My 1973 Cadillac, Huggy Bear

[mitsisigma01]

The good old 6g72 lives on in many forms, just not many over here☹️

[Rod/b]

3 hours ago, mitsisigma01 said:

What is the blue car and how much is the unloved yank.... Asking for a friend ?

It’s registered as a Chrysler. Good job they don’t tax on engine size 

[danthecapriman]

4 minutes ago, Rod/b said:

It’s registered as a Chrysler. Good job they don’t tax on engine size 

Interesting. If it is indeed a Chrysler version then it’s a US export model only. I didn’t even know this age of Saratoga was a thing tbh!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Saratoga

[PhilA]

Gearboxes on those are a weak point and they're terminally dismal (if not moderately comfy in a dusty-couch squishy sort of way).

The price of 50's-80's tat around here is high, in a lot of cases. You can buy 'em cheap but they're guaranteed to me million-milers with every single moving part worn out (look at my Pontiac, for example- that's what $5300 gets you, I'm at least $2500 in parts deep and still needs more before it can hit the road here) but if you want something slightly less iconic than a '76 Monaco there are still a few hanging about but the big malaise series generally got snaffled up in the north east and the rust got those ones.

You also have to realize that the attitude towards mechanical problems and rust is significantly different here (and varies state to state) with a number of states not requiring any kind of safety checks annually and those which do generally tend to focus on exhaust emissions and little else. I'm sure it'll be in the pipeline but the era of the "bent MoT/blind tester" here is still prevalent. As a result often the reason for the car being taken off the road is because it's terminally broken and wasn't worth paying the tow fee for the scrap yard because it certainly didn't have any trade-in value so out to the back it got pushed, where it has sat until you found it. The little old lady with money to burn is a dying breed these days, so giffer cars tend not to be the same as they once were. 

Firing on 5, incorrect parts, leaking with hardly any brakes is the way they usually end up with the original carburetor in a box in the trunk missing bits because nobody can find a diaphragm for a Quadrajet these days. If it can be made to pop, bang, splutter and limp its' way around the block it's "runs, steers, stops, drives" and that means anything from the above to actually being able to get in it and go places reliably.

Everything up to the late 70's where electronic control started to happen is frankly simple technology, usually trailing Europe and Japan technologically by about a decade, with a shiny new face bolted on. My "All New For 1951!" car has an engine and gearbox designed in the 30's and 40's, the chassis is early 40's, suspension is admittedly new but everything else about the car is tried and tested, solid and understood. That's how America liked its cars until the 80's.

 

So, there are cars out there, original stuff and modified, good and bad. The good stuff ain't cheap. "I know what I got", and as such eBay etc have driven the price of junk up.

 

But, for the experience of driving a behemoth that's well out of its comfort zone? Yes, do it. Do it now.

 

Phil

[eddyramrod]

Progress!  This is from today and yesterday, starting at the rear shoulders...

Yes, the pop rivets are out, and just look at the thickness of that metal I'm using!  Now see what it looks like with a coating of P40...

So while that dries off overnight...

Let's get some Kurust on the front wing, and give that overnight to dry too.

Now here's a big metal plate going in...

And a coating of P40, but it'll need some more before I go to the P38...

Want to see what's on the back of the trim that fell off?

Ick!  Big blobs of rock-hard filler.  That's going to be fun* to get rid of.

[Saabnut]

Oooh, structural duct tape, you don't see that very often these days!

Seriously Eddy, you are doing the right thing, keep the old girl going with no sharp edges etc. Cosmetically she will never be a show winner but strength with that chassis should not be a problem and you cannot see the outside when driving it. Anyway, the rat look is supposed to be cool now innit

[eddyramrod]

22 hours ago, Saabnut said:

 keep the old girl going

Old boy.  Huggy is definitely male!

That isn't just duct tape, nor is it structural.  It's a metal tape, probably aluminium, somewhat stiffer and stronger than duct tape.  Where you're seeing it, there are metal pieces riveted in place underneath, the tape is just there to give me a smoother join between pieces.  But thank you for the kind words.  I believe I am doing the right thing here.  I bought some more red primer (we're a few days away from applying that though) which I believe will "look the part" as if the car was living in Chicago in about 1985.  That's always been the look I've aimed for with this one.

[wuvvum]

I've had a couple of K-cars - '85 Chrysler LeBaron and '85 Dodge 600 - both 4-door sedans with the 2.2 Mitsubishi 4-pot and column shift auto.  Dull as ditchwater and painfully slow, but not an unpleasant thing to tool around in if you're not in a hurry, and at least the comedy build quality gives them a bit of "character".

[eddyramrod]

I had a 1990 leBaron convertible with the Mitsi V6, and loved it.  G427 FKC, where are you now?

[junkyarddog]

Shame you don't have an Earl Scheib nearby Eddy,

You could roll that sucker in there and get it painted for$29.95!

[danthecapriman]

Great job Eddy! Your absolutely doing the right thing here, solid and safe, and good to go wherever whenever.

 

I sent these pics to Eddy in a PM, believe it or not this one is still in regular use over the pond by an old boy!

1972 Cadillac beater 1 by davedsel, on Flickr

1972 Cadillac beater 2 by davedsel, on Flickr
 

Takes your breath away don’t it!

I genuinely love it tbh. That is a car for life.

[ETCHY]

2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Great job Eddy! Your absolutely doing the right thing here, solid and safe, and good to go wherever whenever.

 

I sent these pics to Eddy in a PM, believe it or not this one is still in regular use over the pond by an old boy!

1972 Cadillac beater 1 by davedsel, on Flickr

1972 Cadillac beater 2 by davedsel, on Flickr
 

Takes your breath away don’t it!

I genuinely love it tbh. That is a car for life.

What an utter tub of shit !!

Oh so cooool , bloody fabulous, i'd just love to park that next to some wanky new Audi tosser mobile.

Uncle Buck rules !

[Shep Shepherd]

2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Great job Eddy! Your absolutely doing the right thing here, solid and safe, and good to go wherever whenever.

 

I sent these pics to Eddy in a PM, believe it or not this one is still in regular use over the pond by an old boy!

1972 Cadillac beater 1 by davedsel, on Flickr

1972 Cadillac beater 2 by davedsel, on Flickr
 

Takes your breath away don’t it!

I genuinely love it tbh. That is a car for life.

As Derek Bieri from Vice Grip Garage says: "I'll be dipped!" 

[PhilA]

7 minutes ago, Shep Shepherd said:

As Derek Bieri from Vice Grip Garage says: "I'll be dipped!" 

But the most important question is, is it any good?  ......I don't know!

[Shep Shepherd]

12 minutes ago, PhilA said:

But the most important question is, is it any good?  ......I don't know!

Derek's vocal mannerisms are excellent and I often find myself using them in conversations or when talking to myself on the road. In one of his earlier videos he says "German Shepherds and needle-nosed pliers" when working on a project. No idea what the context was, but I thought it was pretty cool 

[Kowalski]

Is that just the quality of my small screen or are you actually adding rusty metal to the car?? I've no issue with the bodgery, I think it's great but surely clean metal would be better?

[Fumbler]

15 minutes ago, Kowalski said:

Is that just the quality of my small screen or are you actually adding rusty metal to the car?? I've no issue with the bodgery, I think it's great but surely clean metal would be better?

I do wonder if using aluminium rivets on steel, rusty and clean, will also cause bi-metallic or galvenic corrosion underneath the filler if any moisture is present. If the rivets are anodised and the coating hasn't cracked then I suppose it mightn't be a problem...

[eddyramrod]

It's used.  I've been over it with the drill -mounted wire brush but that doesn't polish it up that much.  It was a shelf, part of some used racking, and is quite heavy -duty.  You really imagine I can afford lovely new sheets of thick hefty steel?  I wish!  If I was doing this in 1985 I would be using whatever metal I could get my hands on.  It'll last, at least until Huggy reaches 50.

 

Edit: the racking was painted brown which might explain any confusion.

[hairnet]

9 hours ago, PhilA said:

 

But, for the experience of driving a behemoth that's well out of its comfort zone? Yes, do it. Do it now.

 

Phil

says the man who until recently had a fiat

[garbaldy]

Most importantly your repair will keep the rain from getting into the car and rotting it from the inside out so all good.

What's vice grip garage?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

21 minutes ago, garbaldy said:

What's vice grip garage?

Only the best channel on the youtubes... Derek is bloody hilarious. 

 

[Tomtation]

Bloody love Vice Grip Garage, the guy is hilarious and does some really cool projects.

It genuinely astounds me that a car that has been stood for 10 years plus and is quite fucked (no brakes, chassis integrity issues etc) can be got runming and driven several hundred miles home?! Both as an achievement and as a legitimate exercise, i suppose rules are just different over the pond

Would recommend the youtube channel anyway, especially for shiters as it fits well with the ethos!

[Fumbler]

VGG definitely does give a feller great entertainment every Friday evening.

[PhilA]

7 hours ago, Tomtation said:

Both as an achievement and as a legitimate exercise, i suppose rules are just different over the pond

Not really, but due to lack of inspection in a lot of places you find that driving a complete heap will get you stopped slightly less than there; if you're not driving like a complete moron or don't draw attention to yourself and pick your route carefully it's possible to travel that far without any interference. 

If you watch a few of the videos, you'll see the concern in his eyes as he breaks down on the side of the interstate, with a comment to the effect that he needs to get going before he attracts attention. 

 

Phil

[hairnet]

13 hours ago, garbaldy said:

Most importantly your repair will keep the rain from getting into the car and rotting it from the inside out so all good.

What's vice grip garage?

americans that can spell properly

junkyard digs is good too i think im in love with mook

 

[hairnet]

11 hours ago, Tomtation said:

Bloody love Vice Grip Garage, the guy is hilarious and does some really cool projects.

It genuinely astounds me that a car that has been stood for 10 years plus and is quite fucked (no brakes, chassis integrity issues etc) can be got runming and driven several hundred miles home?! Both as an achievement and as a legitimate exercise, i suppose rules are just different over the pond

 

if it runs and brakes and bits aint fallin off (your honor) then as lots of states dont have inspections - cars are kept longer and beaters are matter of fact - not omg you cant afford a new car - junkyard did the free/300 buck car get running and then 1800 mile roadtrip a few times (find their olds 88 vid)

most of the videos you see of people doing this are cars body on frame so as long as the chassis is mostly ok then its fair game - @eddyramrod just find some washing machines ffs

[Roobarb]

Minnesota is just one such state. 
It ends up being either a police issue or an insurance issue as to whether your car is roadworthy here. 
Police in so far as you don’t have a tail light / headlight / somethings dragging / doesn’t look safe. If that’s the case then they will use any old excuse, just to stop you and then inspect the car. I drove a ratted Matt black worn and base Subaru that once you opened the hood, your could eat your dinner off the swapped engine. Interior was the same, but I kept getting pulled for stupid stuff like ‘going through a light that looked like it was red’. Usually opening the bonnet or looking inside the car was enough and I was on my way again. 
Insurance as in, if your pile of shite causes or is in an accident, then the inflicted party can come after you and the insurance might just tell you you are on your own. 
The worst for MInnesota is you can’t sell a car with bad tires, with a hidden history without letting the purchaser know, can’t remove air pollution reducing equipment. That’s largely it!

I realized this as I saw a 50 mercury coupe that had been chopped, down behind a barn in the back of no-where and a guy at work said, he would help me get it started so I could drive it home! Probably hadn’t moved for 20 years. 

[PhilA]

Sad thing is, it would probably make it.

[eddyramrod]

The period correct works have continued today, with some application and subsequent shaping of P38.  I'm hoping to carry on tomorrow but will need to pick up some more filler.

[mitsisigma01]

Isopon delivery for Mr Ramrod