Roadkill's 1958 Cadillac - PROJECT THREAD

[Roadkill]

No, but assuming it arrives at Stromberg this week I'll be taking a trip over there this weekend to collect the trans and brakes, also to discuss the intake . . .

I'll take some better pics, then.

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Roadkill

I'll take some better pics, then.

[Roadkill]

Engine, trans and other bits arrive at Stromberg tomorrow !!!

Am just arranging taking a trip over to see it and collect the trans.

[Roadkill]

First quote for chroming is in . . . "no more than £3200 (depending on the condition)" . . . seems like an oxymoron to me.

That's based on photos I sent them for ALL of the EXTERIOR chromework . . . some of which may get "deleted".

[Roadkill]

O.K, just to p!ss everyone off, I didn't get any pictures of the engine . . . It was shipped upside-down (for stability) and the guys at Stromberg didn't want to start unpacking it until I'd seen it first.

So we discussed the intake and some clearances and they'll be starting on the intake some point this week . . .

I have asked them to take lots of photos (which I'm sure they will as they'll use them for advertisement purposes) so I should have something soon.

I brought home the TH400, the brakes and a box of ancillaries, leaving only the long-block at Stromberg.

Everything seems O.K with no damage from the journey over here . . .

The brakes seem really good quality, with good, fine castings so I'm happy so far.  The booster and all the brackets look nice and meaty . . . . the kind of thickness I'd have done them if I was making it so I'm happy, there, too.

I spent a while rooting round in the ancillaries box checking out the new shiny stuff and the 45 year old Cadillac brackets, mounts and pulleys I've got . . . I didn't want to go all-billet but I think I may be investing in a pulley or two . . . we'll see.

So.

With the engine, transmission and brakes here, shipping paid and duty paid, that leaves me with needing to get the intake and carbs done and paid for and then the air-ride kit ordered and paid for.

Anything else this year will be a bonus . . . . . . . . . .

[Cunning Plan]

Good update!

[Roadkill]

Also, with regards to the paint or patina dilemma, IF I was to go with paint, I'm now 100% settled on one of the colours, the blue for the body . . . . I had picked out an off-white for the roof but the actual testers came out a tiny, tiny bit green so back to the drawing board with that.

Shockingly enough, my brother has been assisting with this, doing the testers and even mixing up aerosols of each so I can have a play . . . . this means I have 2 free-of-charge cans of blue that I can use for the engine block (If I decide to go that way) . . .

I suppose that IF I go with paint, the next question would be blue body / white roof or ALL blue . . . ?

[Roadkill]

Mmmmmm, my office has that "just re-conditioned" smell . . . .



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[FUBAR]

Quoting: Roadkill

blue body / white roof

Definitely IMO.

Quoting: Roadkill

Mmmmmm, my office has that "just re-conditioned" smell . . . .

[FUBAR]

Dean, just link dumping for you, not sure what you're doing (if anything) for seatbelts but this is the same company that made my stereo.  Nothing comes up specific for your car (because there aren't any stock ones I guess) but its there for info if needed.

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[ianjpage]

Quoting: Roadkill

Mmmmmm, my office has that "just re-conditioned" smell . . . .

Looks good, had any comments from the 'guvner yet

[Roadkill]

Quoting: ianjpage

had any comments from the 'guvner yet

He helped me carry it in !!!

[ianjpage]

Lol fair enough! !

[Roadkill]

O.K, some pictures for ya' . . . .

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The engine's now on the stand but the guys at Stromberg are pretty worried about the stand they've got (I should've taken my 1500lb stand down) so have braced the motor against the stand while they create the intake.

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First issue is creating a valley pan . . . I have access to a laser-cutter so we just need to sort out a sketch so I can produce a drawing and NC file for it . . .

Next issue is that the intake ports on the heads are massive and the intake flanges that came with the "U-Fab" style intake "kit" just ain't big enough so it looks like I'll need to reproduce these, too, albeit a bit bigger.

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By the time I'm done I think I'll have the drawings and files in place to produce all the hard parts of this manifold . . . .

I see a side project looming in the future.

[ianjpage]

Looking good

[Cunning Plan]

That would look great in the back of my bus

Keep it coming!

[Roadkill]

Not heard anything back from Clive, yet, but not chasing it .... I've got other fish to fry.

I put all of my birthday money I got and purchased a decent 2 ton engine crane and load leveller in preparation for the up coming motor pull.

I've also been eyeing up some bling bits for the TH400 (I really shouldn't be) and I've been researching shifters for it, too ....

It may seem a little premature at the moment but I want to minimise the "little things" at the end of the build .... Plus shiny makes RK happy.

[Roadkill]

Stromberg have been busy getting their new "big '97's" ready to introduce to the market . . . which is really cool in itself as it's the biggest single step in 2BBL Hot Rod carburetion in probably 80 years.

The upshot of that is that no work has happened on the Caddy's intake.

To be honest, I'm glad.  

I had to dig pretty darn deep to find the £££££ for the motor, trans and brakes and it's left me with money to pay back so at least I can do that for a while before spending ££££ more on the intake !

I do, however, have the intake gaskets here so I can begin creating the CAD file to laser-cut replacement intake flanges (the original ones had stock port sizes and not enough "meat" to open them out).

Now, for the picture hungry people - CP, I mean you - I finally got round to assembling my shiny new beast of an engine crane complete with load-leveller.

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I did look at several . . . I opted for this, slightly more expensive one - not because it was black (but it helped) - but because there were subtle differences to the castors and bracing arrangement that made me happier.

It's monstrously heavy, though and isn't going anywhere without an army to move it !!!

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Roadkill

CP, I mean you

I had a red crane from Machine Mart with a similar design, although the hook and brace part look much more stable.

The problem with engine stands and cranes is they are a useful and necessary tool to have, but they are so big and heavy that they are difficult to store when you are not using them. I used mine when I had the bus on the rollers and I would have kept it, but I did not have anywhere convenient to store it.

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

but they are so big and heavy that they are difficult to store when you are not using them

100% agreed.

I used to borrow a more compact fold-up one but knew I needed a monster to handle the Big Block Caddy.

Storage is going to be a real issue but I'll have to get round it . . . . this is one of those little luxuries I've been promising myself for over 17 years !

[Jamieg285]

I've got the red one too.  When not being used I was able to dismantle and stuff it into a gap less than 6 inches wide. Being wedged behind some storage cabinets, I am able to stack all the bits on top of each other, and it's barely in the way at all.

[Roadkill]

This intake manifold has become a bit of a drama.

I don't want to go into details too much, yet, but I've just emailed Stromberg suggesting that I pick up the motor, deal with the intake, then drop off the finished intake for them to set the carbs and linkages up on.

On the plus side I've started speaking to the "other" Big Block Cadillac specialist in the states and he's been really, really helpful and has given me advice on these kind of intakes when fitted to the Cad.

On a side note : I suspect there's some sort of history between these two Caddy vendors in the states so have made sure I don't mention my dealings with one to the other . . . . . .

Anyway, back on the subject at hand . . . I need to pick up a heavy motor and the gearbox in the Mondeo is on it's last legs . . . death by Cadillac ?

At least the Mondeo will be going out in style.  

[Cunning Plan]

PICTURES WILL be necessary!!!!

[F Body]

Quoting: Roadkill

Anyway, back on the subject at hand . . . I need to pick up a heavy motor and the gearbox in the Mondeo is on it's last legs . . . death by Cadillac ?

It would be very ironic if the Mondy died giving birth to the Caddy's motor

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

PICTURES WILL be necessary!!!!

Here ya go.  

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Picked the Caddy's new motor up yesterday . . . no issues to report.

All went to plan.

Just need to finish Pimp'in the engine stand and get her attached to it !