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1983 Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance project

203K views 776 replies 73 participants last post by  Maximln 
#1 ·
Hi,
first of all i want to introduce myself. I am Felix from germany and i just bought an '83 FB d'Elegance Sedan, loaded and in beautiful "woodland haze" paint.
I want to say sorry to you if i make mistakes writing english. It is not perfect, but i will try as good as possible. :)

4 Years ago (when i was 18) i bought my first car: a rusty and worse custom '74 Continental Mark IV. You can see my Lincoln restoration here: Link
I restored it and now it is like new but as a daily driver (it was still my only car) it is too expensive on gas. (In germany it is something about 8$/gal)

I always loved 70s and 80s american cars. 80s Fleetwood Brougham always was one of my favourites.
So i looked for one. I had exact criteria:

- Year 80-83 (in germany there is a huge financial advantage for cars older then 30 Years, called historical license plate)
- Sedan (it is hard with these small parking spots and those huuuuge doors. I always have problems with the doors of my Lincoln.)
- Fleetwood Brougham, no Deville
- d'Elegance package with cloth seats (very important, i love these seats)
- paint shouldn't be silver or black (i don't like common colors.... today every car is silver or black)

It is hard to find a car that fits. I searched a lot worldwide but found almost nothing (and if, way too expensive)
In germany those cars are between 1.500 and 10.000€ Compared to the US-prices, they are expensive. Shipping from the US to germany is something about 2.000$.

One day i drove through a city 70 mls away and saw a '80s FB at the street side.
- Sedan :thumbsup:
- Fleetwood Brougham :thumbsup:
- d'Elegance :thumbsup:
- cloth seats :thumbsup:
- 80-83: yes, '83 :thumbsup:
- color :thumbsup:

Holy! A car like out of my dream.
Ok, it is needs TLC, but no problem.
I contact the owner, yes the car is for sale. It was inserted a while ago for 4.300€
I negotiate "a bit" and at the end i bought the car for 800€ (about 1.000$), which is a very good price here in germany for such a car.

And this is it:
(Cadillac next to my Mark IV)


rear:










Ok, and that is the condition:
- front bumper is bent, but chrome is ok
- rear bumper is straight, but chrome is worn
- broken bumper filler
- worn vinyl top
- worn tires
- missing emblems
- engine (HT4100) runs perfect
- transmission needs rebuilt. no movement in reverse
- brakes, suspension like new
- seats like new
- headliner hangs down locally
- some electrical things aren't working
- almost no rust (only surface. undercarriage is like new)
- car is 100% original (exept for stupid german conversions to the turn signals, parking lights, cornering lights, sidemarkers....)

I have a Carfax report and it seems that 30.000 Miles are original.

So far... in february i took the car with me. It drives like a cloud. Awesome!
It only is difficult to remember the missing reverse.... sometimes i had to push the car back on road.

Cadillac at arriving.




Ok. I only can put 15 images in one post so i will distribute the progress to the next posts.

Regards
Felix
 
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#2 ·
This is a cold start video of it a day after i got it.



The squeaky bearing is silent meanwhile.


and a warm start...


I cleaned the engine, put some new plugs in it...


took out the trunk carpets and cleaned everything.... it is like new... not even surface rust...


look at those beautiful seats...




I replaced all fuses, greased everything and cleaned electical contacts.
So some of the electical stuff worked again:
- interior lighting
- illuminated entry
- outside mirrors
- level ride

I cleaned the car and polished the chrome.


the ECC Control Head is broken, so i ordered a new one (still on the way to germany...)


repaired the back wiring harness (redone the stupid modifications)


put new tires on it



Regards
Felix
 
#3 ·
Ok and now it is time for the Transmission.
I bought 2 overhaul kits (it needs weeks until the parts are here in germany, so if i destroy a bearing or o-ring, i dont want to wait for new parts), the 82-83 Cadillac Shop Manual and a THM 200 4R transmission overhaul manual. (Haynes)

The overhaul kits:


before removing the transmission




















Check balls:


empty transmission:




the reason for the reverse problem: totally worn reverse clutches


Regards
Felix
 
#4 ·
These motors are aluminum and had problems with head gaskets.. It is good advice to flush and change anti freeze every two years. That would be the first thing I would do.. These motors always developed a rumble because of engine main bearings.. Years back when these sold used , I have a friend, used car dealer, who bought a lot of cars with this motor.. The first thing he did was put in new main bearings that were .001 undersize.. This tightened up the slop and they run like new ... He did not change the rod bearings... I am sorry to say that losing reverse in the transmission is one of the first signs it needs a rebuild. There were a few weak spots that were change through the years.. I would search the web on some upgrades and hard parts that should be changed.. The transmission you have is a TH200 4R ...
 
#8 ·
Thanks.
Yes, i know the HT's are very sensitive to false care.
I directly changed all fluids on that car. There were no coolant in the oil and no oil in the coolant. (first thing i checked before i bought it)
The engine runs great, haven't had any problem with it yet. It is really not very powerful (ok, i think it is not correct to connect the words "power" and "HT4100" :D:D), but it is good on mpg and it runs very smooth. I like the fuel display gimmicks.

The front oil pump shaft was good. I measured the end-play of the shafts and after the rebuild everything was good.
Btw. it took 3 days to rebuild the transmission. First day disassembling, second day rebuild and third day installing and test drive.

@ jayoldschool,
thank you.
no, i only can register it at the 30th register date. It would be more senseful, if it would be the build date, but it isn't....
I could now register it with a standart registration, but in germany car taxes are calculated by the emissions and displacement. And 4.1 Liter is a huge engine here in germany. I would probably pay ~2000€/year + insurance. Insurance would be maybe the same. With the historical license i will pay 190€/year + 120€/year insurance.
So you see, it is way better to wait 2 months and register it as a historical vehicle. (It is called "antique" in the US?)

Regards
Felix
 
#5 ·
broken reverse piston seal ring


all parts of the transmission:


new clutch rings in fresh atf:


new reverse clutch package installed:


everything installed... new valve body sealing


completed:


I installed the transmission to the Cadillac and.... it works!!! I haven't done something like that before.
Now it shifts smooth, makes no noises and the car rides backwards too. Awesome. :banana::banana::banana::banana:

I drove the car 1.200 miles direct after the transmission-rebuild. No problems! Everything works fine.

And here are some pics of the ride on the german Autobahn:







It rides like a cloud. I am totally satisfied. I got 24.43 MPG on the Autobahn.

This is, how it looks right now.
I am still waiting for the ECC Control Head. If it arrives, i will post actual news.

There is one little problem. The german regulations says, i can apply for the german historical license, when the car hits (exactly) 30 years.
It was registered the first time on the 1st of July 1983....
So i have to wait until July this year to register the car.

What i have planned for the future:
- new exhaust pipe (some rust holes)
- new bumper filler set

After the registration i want to use the car as my daily driver.

That's it for now.

Best regards from germany
Felix
 
#7 ·
Wow you work fast.. You must have been posting those pictures when I was writing... It has been a long time , but if I remember right a problem area was the shaft came out of the pump that the torque convertor goes on, now this is the one on the outside, had a problem with the spline getting worn and damaged..
 
#15 ·
Thanks a lot to you guys.


Me too. It was the same with the Lincoln vinyl top. Everyone told me, i shouldnt do that myself. But hey, if i never do that myself, i wont learn how to do that. So i ever wanted to do a vinyl top to learn it. And on what car i should do it if not on my own Lincoln? I bought a top, some padding and glue and go for it. It worked well and now it looks beautiful.

With automatic transmissions i had exactly none experience when i bought the Cadillac.
I bought the service manual, the overhaul manual, 2 overhaul kits and took out the tranny without any idea whats wrong with it.

I was yelling, when it shifted into reverse the first time. That was absolutley unspectacular, but gorgeous. It just went backwards out of the garage, Haha.

Yes, the Caddy rides as smooth as the Lincoln. The Mark IV is way heavier and more powerful. The 460 engine is great.
But the Cadillac is better as a daily driver: 4 dr, huge trunk, most comfortable seats i ever sat in, loaded, and a great fuel mileage (compared to the Lincoln)

----------

Wow....you should get along fine around here!
Great work and what a great match you found to your dream car. Talk about destiny!
You have two of my favorite cars. You must have a lot of fun driving those land yachts in Germany.
Welcome and keep posting as the project continues.
Thanks, yes it is a huge fortune with this car.
Yes, it is great to drive cars like these here in germany. On the other hand it is very expensive because of the gas prices.
But i will ever own those american cars. I love them. I love the comfortable seats and suspension. Modern cars are rough with tough seats, strong steering and ugly design. Old american luxury cars are luxurious, elegant and smooth. The have a soft suspension and comfortable seats, better then any sofa.

I will post the updates soon. At the moment i am waiting for the ECC Control Head, a Hood Emblem (very important on a Cadillac :D) and a trunk lock emblem. I will renew the vinyl top, the bumper fillers, the exhaust and i will repair the paint. It has some chips and dents. But it shouldn't get a full repaint.
I want to keep the car 100% original.

Regards
Felix
 
#19 ·
It was very hard.
There are more ways to put a vinyl top on. There are huge differences with the correct glue and the usage of it.
I took glue, where you can't move the vinyl after you contact it to the roof. That is difficult to do.

When i replace the Cadillac top, i will show it here. Maybe i will take glue which allows movement even after sticking the vinyl to the roof.
You need a padding underneith it too. The padding makes it more difficult. At the Lincoln, there were only padding on the sides of the roof, a heavy challenge for a newbie like me. :D

But as i said, i have no experience with other glue and ways to put the vinyl on. Maybe it is more easier...

Felix
 
#24 ·
Thanks a lot,

btw, i haven't tell something about the options. This car is loaded.

- Electronic level control
- Brougham d'Elegance - cloth seating
- Electronic cruise control
- Controlled-cycle wiper system
- Rear defogger with heated outside mirrors
- Automatic door locks
- Illuminated entry system
- Memory driver's seat
- Power passenger seat recliner
- Leather-trimmed steering wheel
- Tilt/telescope steering wheel
- Power trunk lid release and pull-down
- Twilight Sentinel
- Trumpet horn
- Electric remote-control outside mirrors
- Twin lighted vanity mirrors
- Electronic-tuning seek/scan AM/FM stereo radio with cassette and CB
- Triband antenna
- Door edge guards
- Trunk mat
- Locking wire wheel covers

Regards
Felix
 
#25 ·
Sorry to jump in so late here, but welcome!

I truly admire your willingness to just dive right in and tackle the big projects that many (including me) are afraid to. Well done, you!

I love the color and the cloth d'Elegance seating is beautiful. Yours is optioned nearly identical to mine. I have d'Elegance leather seating, fuel filler lock, but no CB ... otherwise, the same.

I can't wait to see how this story turns out!!!

Cheers for the updates!
 
#26 ·
Thank you for the welcome.
I have looked for a d'Elegance without leather seating, because often these seats are cracked and worn. I have inspected a '84 d'Elegance with leather and the seats were cracked, worn and very hard. The cloth seating is unbelievable soft.

Yes, unfortunately my car has no fuel filler lock. I would like to upgrade it with it. Does anybody knows, what parts I need to install the fuel filler lock afterwards?
How you can unlock the fuel filler door?


----------

The postmen just brought me a nice package with the Cadillac emblems.
The colors are faded, especially red and yellow. (as usual)
Does anybody have renewed the colors? Is there a possibility to remove the plastic shield without damaging it?



Regards
Felix
 
#29 ·
@ Cadillacboy,
thanks a lot.
Haha, but if i want to drive with a MB, i am gonna call for a taxi. :histeric: ;)

@ outsider,
thanks! That definately helps.

I was successful, taking the plastic cover apart and i scratched all paint off, except for the white ones and the chrome bars.

The next days i will try to paint it.





Regards
Felix
 
#32 ·
Those emblems you have restored look great. You must be a watchmaker!! BTW your car is very nearly the twin to mine. As an aside, when I watched your startup video, I noticed that your ISP motor (Idle Speed Control) was bumping the throttle before you started cranking. The reason it does that is because it has either been replaced and the proper sequence steps have not been followed during the re-connection or someone has disconnected the original and not followed the proper steps in reconnecting it. When you turn the key to on and before you crank the engine, you should not hear a "bump, bump, bump" from the engine room. BTW, I'd like to see your engine room after you clean and detail it. It should clean up really well.

Cheers.......R.
 
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