. They are not totally down, awaiting installation fixing.

Soon pics of turn signal lens substitution adventure!
 
#8 ·
Thanks you for your kind comment. I´m also looking forward to see it finished :D but it may take a year or maybe more, as when mechanical, electric and interior issues are finished I´ll get repaired front fenders, as there is relevant rust in the bottom (as most 69-70s) fixed in false with filler and paint and consequently back to surface again.

I can see signs of rust inside around rear window, as water leaked through the gap where the roof vinyl joined to rear window, that I sealed with polyurethane. As no more water is expected to leak and the car is under cover, I hope it do not get worse as by the moment I can not face a deep body restoring. After all, when inner rear window frame and rear tray behind seat is restored there won´t be any hint.
 
#9 ·
Thank you for your submission , it's a pleasure to see these gorgeous rides gettin' back to their heydays

Have a good time
:highfive:
 
#17 · (Edited)
Some weeks ago I changed the left signal lens, which was broken when I bought the car. Fortunately, the former owner gave me another one -somewhat cracked- but not broken.

Until I got the service manual I went crazy about how to remove the "cornering, parking and front side marker light assembly" as is named in the manual. It´s evident that I had to remove light sockets and the three screws (missing in the left side of my car) securing top of the lamp assembly to fender and screw securing rubber filler and assembly to fender at front of wheel opening but something still retained assembly preventing it from being taken out of fender. Once I read manual I discovered that you have to remove front bumper to release the lamp assembly!:holycrap: The worst of it would not be removing bumper but installing it back.

Front bumper is secured to frame by 8 bolts and nuts + flat washers. The manual recommends placing a piece of masking tape on the lower edges of the front fenders behind the side marker lights and between the headlamps and parking lamps, taping the comparable bumper areas and drawing horizontal and vertical crossed lines on each piece of tape (I drew crossed lines) to help placing when reinstalling bumper. The funny thing is that some little pieces of paint went with the painter tape when removed:annoyed: -There you see if a car is really well painted- (I´ll touch up it with similar paint).

It´s necessary raising the car (I did it with a jack) to work comfortably and positioning a floor type jack so as to support bumper at outer ends. I started by removing the center 4 bolts / nuts and then I removed 2 sets in the left side (it´s difficult in the last phase, as they are not ordinary bolts but rounded head bolts squared in the head base that gets into a square hole and you can not hold head easily when square base is getting out of hole. I had to hold it by pressing head with a hammer stick; the other end against inner fender). Last nut was removed but the bolt stayed there to secure flexibly the bumper end and I did not removed the right 2 bolts / nuts.

At that point I raised the car from behind the front left wheel so bumper stayed about 1-1,5" lower supported by floor jacks and finally I could extract lamp assembly to my deep rejoice (I could remove two wasp nests built inside of the lens, fortunately empty). Still some difficulty as the little bolts -2 upper and 1 lower- securing front part of assembly did not match with my metric wrenches, so I had to use my pliers and loosening spray. Then, it started to rain and rain :hide: until night so the following weekend I could end the job doing just the reverse process and taking one of the bolts of the opposite side to secure left assembly to inner fender in a safer way.

Some pics to illustrate this book (sorry if it´s too long):

This is me fighting against evil bolts and nuts. You need a really good wrench to take them out. You need doing a good effort; while unscrewing them they get warm due to friction:

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The bolts and nuts:


lamp assembly out (you can see upper bolts securing front assembly):

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Broken lens (It could not pass safety inspection):

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Finished job (Nobody could imagine it takes so much work):


Now Rex -that´s my car´s name- seems happier with renewed lens :)






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#20 ·
Some weeks ago I changed the left signal lens, which was broken when I bought the car. Fortunately, the former owner gave me another one -somewhat cracked- but not broken.

Until I got the service manual I went crazy about how to remove the "cornering, parking and front side marker light assembly" as is named in the manual. It´s evident that I had to remove light sockets and the three screws (missing in the left side of my car) securing top of the lamp assembly to fender and screw securing rubber filler and assembly to fender at front of wheel opening but something still retained assembly preventing it from being taken out of fender. Once I read manual I discovered that you have to remove front bumper to release the lamp assembly!:holycrap: The worst of it would not be removing bumper but installing it back.

Front bumper is secured to frame by 8 bolts and nuts + flat washers. The manual recommends placing a piece of masking tape on the lower edges of the front fenders behind the side marker lights and between the headlamps and parking lamps, taping the comparable bumper areas and drawing horizontal and vertical crossed lines on each piece of tape (I drew crossed lines) to help placing when reinstalling bumper. The funny thing is that some little pieces of paint went with the painter tape when removed:annoyed: -There you see if a car is really well painted- (I´ll touch up it with similar paint).

It´s necessary raising the car (I did it with a jack) to work comfortably and positioning a floor type jack so as to support bumper at outer ends. I started by removing the center 4 bolts / nuts and then I removed 2 sets in the left side (it´s difficult in the last phase, as they are not ordinary bolts but rounded head bolts squared in the head base that gets into a square hole and you can not hold head easily when square base is getting out of hole. I had to hold it by pressing head with a hammer stick; the other end against inner fender). Last nut was removed but the bolt stayed there to secure flexibly the bumper end and I did not removed the right 2 bolts / nuts.

At that point I raised the car from behind the front left wheel so bumper stayed about 1-1,5" lower supported by floor jacks and finally I could extract lamp assembly to my deep rejoice (I could remove two wasp nests built inside of the lens, fortunately empty). Still some difficulty as the little bolts -2 upper and 1 lower- securing front part of assembly did not match with my metric wrenches, so I had to use my pliers and loosening spray. Then, it started to rain and rain :hide: until night so the following weekend I could end the job doing just the reverse process and taking one of the bolts of the opposite side to secure left assembly to inner fender in a safer way.

Some pics to illustrate this book (sorry if it´s too long):

This is me fighting against evil bolts and nuts. You need a really good wrench to take them out. You need doing a good effort; while unscrewing them they get warm due to friction:

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The bolts and nuts:


lamp assembly out (you can see upper bolts securing front assembly):

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Broken lens (It could not pass safety inspection):

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Finished job (Nobody could imagine it takes so much work):


Now Rex -that´s my car´s name- seems happier with renewed lens :)






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I always wondered why the 1977 Cadillacs trumpeted their "vastly improved ease of service". Since owning my 69 and after reading this post, I now know. Remove the front bumper to change a freakin' directional signal lens?!? What fool designed that? If he isn't dead, he needs his engineering degree revoked!
 
#18 ·
Last news about differential: The mechanic broke the new front oil seal when trying to install it in the substitute. I don´t blame him as I know it´s not an easy job -not unusual-. He´s waiting for a new one he ordered, so let´s wait some more days...:bigroll:
 
#21 · (Edited)
Yeah, I think it comes from naiveté, as they assumed that this lamp assembly should be changed only when an important shock was suffered by fender and to damage this assembly, the bumper should be sensibly damaged and consequently repaired or changed. They did not thought of vandalism. I wish long life to your turn signal lights.:p
 
#23 ·
The charm of the little things... And nasty surprises

Last weekend I went on cleaning and restoring little things on my caddy. I changed Steering Column Tilt Adjust Lever, as chrome was damaged irreversibly, for a perfect one I bought. I also bought an interior door courtesy lens, which was missing. I took the opportunity to remove all the lenses and clean them, as they were very dirty. When they were clean, I painted again the chrome rim they had in the edge, vanished by years of heat and rain damp. I changed some burnt bulbs (dome, trunk and glovebox), even the backup bulbs but they don´t work. Another thing to check. I also washed dome light lenses. I used engine cleaner.

I cleaned and polished chrome details and sill plates on left doors also. Look is much better. I even got lighter in rear left door work (one wire was disconnected) but I did not get window switch work. Power windows work but only if operated from the driver´s panel; not from each one switch. I tried to move once and again the window blocking switch with no results.

I also started cleaning engine compartment. I started from the front end and inner fenders, as well as washer bottle and coolant overflow bottle (really dirty and containing something similar to light mud inside that went off and refilled with coolant instead). I would like to go on cleaning head covers but it will take a lot of work as they have a thick layer of grease and dirt on (above all the right hand one).

You can also see rear window frame (with important rust signs) and a nasty surprise I got when I took out the left rear carpet in the following pics:

You can see clean lenses in the outer sides and dirty in the inner (the red is the one I bought). Dome lens is already clean:


All lenses clean prepared to be painted:

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Lenses painted with a silver felt tip pen:




Right rear door (not clean yet) Lighter missing:

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Rear left door clean:

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Driver door before cleaning:


... And after cleaning. I´m thinking of applying sand tone silicone to those cracks until I get door panels reupholstered:

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Some pics of the interior (you can see the front seat condition; everything will be reupholstered):

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Old tilt adjust lever:

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Engine compartment improves little by little:

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Rear window frame rusted. Rear tray is covered by a piece of carpet; original one is very damaged by damp. Another thing that will be upholstered:


 
#28 ·
This is an important doubt: Most people that saw the car did not like much this gold dardanelle cloth pattern... Maybe seeing it in such a bad condition contributes to this negative opinion. I was thinking of using leather with same seam pattern where the dardanelle cloth is now, and new vinyl with same color than original in the rest, but maybe leather increase budget sensibly. When I reach to the upholstering point I´ll ask SMS http://www.smsautofabrics.com/ which is the cost of the original cloth for my car (they have it in their catalog) http://www.smsautofabrics.com/product-info.php?pid=69-9812&pcl=c&ino=964 and if cost is sensibly lower maybe I decide using this cloth.
 
#30 ·
Dardanelle is SO late 60s/early 70s. That whole damask paisley thing just got out of hand! It does look cool, though. Daphne cloth is more understated and very pretty with its embroidered triple sunburst pattern. Both cloths will cost between $80 and $110 from SMS. Don't know what Sierra grain leather would cost, and don't want to know what ostrich grain leather costs. But leather is so boring! I would love to see this car back in its original gold someday. With the gold cloth interior, it would be a real eye popper!
 
#36 ·
Thanks for your kind words. The mechanic told me yesterday that next monday would change differential at last (he has a lot of work but I prefer waiting till he has some time for me, as he´s very good with these american classics). I´ll make some shots of the job to upload ;)
 
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