1948 Cadillac Convertible - Frame Off Restoration

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     The '48 Cadillac  Delivered - Delivered on October 29, 2007 the Cadillac arrives from Minneapolis area of Minnesota. Originally from Southern California, this convertible spent some time in Colorado as well.   The Cadillac ran very well when it arrived. But it had a multitude of problems just waiting to happen. Many things "barely" worked and some did not at all...it had clearly been worked on several times...but most of the work was   "quick and dirty".   The suspension was heavily worn and it handled very poorly. But you couldn't want a better car to start a restoration on as it was virtually "rust-free" and had all the original parts, inside, outside and under the hood.

  The Tear Down - The long journey starts:  several months of tearing down,  identifying, labeling, storing hundreds (even thousands) of parts ranging from individual bolts to full bumpers. And then (of course) comes the arduous task of cleaning and repainting...every single bolt, bracket and clip!

                                                                                         Before                                                                                           After

  Engine and Transmission  - The big brute: Cadillac's legendary 346 cubic inch L-head V8. Originally designed in the mid-1930's, it first appeared on the 1936 Cadillac models. It was virtually  the same engine that powered the U.S. M5 and M24 light artillery tanks during World War II.  This "flat-head" V8 was the standard engine in  all Cadillacs  after World War II and was last used on the 1948 Cadillac models.  Famous for its dependability and quiet operation, the L-head V8 was replaced in 1949 by an  Over-head Valve V8..the 331 ci. The new engine  was  more powerful, lighter and  more efficient  then the old L-head. The new OHV V8  was used up to the mid-1950s. This same block was then increased to a 365 ci and then finally a 390 ci where it was last used in the 1962 Cadillac. (A new 390 ci block was used in 1963).

                                                                                              Before                                                                                  After

  Sandblasting - The dirtiest job ever...but shows a hint of promise as the chassis is repainted and returns to it's original factory state.

                                                                                                          Before                                                                    After

  New and Rebuilt Parts - Many parts and many $$$ later...fills about 100 boxes of assorted rubber, bolts, bushings gaskets, etc. etc...

                              Before                                                                                                                                                                                                          After

 Convertible Roof - Starting from the top down (so to speak).

                                                                                          Before                                                                                                 After

 At the Body Shop - Making it look good. Stripped of all the old paint, the body and body panels are removed, cleaned and repaired before they are painted and reassembled. Another dirty job!

                                                            Before                                                                                                                                                            After

 Chassis and Frame - The chassis was removed off the frame in order to sand-blast and paint the under-carriage correctly. It made things much easier (and certainly cleaner) to work on. The garage stayed much cleaner after this job was done.

                                                                                  Before                                                                       After

 Reassembly - This is the best part of the restoration. It is the most frustrating but the most rewarding. It will take a couple of years  to reassemble correctly.

Finished Product - No. Not yet...but check what this old Cadillac will look like in a few years....

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