My 1973 Cadillac, Huggy Bear

[captain_70s]

2 hours ago, Lankytim said:

Cut and plane a wooden gate post to suit. 

I met a chap two years ago who had a 1970s Sunbeam Rapier, when he acquired it the car had been entirely dismantled by the previous giffer owner and the whole lot was in cardboard boxes. Once assembly was nearing completion he realised he lacked a passenger-side arm rest which are formed of a plasticy sort of stuff and are seemingly now fairly hard to find. So he did the obvious thing; after a couple of beers he took the driver's side example mirrored the profile on to some paper and then carved one out of wood!

[xtriple]

You can use my welder but I am a fair way away?

 

My option would be: talk nicely to chaps in the land of the free, get one of them to get a panel out of a scrapper and send it 1st class post and then cut out the relevant bit of yours. I would then use that super-duper body stick together mastic/glue stuff that bodyshops use to bond on panels. Saves all that stripping down to weld it. If you require funds for the bit to use, pm me and I'll be glad to help out.

[garbaldy]

That's a good idea xtriple and since eddy is to far away for me to pop over with welder and help or even bring the car here then I will also add to any slush fund required to sort it.

[bunglebus]

19 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

A section cut off a scrap car is definitely a good shout, a long shot on a car like this nonetheless.

Junkyard Gold did an episode from a yard with hundreds of Caddies, as a high value car they tend to get parted out rather than just fragged. Probably not impossible to find a cut from a dry state donor

[bunglebus]

17 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

IIRC - In the older Haynes manuals the only colour pages were the spark plug condition page and the bodywork page. I think it was a red Cortina?

Thought it was a Talbot but I got rid of all my Haynes BOLs that I'd collected

*edit - answered already ?

[eddyramrod]

There's been work today, since it was the first day of suitable weather that we've had since last week.  I packed up just in time before the rain came back :) but I believe there's a band of good weather on the way for the weekend.  Should see it all the way up to the filler stage!   I'll upload the photos when I get to that point.

[Roobarb]

@eddyramrod

Hey there mate - it there’s anything I can do to help with Huggy’s rehabilitation, please just drop me a PM. 
If you remember, I’m based in Minneapolis. 
I will be ‘out of state’ in two weeks time (so there will be a pause of service as I have to do another 15hr drive too and from work for the week) but anything that fits around that, I’m more than willing to help where I can.
 

Would this work?

https://madison.craigslist.org/pts/7115355807.html

It’s only about 300 miles from me. Could make for a fun adventure!

Or this:

https://quadcities.craigslist.org/pts/7140240137.html
About 400 miles so probably best posted to me...

Or this...

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/pts/7128403709.html
Again around 375 miles so probably best posted to me. 

Alternatively you could find the panel new, have it shipped to me and I can forward to you. 

[eddyramrod]

What a splendid offer!  Thank you so much!

PM sent.

[eddyramrod]

Roobarb has kindly opened conversation with one of the sellers in his post above.  If it does prove possible to obtain the panel from a scrapper, my work will not be wasted, because I'll simply keep it safely until the cracks reappear, as they inevitably will.  Meanwhile, work continues, between the showers.

[eddyramrod]

Today was the first time in several days that the weather has been kind enough to let me work on the car... so this morning I did!  I've shattered myself but got a lot of good work done.  There will be photos in a day or two, but for the moment, take it from me, the repairs are going to look not only period correct but also pretty darn good!  And a WHOLE lot better than they did before I started.

[outlaw118]

[danthecapriman]

Well done Eddy, can’t wait to see the pics!

[eddyramrod]

On 6/30/2020 at 5:26 PM, eddyramrod said:

Rear bleed nipples rounded off, and stuck fast anyway; and a split in the front-rear line, up under the rear seat pan somewhere.  They can make a new line but I have to order a pair of lovely new wheel cylinders. 

A couple of shots from under the car, when I went to collect it...

There's yer fucht bleed nipple.

Can't really see the split in the brake line but it's clear enough where it is.  Garage is confident about making up a new line.

New rear cylinders, which arrived in something like 48 hours.  Happy with that!

[eddyramrod]

The other day I opened the bonnet and when I closed it, this happened...

That's the trim off the bottom of the right front wing.  The back of it is almost solid filler, so this poor car has had some serious bodging in the past.  I'm feeling a whole lot better about my own efforts now, even if I keep having to do more and more.

[Split_Pin]

Crikey chap.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Oh dear. Did you park it next to a Ka? That ginger stuff is contagious...

[eddyramrod]

Now that I've started, I have a terrible feeling that I'm going to be redoing all the shit repairs a previous owner perpetrated.  Oh well, as long as I get the weather, and some breaktime!

[Zelandeth]

Oof.  That makes me seriously question what state the sill in that area is in...

I know it's a separate chassis and all that...but the body still needs to have some solid structure to actually attach to the chassis by...

[eddyramrod]

Yeah, don't think I haven't thought of that.  The body seems to sit in the correct position though, so while that remains so, I'm not tempted to investigate.

[Bren]

You'll end up with a scimitar.

[blackboilersuit]

40 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

Yeah, don't think I haven't thought of that.  The body seems to sit in the correct position though, so while that remains so, I'm not tempted to investigate.

When I bought my 200tdi Disco the body mounts consisted of nothing more than rust particles, fresh air and hope. It had recently been used off road and yet the body was still where it was put on the chassis when it left the factory. I wouldn't be overly concerned, just focus of getting the body back in one piece again. 

and remember

WE WANTZ PICTUREZ ?

[Tamworthbay]

48 minutes ago, Bren said:

You'll end up with a scimitar.

Princess Ann had one of those you know........

 

I’ll get my coat...........

[danthecapriman]

Concentrate on the immediate issues Eddy, no need to go looking for trouble! If it seems happy enough as it is then leave it be. 
I wonder who did all this though? And when?

[captain_70s]

I'd wager it was tarted up for sale by a dealer not long after import. It was probably rough when it came over as Florida isn't known for rot free cars...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

In 1985 I had an 18 year old Impala that was solid filler between the boot lid and rear window,  the chrome trim around the window was pushed into the filler that seemed to hold the glass in.  It looked shiny and black, so I didn’t care, neither did the bloke that bought it off me. I never looked too closely at the lower extremities...

[Bren]

The yanks have a penchant for bondo - I bet it was done stateside.

[rickvw72]

Ouch!

I mentioned previously about this, but I’d get it looked at structurally, before going further / exposing more.

Even if MoT exempt, it’s gotta be to standard. 

Dont want to come across wrong with this, and I’d love to see it saved. 

[wuvvum]

20 hours ago, rickvw72 said:

Even if MoT exempt, it’s gotta be to standard. 

That's an interesting point - I wonder what percentage of the car's structure can be made of Isopon before it becomes too modified to qualify for MOT exemption?

[PhilA]

1 minute ago, wuvvum said:

That's an interesting point - I wonder what percentage of the car's structure can be made of Isopon before it becomes too modified to qualify for MOT exemption?

Isopon is considered original parts so it's all good.

[GingerNuttz]

I would go poking to see what you have left in all honesty, when parts of panels falling off when you close the hood it's time to investigate just how bad it is and make a sensible decision based on what you find.