Welcome!
So, I decided it would be a good idea to start an official, consolidated "project thread" for my Phaeton. Until now I had just started separate threads, or posted bits in the picture threads. The only problem with doing that, is that you'd end up with entire threads for simple questions, and all of the smaller details & triumphs slipping through the cracks. I'm thinking of wrangling all the old threads I can find that are relevant, & posting links here, thus keeping everything together except special concerns / slightly unrelated content. I'm going to do a quick summary of my history with the car, then probably do featured posts with greater detail about specific old & new subjects as time goes by. I'm hoping this will be a thread with lots of useful information about the sleek modern classic 1977-79 425 Cadillacs that are still favorites for so many of us.
...You might want to make a drink & get comfortable, we may be here a while.
Personal History:
Before watching the movie 'Goodfellas', I had no idea what a Phaeton was. When I first saw it, I just thought "oh hey, someone put a full cloth top on a '79 Coupe DeVille... that looks kinda badass!" A couple months later I was looking around online & stumbled upon a description of what the Phaeton was. Right then, I knew I wanted to find one. I started looking officially in 2005, but most of the ones I found were white with the blue top (apparently referred to as the "Nautical look"), and I was already set on 'Western Saddle Firemist'.
So naturally, when my friend Chad found this one on eBay, I jumped on it. The downside was a well traveled 216,000 miles on the original engine and rebuilt trans, and that the car was in California... while I'm in Tennessee. But who has time for such trivial details? So... another $1000 in shipping later, on June 7th 2006, I took delivery of my new iron muse. I also have to thank our very own Craig (77CDV) for driving up and inspecting the car in Ventura, CA before it was delivered, and taking more pictures for me. A computer crash ate the pics from him, but I still have the eBay pictures.
(eBay pictures)
Love at first sight
So there it was! Unfortunately, the seller didn't mention to me that the battery was dead, alternator belt not included, and alternator itself on life support... I was just sad I didn't get to drive it home yet. One pensive night later, I had it towed to a shop two blocks down. Shop replaced the missing belt, put on an Interstate battery, replaced a sketchy freeze plug, repacked a front wheel bearing; and on June 8th, 2006, I drove home deliriously happy with my new time-machine. The fact that the seat was stuck 8 inches too far back, and that I had to keep my foot slightly on the throttle at all times to stay running had no apparent effect on me. You'd think I was driving a Ferrari by the look on my face. Details were trivial, I was still too busy cranking Frank Sinatra through the 8-track & marveling over guide-matic headlamps.
My Phaeton came with it's original dealer invoice (From Hillcrest Motors, Beverly Hills, CA.) with a note scribbled about the custom "Classic Cadillac" grille and it's price of $1250 (I'll never understand the appeal, so I replaced it with an original version & sold the Rolls knockoff on eBay). Even the original owners manual was there, with a note about "Only 2,400 Phaeton Coupes" above A Cadillac customer-service number, with the name "Chuck". There was also a fascinating chromed, extendable, cross-car, hook-to-hook clothes hanger (There's a good idea... just block the rear view completely with a nice wall of leisure suits... Safety first!); One set of dark brown velour seat covers, probably left from before the seats were recovered in 1998; and a cheap cloth car cover, among other things. The California plates that were on it dated back to 1989. I've often wondered what the original plates might have been & where they went (vanity plates perhaps?). I was very lucky that it still actually has the original plate frame from the factory, as mentioned on the invoice. The grippy steering wheel cover & tan super-store floor mats were the first things to go...
Annual summary:
2006: Carb rebuilt (twice... Horribly, by a very bad, BAD mechanic); new power steering pump; replaced a weak freeze plug; first set of spark plugs, dist cap; front brake pads; first new starter; misc other.
At cruise-in, the first week I had it.
________
2007: Original alternator rebuilt; New 215-75-R15 Dimension IV 1.3" whitewall tires; Urethane clear coat paint job & bodywork; replaced dealer-installed grille with a stock one; headlight short fixed;
A.I.R pump replaced (didn't know at the time that I could just bypass it, or that it came with the California emissions kit); rear springs & shocks replaced with Impala SS springs, and Hijacker air shocks (details in thread); blinker module replaced; installed a set of Lloyds Ultimat floor mats. The cardboard trunk walls were looking a big saggy, so I carpeted them with some of that grey roll up carpet you can get at about any super-store or parts store, and some spray adhesive. Six years later, they are still holding up well.
First & only car show to date.
2008: New fuel pump, 2nd new starter.
2009: Alternator replaced with rebuilt one. (and probably other stuff that I don't remember)
2010: Transmission rebuilt after it decided it was done with all of this 'shifting' business. Unrelated front-end collision & repairs. (details in thread)
2011: New alternator drive belt after the old one shredded & wrapped itself around the fan.
2012: New 120 amp alternator (that makes 3); new starter (...also 3); new battery (2nd one).
New exhaust pipe & muffler; front end alignment & center-link replaced; new spark plugs, more plug wires, cap & rotor; installed rear-window 3rd brake light; coolant flush, correct 195 degree thermostat, replaced heater core & hoses; new windshield-wiper motor (Yet my delay function still doesn't work right).
2013: I replaced the distributor with a re-manufactured 4-pin federal version in order to bypass the Electronic Spark Selection (aka E.S.S) box, which is an annoying CA emissions feature that had WAY to much authority over engine timing advance.
Lots of vacuum hose replacement & routing corrections; new ceramic brake pads, flex hoses, master cylinder & power booster. I replaced the anemic, lean-jetted & generally toasted California carburetor with one from a federal '78 DeVille that I rebuilt specifically for this. Rather proud, it's my first carburetor. But more on that later..
Pictures from around April, 2013.
now, if I don't go ahead and post this, I might never finish! I'm already avoiding the urge to divide this first post into separate chapters, lol. Sorry for the pic spam. Possible sub-topics might include things like shock replacement, front end rebuilding, sway bars, AC work, valve cover gaskets, carburetor rebuilding, federalizing a California Cadillac, & much more. Stick around and ask questions!
So, I decided it would be a good idea to start an official, consolidated "project thread" for my Phaeton. Until now I had just started separate threads, or posted bits in the picture threads. The only problem with doing that, is that you'd end up with entire threads for simple questions, and all of the smaller details & triumphs slipping through the cracks. I'm thinking of wrangling all the old threads I can find that are relevant, & posting links here, thus keeping everything together except special concerns / slightly unrelated content. I'm going to do a quick summary of my history with the car, then probably do featured posts with greater detail about specific old & new subjects as time goes by. I'm hoping this will be a thread with lots of useful information about the sleek modern classic 1977-79 425 Cadillacs that are still favorites for so many of us.
...You might want to make a drink & get comfortable, we may be here a while.
Personal History:
Before watching the movie 'Goodfellas', I had no idea what a Phaeton was. When I first saw it, I just thought "oh hey, someone put a full cloth top on a '79 Coupe DeVille... that looks kinda badass!" A couple months later I was looking around online & stumbled upon a description of what the Phaeton was. Right then, I knew I wanted to find one. I started looking officially in 2005, but most of the ones I found were white with the blue top (apparently referred to as the "Nautical look"), and I was already set on 'Western Saddle Firemist'.
So naturally, when my friend Chad found this one on eBay, I jumped on it. The downside was a well traveled 216,000 miles on the original engine and rebuilt trans, and that the car was in California... while I'm in Tennessee. But who has time for such trivial details? So... another $1000 in shipping later, on June 7th 2006, I took delivery of my new iron muse. I also have to thank our very own Craig (77CDV) for driving up and inspecting the car in Ventura, CA before it was delivered, and taking more pictures for me. A computer crash ate the pics from him, but I still have the eBay pictures.
(eBay pictures)
Love at first sight
So there it was! Unfortunately, the seller didn't mention to me that the battery was dead, alternator belt not included, and alternator itself on life support... I was just sad I didn't get to drive it home yet. One pensive night later, I had it towed to a shop two blocks down. Shop replaced the missing belt, put on an Interstate battery, replaced a sketchy freeze plug, repacked a front wheel bearing; and on June 8th, 2006, I drove home deliriously happy with my new time-machine. The fact that the seat was stuck 8 inches too far back, and that I had to keep my foot slightly on the throttle at all times to stay running had no apparent effect on me. You'd think I was driving a Ferrari by the look on my face. Details were trivial, I was still too busy cranking Frank Sinatra through the 8-track & marveling over guide-matic headlamps.
My Phaeton came with it's original dealer invoice (From Hillcrest Motors, Beverly Hills, CA.) with a note scribbled about the custom "Classic Cadillac" grille and it's price of $1250 (I'll never understand the appeal, so I replaced it with an original version & sold the Rolls knockoff on eBay). Even the original owners manual was there, with a note about "Only 2,400 Phaeton Coupes" above A Cadillac customer-service number, with the name "Chuck". There was also a fascinating chromed, extendable, cross-car, hook-to-hook clothes hanger (There's a good idea... just block the rear view completely with a nice wall of leisure suits... Safety first!); One set of dark brown velour seat covers, probably left from before the seats were recovered in 1998; and a cheap cloth car cover, among other things. The California plates that were on it dated back to 1989. I've often wondered what the original plates might have been & where they went (vanity plates perhaps?). I was very lucky that it still actually has the original plate frame from the factory, as mentioned on the invoice. The grippy steering wheel cover & tan super-store floor mats were the first things to go...
Annual summary:
2006: Carb rebuilt (twice... Horribly, by a very bad, BAD mechanic); new power steering pump; replaced a weak freeze plug; first set of spark plugs, dist cap; front brake pads; first new starter; misc other.
At cruise-in, the first week I had it.
________
2007: Original alternator rebuilt; New 215-75-R15 Dimension IV 1.3" whitewall tires; Urethane clear coat paint job & bodywork; replaced dealer-installed grille with a stock one; headlight short fixed;
A.I.R pump replaced (didn't know at the time that I could just bypass it, or that it came with the California emissions kit); rear springs & shocks replaced with Impala SS springs, and Hijacker air shocks (details in thread); blinker module replaced; installed a set of Lloyds Ultimat floor mats. The cardboard trunk walls were looking a big saggy, so I carpeted them with some of that grey roll up carpet you can get at about any super-store or parts store, and some spray adhesive. Six years later, they are still holding up well.
First & only car show to date.
2008: New fuel pump, 2nd new starter.
2009: Alternator replaced with rebuilt one. (and probably other stuff that I don't remember)
2010: Transmission rebuilt after it decided it was done with all of this 'shifting' business. Unrelated front-end collision & repairs. (details in thread)
2011: New alternator drive belt after the old one shredded & wrapped itself around the fan.
2012: New 120 amp alternator (that makes 3); new starter (...also 3); new battery (2nd one).
New exhaust pipe & muffler; front end alignment & center-link replaced; new spark plugs, more plug wires, cap & rotor; installed rear-window 3rd brake light; coolant flush, correct 195 degree thermostat, replaced heater core & hoses; new windshield-wiper motor (Yet my delay function still doesn't work right).
2013: I replaced the distributor with a re-manufactured 4-pin federal version in order to bypass the Electronic Spark Selection (aka E.S.S) box, which is an annoying CA emissions feature that had WAY to much authority over engine timing advance.
Lots of vacuum hose replacement & routing corrections; new ceramic brake pads, flex hoses, master cylinder & power booster. I replaced the anemic, lean-jetted & generally toasted California carburetor with one from a federal '78 DeVille that I rebuilt specifically for this. Rather proud, it's my first carburetor. But more on that later..
Pictures from around April, 2013.
now, if I don't go ahead and post this, I might never finish! I'm already avoiding the urge to divide this first post into separate chapters, lol. Sorry for the pic spam. Possible sub-topics might include things like shock replacement, front end rebuilding, sway bars, AC work, valve cover gaskets, carburetor rebuilding, federalizing a California Cadillac, & much more. Stick around and ask questions!