Cadillac Stories

While I am still out in Arizona for the next few weeks I have been looking for places nearby that I have always heard of but never get a chance to visit. Two weeks ago we took a trip up to Fort Collins Colorado, I didn’t realize it at the time but a good part of our trip was across the small towns that serviced Route 66. We left Phoenix and traveled east into New Mexico and then north into Colorado. While a lot of the trip is highway the couple of towns we stopped at along the way to get gas where right out of 1950’s.

We took US 40 to Albuquerque where we picked up US 25 and headed north. We stayed in Fort Collins for a few days and then headed west into Utah. While it is beautiful country up there the trip got more exciting when we headed south back into Arizona. We took US 70 to 191 to 163. I have to tell you this was some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. The roads were filled with people that rented small rv’s. I had a lovely conversation with a couple from Germany that planned their trip a year in advance. We also met some bikers that rode their bikes from Illinois. If you ever saw the movie “Forrest Gump” the scene where he stops running and goes home was filmed out here. I took some pictures and said to myself this looks familiar. We also stopped in a small village to get gas and once again we were on Route 66. I bought a t-shirt and a key chain. While our trip wasn’t planned this way it was kind of cool. I will put up a link to some pictures soon.

Auto Show Pictures

Speaking of pictures! I just put a bunch up from the New York auto show. You can see them on our Cadillac club Facebook page. While you are there feel free to like the page. If you are not a member of Facebook you can see them on the Flickr page. I will be adding more to both pages so you may want to “Like” the Facebook page and/or add the Flickr gallery to your favorites.

For Sale On Hemmings

I just stumbled across Hemming’s blog and they have a beautiful 1934 Cadillac V-12 up for sale. I love the color of this Cadillac. If you know what the name of the color leave it in the comments.  Click the picture to see more pictures and details.

I think this is the first time in a long time that our newsletter covered so many different years of Cadillacs. If you notice the newsletter is broken up into three sections which will probably become the normal way I do it from now on. I hope you like it!

I wanted to share with you a few new members to the club and some pictures of their Cadillacs. Some people didn’t send me in a picture but maybe they will in the future.

Andreas Talianos  in Cyprus – I just bought from the US my dream car since I was a teenager in 1983. The Seville 1983. I just received it after 35 days (very long 35 days) in Cyprus .

Bud Picou – New Orleans

Bud owns A 2006 CTS, A 2013 XTS, and a Classic 1976 Fleetwood Eldorado Convertible! I was Always a fan of the CADILLAC. When I was 15 in 1979 and got my drivers license, I wanted to buy a ‘”76 Eldorado a neighbor had for sale. My Father told me that it was a little too obnoxious of an automobile for a kid my age. Last year, I came across a “76 Model Fleetwood Eldorado convertible in perfect condition. I saw it at a CLASSIC dealer who had gotten it from the original owner.

It had been Garage kept for the last 37 years and in pristine condition. Needless to say I bought it, and now I have the car I had always wanted. Some 34 years later lol. I love my Classic caddy and shes a BEAUTY! I have had it about 8 months now and get offers to buy it every time I take it out for a spin!

Norman Kraglund – Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Norman owns a 1951 Series 62 2Dr Hard Top Coupe – We had started to restore this Caddy approximately 2 years ago. This Caddy is an off body restoration. We are having it professionally done locally by VC Customs. So far we have been very satisfied with their work. There was very little body work to be done compared to many I’ve seen. We lucked out. The frame is now powdered coated, motor rebuilt, transmission rebuilt, upgraded front suspension, upgraded front brakes to disc, power steering, plus it will have other upgrades to follow (6v to 12v). When this Caddy will be finished it will have the outward appearance as being original. It is scheduled to be painted inside and out in two weeks. I look forward to seeing it come to this stage. Soon I hope will be interior upholstery plus chrome refinishing, some is stainless steel. In the past I have also obtained the original sales brochure, 2 glove box manuals, workshop manual, original paint charts and chip samples as well as the wiring schematic for this “51”. When I learn how to send pictures, I will be doing so.

Joe Fortuna, from Sonora Region Cadillac Club.

I met Joe out at Barrett-Jackson and we had a great conversation about Cadillacs when I stopped by his booth. Joe has a few Cadillacs to say the least. A 83 Fleetwood De Elegance and 84 Eldo Biarritz.  He also sent in some pictures from his club cruise day to Wickenburg Arizona. I am sure I will have to make a second post with all the pictures Joe has sent us. The first picture is Joe’s Cadillacs.

Thanks Joe for sending them in. It took me a while to get them up on the site for others to enjoy. Your region of the Cadillac LaSalle club looks like it is a lot of fun. I just noticed that the 3rd car from the right in the bottom picture looks very much like Bud’s car up above. What are the odds that 2 1976 Cadillac convertibles would be in our newsletter?

Cadillac Forum Update:

I am always surprised our forum doesn’t get used as much as it should. We got some spammy signups and I cut out all the sign ups that haven’t posted in a year. I figure we tighten up the ship over there. I am guessing that a lot of members don’t know we have the Cadillac forum? We have a section for Cadillac parts and we have a section for Cadillacs for sale. I suggest you sign up for it and come join the fun. Is there a reason why you are not participating there I would love to know.

I know it has been a while since our last newsletter. I have been kind of busy rebuilding the house. I am now 90% done and am waiting for more insurance money to come in so I can finish. The hurricane was the easy part. Dealing with the insurance company and the bank was the hassle. I am back in Arizona taking a break from it all.

Cadillac Auto Show Pictures:

I still have to upload all the pictures that I took at the NY auto show. I just haven’t had the time to resize all the pictures for the web. I shoot in really high quality and it takes some time to do the post processing. This year I decided I will be showing all the pictures. Will probably put them up on our forum plus on Flickr.  Will work on that this weekend.

EVENT ALERT:

Got an email from our friend Dan from the XLR Club

Hey Vinny,  Dan here with the 2005 Cadillac XLR. Just wanted to let you in on the information for the 2003 to 2013 Anniversary of the 1st 2004 XLR off the line in Bowling Green Ky. On the end of September of 2003. Our www.xlr-net.com club group is organizing a trip to Bowling Green Ky. The Corvette Plant  is putting on an all vehicle car show {VETTES & PETS}  at the Corvette Plant on September 28th 2013 from 8am-3pm. Some of the group is coming in early on Thursday and staying to Sunday to make a trip event out of it and visit the (NCM) National Corvette Museum and cruzin the country side driving and dining while there. Just thought I’d let you in on the information in case you want to post to the Cadillac club members. Stay tuned in at the club web site www.xlr-net.com

Our club usually grows slower when I don’t make post and send out newsletters but the last month we have seen growth in our member base at record levels.

New Members:

Norman Kraglund from Alberta, Canada 1951 Series 62 2Dr Hard Top Coupe

We had started to restore this Caddy approximately 2 years ago. This Caddy is an off body restoration. We are having it professionally done locally by VC Customs. So far we have been very satisfied with their work. There was very little body work to be done compared to many I’ve seen. We lucked out. The frame is now powdered coated, motor rebuilt, transmission rebuilt, upgraded front suspension, upgraded front brakes to disc, power steering, plus it will have other upgrades to follow (6v to 12v). When this Caddy will be finished it will have the outward appearance as being original. It is scheduled to be painted inside and out in two weeks. I look forward to seeing it come to this stage. Soon I hope will be interior upholstery plus chrome refinishing, some is stainless steel. In the past I have also obtained the original sales brochure, 2 glove box manuals, workshop manual, original paint charts and chip samples as well as the wiring schematic for this “51”. When I learn how to send pictures, I will be doing so.

Richard Ziemer Richard from Pennsylvania 1952 “62” sedan

Keep it Moving; Use it! Richard C. Ziemer, Ph. D., Professor Delaware Valley College
Doylestown, PA 18901

Soon after I joined the Cadillac-LaSalle Club I read with interest a question submitted by a member whose 6-volt battery required recharging, and that every two years he needed to buy a new battery. I believe the suggestion was made to drive the car more frequently. That is good advice. I was somewhat disappointed by the question because I was looking for a 1953 sedan—the first year of the 12-volt battery for the very reason of his concern.

It made me reflect that on the strawberry farm in Oregon where I grew up all our tractors, Chevy cars and trucks were powered by 6-volt batteries; they always started and ran well. I also reflected on my first car—a 13-year-old 1950 Cadillac sedan–which I drove from Oregon to South Carolina to college, and drove weekly at college, and the battery never failed.

Pity the car that emerges from the garage only at show times and needs to have the battery charged, and when the car starts, it emits blue smoke for a few minutes. “Use it or lose it” applies to many things. So does paying attention to small things with our cars. My most recent car is a 1952 sedan, which I bought in June 2005.

I invite my mechanics to tech seminars run by Cadillac-LaSalle Club and RROC. This is a congenial way to find out some tricks of the trade and educate younger mechanics how to keep these old machines running. As I drive by the garage and toot the horn, the mechanic smiles to see his handiwork.

A set of 4 Michelin radial tires—225 x 15—keeps the original Cadillac sedan rolling down the highway as if it’s on a bubble, and the power steering makes handling the car as nimble as it does on my more modern Buick. One push on the accelerator sets the choke and the car starts on the first turn of the key. I use it as a backup or sometimes daily driver. It is not a showpiece because the original paint is fading. In the areas of Eastern PA it attracts attention of the curious, going from point A to point B and back to A very well.

The old resistors in the radio were replaced with modern ones by a skillful old-school electronics technician, and the original radio plays loudly and clearly and the Selector works well with the new manual 6-foot antenna. And the rebuilt clock ticks fine.

New Cadillac:

Along with the new design of the Cadillac CTS line in NY they also had the new Cadillac Electric car the ELR. Here is a good video showing it along with some background information on Darren Geese who is in charge of  production.

I guess that is it for now. I promise I will send out our newsletter more frequently now that life is getting back to normal. I can never express how much I appreciate the support you guys have sent me over the last few months.