My 1973 Cadillac, Huggy Bear

[TrabbieRonnie]

Big well done there, Mr Ramrod...

Amazing looking machine out in the open...  I am also up to my neck in rust-busting, keep fighting the good fight!

[danthecapriman]

31 minutes ago, TrabbieRonnie said:

Big well done there, Mr Ramrod...

Amazing looking machine out in the open...  I am also up to my neck in rust-busting, keep fighting the good fight!

Wot e said!

Looks great Eddy, so glad to see the car out and about again. It’s a lovely old thing to look at.

You want to put those 7.7 litres to use a burn off those dawdling peasants in their diesel euro blobs!

[eddyramrod]

Dan, I'd love to, but the roads around here are inadequate enough without attempting BTCC moves in a Cadillac!  I quite like the primer patches.  It'll never be in the same league as your Mercury, or even Volvo,  but I think it should get to 50 years old now.

[brownnova]

Excellent work Mr Ramrod!!
 

I think it’s looks ace like that... 

[Pete-M]

Looks like a fairly decent bit of bodging does that. Good man. 

When I saw it at Lakeland the rust at the back was triggering a Chief Inspector Dreyfuss reflex in me. 

[Jazoli]

22 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

 

If anyone knows the Barrow area, have a guess where I was!  You might win a random diecast!

 

Its on the way to Roa island isn't it? Rampside?

[eddyramrod]

2 hours ago, Jazoli said:

Its on the way to Roa island isn't it? Rampside?

We have a winner!

[eddyramrod]

@Jazoli let me have your address and I'll send you a prize.

I'm really pleased with that photo actually.  If Huggy was painted and wearing all his trim that isn't shown, it could almost be a brochure shot, I think.

[Jazoli]

14 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

@Jazoli let me have your address and I'll send you a prize.

I'm really pleased with that photo actually.  If Huggy was painted and wearing all his trim that isn't shown, it could almost be a brochure shot, I think.

Thanks Eddie but there's no need, send it to someone else who may want it, I don't want anything else I have to bloody dust!

[eddyramrod]

Very kind of you!

[GMcD]

Looks awesome Eddy ?

[JeeExEll]

Looks perfect just as it is. Fantastic. You are very lucky for this to be part of your life. Do not sell.

[Jim Bell]

Primer is for winners. I think that looks class. 

[Tamworthbay]

On 29/07/2020 at 00:45, Roobarb said:

For those looking for similar levels of Americana-ism, I’m strongly trying to resist buying this...

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/d/santa-rosa-chrysler-new-yorker-1965/7158882066.html
If it was within a 500 mile radius of me, it wouldn’t still be for sale. 2000 miles is a bit far, even for me!

Its just a long weekend ride right?...

That’s listed as mid size??? What would large or extra large be? 2000 miles is just a nice long weekend drive. 

[eddyramrod]

2 hours ago, JeeExEll said:

Looks perfect just as it is. Fantastic. You are very lucky for this to be part of your life. Do not sell.

You're right, I am.  I have, I admit, had a bit of a wobble since my surgery, when I lost faith in myself to keep a car like this going, but that faith is now restored, more or less, so I feel able to carry on.  Huggy is now 47 and I plan to see his 50th birthday, which will make him the oldest car I've ever had, and at 7 years, the one I've owned longest. 

I'm only about 70% convinced about the primer.  Part of me would like to get some Laredo Tan mixed, and thanks to those of you who posted up the recipe!  Another part of me would quite like to just keep buying cans of Ford Tibetan Gold and slowly paint the whole car in that.  But it's extremely likely that I'll do neither, and just leave the red patches.  Anyone can do a beautiful restoration, right?  All it takes is time, money, skills and facilities.  Well the only one of those I have is time.  I do happen to believe that there's a place for the more ramshackle cars, especially in the film world, so maybe Huggy can still make me some money!  He's registered with an agency...

[Tamworthbay]

20 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

You're right, I am.  I have, I admit, had a bit of a wobble since my surgery, when I lost faith in myself to keep a car like this going, but that faith is now restored, more or less, so I feel able to carry on.  Huggy is now 47 and I plan to see his 50th birthday, which will make him the oldest car I've ever had, and at 7 years, the one I've owned longest. 

I'm only about 70% convinced about the primer.  Part of me would like to get some Laredo Tan mixed, and thanks to those of you who posted up the recipe!  Another part of me would quite like to just keep buying cans of Ford Tibetan Gold and slowly paint the whole car in that.  But it's extremely likely that I'll do neither, and just leave the red patches.  Anyone can do a beautiful restoration, right?  All it takes is time, money, skills and facilities.  Well the only one of those I have is time.  I do happen to believe that there's a place for the more ramshackle cars, especially in the film world, so maybe Huggy can still make me some money!  He's registered with an agency...

My first car was a 2.0GL Capri in Tibetan gold, it’s a little known fact that it gives off pheromones that are totally irresistible to the opposite sex and even your own sex will see you as a true god if you paint it in that colour which definitely isn’t metallic brown but the rarest of gold, the Tibetan sort.......

[eddyramrod]

3 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

My first car was a 2.0GL Capri

Mine was a freebie 1960 Austin A40 in Sutherland Green.  I'm not talking to you, rich boy!

[Tamworthbay]

9 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

Mine was a freebie 1960 Austin A40 in Sutherland Green.  I'm not talking to you, rich boy!

Mine was £400 in 1989 with lacquer peel on the bonnet. Not much has changed ?

[eddyramrod]

Mine was free 10 years earlier.  I had to do similar rust repairs on that one too so you're right, nothing changes!

[Tamworthbay]

I think an A40 is probably the better learner car to be honest. Much as I love capris I am not sure they are an ideal first car but I learnt sooooo much about car control (and mechanics) from that car.

[danthecapriman]

58 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

My first car was a 2.0GL Capri in Tibetan gold, it’s a little known fact that it gives off pheromones that are totally irresistible to the opposite sex and even your own sex will see you as a true god if you paint it in that colour which definitely isn’t metallic brown but the rarest of gold, the Tibetan sort.......

So that’s where I’ve been going wrong all these years! Ive been picking the wrong fucking colour!?

 

38 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

I think an A40 is probably the better learner car to be honest. Much as I love capris I am not sure they are an ideal first car but I learnt sooooo much about car control (and mechanics) from that car.

That’s pretty much what mine ended up used for. I’ve always loved them, but the initial point of having it was to learn about cars and mechanics. They’re so simple they make a good choice if you want to learn the basics. Then it taught me how to drive! Who knew I’d still have it (at enormous expense!) two decades later!

[Tamworthbay]

Just now, danthecapriman said:

So that’s where I’ve been going wrong all these years! Ive been picking the wrong fucking colour!?

 

That’s pretty much what mine ended up used for. I’ve always loved them, but the initial point of having it was to learn about cars and mechanics. They’re so simple they make a good choice if you want to learn the basics. Then it taught me how to drive! Who knew I’d still have it (at enormous expense!) two decades later!

Rattle can yours in Tibetan gold and you will need a six foot long shitty stick to beat them off with, it’s a fact (possibly).

[danthecapriman]

2 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

Rattle can yours in Tibetan gold and you will need a six foot long shitty stick to beat them off with, it’s a fact (possibly).

I’ll go get the scotchbrite...

God, you imagine!!

[Tamworthbay]

Just now, danthecapriman said:

I’ll go get the scotchbrite...

God, you imagine!!

I would have nightmares If I thought you would do it for real! I still want another Tibetan gold one though. My perfect one lives a few miles away - a 3.0s in Tibetan Gold on a W plate.

[danthecapriman]

3 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

I would have nightmares If I thought you would do it for real! I still want another Tibetan gold one though. My perfect one lives a few miles away - a 3.0s in Tibetan Gold on a W plate.

Sleep easy, there’s absolutely no chance whatsoever I’d do that! Even joking about it hurts!

 

sorry for the thread drift Eddy!!

[Tamworthbay]

40 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Sleep easy, there’s absolutely no chance whatsoever I’d do that! Even joking about it hurts!

 

sorry for the thread drift Eddy!!

Don’t worry, Eddy is looking up bulk buy Tibetan Gold and dating apps as we speak........

[eddyramrod]

There will be photos later as there has been work this afternoon.  You have plenty of time to prepare yourselves!

[eddyramrod]

OK, as promised, let's start with the bottom of the front wing, that I couldn't shoot last time as it was next to the wall.

Not too bad really.  Notice I haven't yet refitted the chrome piece that fell off.  I need to give that some thinking-about.

Does this look like anyone we know?

Got to get rid of all the loose flakes and stuff, to leave this...

Yes, you can see the fuel tank peeping through.

Doesn't look very savoury, does it?  Ah, but what's that in the corner?

Go with a name you can trust, right?  And I've known of Waxoyl for almost as long as I've been messing with cars; if it's lasted that long it must be doing something right.  It even comes with a little straw to direct the spray into those hard-to-reach little places.

Hard-to-reach little places like between floor and fuel tank, and into the top-hat sections that brace the floor from below.  Tomorrow I'll see how it's gone, and decide on my next step.  I used that whole tin of Waxoyl, by the way...

[GingerNuttz]

Right Eddy don't take this the wrong way but that's rotten and no matter how substantial the chassis is, filler isn't going to help that situation.

Having a separate chassis doesn't mean the shell can be full of holes and made of filler, you are responsible to keep the car in a roadworthy condition with it being MOT exempt. I'm not trying to be a dick or put down any repair work but you have to see the car needs SERIOUS metalwork to be safe for you and other road users. 

 

 

[junkyarddog]

I had a Toyota with a similar boot floor to that.

The spare had a nice thick piece of carpet under it,to stop it falling onto the road!

As the spare wheel well was non existent. 

?