Shop project...

[Handy Don 12,201]

I’m looking at the amazing welds on the rest of that seat bucket. So consistent I wonder if was robotic?!

[Pullstart 62,829]

One filler rod down.  It’s going better than expected in my eyes.  They asked me to weld on the inside only, but I am going to do both and let them grind on the welds if it’s truly that close.

 

 

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

19 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

I’m looking at the amazing welds on the rest of that seat bucket. So consistent I wonder if was robotic?!

Could be, or experience of someone who welds aluminum seats all day.  This came out of Charlotte, NC area.  NASCAR regions.

[Pullstart 62,829]

I’m not @19richie66’s son’s level of weld bead beauty, but it’ll work enough to get a seat pad in there!

 

I have about an inch left to finish before I can deliver.

[Pullstart 62,829]

Ready for delivery!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

A couple weeks back I was working on a race car trailer.  I did some electrical, lighting, and exhaust work on the genny.  The guy has a 2011 F**d Taurus that needs some front end cosmetics and an engine.  We might make a handshake for it as payment, and put an engine in it for a driver’s training vehicle… and maybe road tripper.

 

It still blue books well.  If anything, I could flip it for a good profit.

[Achto 27,562]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

We might make a handshake for it as payment, and put an engine in it for a teen age demo car.

 

Throw a new mill under the hood, build a big brush guard for the front & turn 'em loose on the road. 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Achto

[SylvanLakeWH 25,524]

@Pullstart Stables Motto for cars:

 

 

[953 nut 55,155]

2 hours ago, Pullstart said:

It still blue books well.  If anything, I could flip it for a good profit

Don't know the price of a good used engine up your way but a remanufactured engine with a good warrantee would probably not be too much more and make it easy to sell.     

[ebinmaine 67,391]

11 hours ago, Pullstart said:

F**d Taurus

Ya just couldn't find the 2 middle letters?

 

 

 

 

9 hours ago, 953 nut said:

price of a good used engine up your way

 

Up north - with good connections -  you can get common drivetrain parts all day for next to nothing.  Rust.....

Body goes out but the engine is still great.  

Nothing's super cheap like the days of yore but they're around.  

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

11 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Don't know the price of a good used engine

A crate or reman is not a terrible idea Richard.  
 

Here’s what I’m looking at for a used engine at the u-pick yard.

 

2 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Ya just couldn't find the 2 middle letters?

 

We might just have to stick some bow tie stickers over the badges and see if it’ll start then!  

[953 nut 55,155]

12 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

stick some bow tie stickers over the badges and see if it’ll start then!

May sell faster too.           

[Pullstart 62,829]

@953 nut I called a local already picked yard today.  They sell used, new, and reman engines.  They have one with 129k on it for $1,800.  It’s warranty is no better than the u-pick.  I believe I’ll get dirty myself on an afternoon and grab one from the u-pick!

Edited February 10, 2023 by Pullstart

[Pullstart 62,829]

The P.O. delivered the car today.  Pro.  When they loaded it in the race car trailer, they broke the driver’s side power mirror.  Con.  
 

Ends up the engine ran out of oil because during the light collision, the oil filter was punctured.  It pumped all the oil right out of it, until it wouldn’t spin no more.  It’s build date is before 11/28/10, which must be a pivotal date for engine types.  There are 20 something possible cars in the u-pick yard to choose from!  

[Handy Don 12,201]

7 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

The P.O. delivered the car today.  Pro.  When they loaded it in the race car trailer, they broke the driver’s side power mirror.  Con.  
 

Ends up the engine ran out of oil because during the light collision, the oil filter was punctured.  It pumped all the oil right out of it, until it wouldn’t spin no more.  It’s build date is before 11/28/10, which must be a pivotal date for engine types.  There are 20 something possible cars in the u-pick yard to choose from!  

Get one with the same power mirror!

My car’s outside mirrors are power adjust, power retract, and have down-facing lights (key fob activated) to illuminate the ground near the door. They were only on a couple of models in a pricey option package (it was a certified pre-owned to me, otherwise way outa my budget). When one started being a bit balky, I priced replacements--new, $900 each; salvage yard, $250 each. I’m living with the balky!

[Pullstart 62,829]

We got the F*rd pushed in the shop this week.  I spun the arms around on the hoist and pushed it in backwards.  Now the engine swap can be done near the door.

 

Tonight, I got the engine rolled over slowly but surely to remove all the torque converter bolts.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

It’s hard to believe this radiator didn’t spring a leak!

 

 

 

The front clip is disassembled.  I’ve got no reason to believe I’ll need to drop the cradle thus far.  I feel like it’ll pluck right out of there fairly easily.

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,391]

24 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

hard to believe this radiator didn’t spring a leak!

AWESOME 

[Pullstart 62,829]

4 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

AWESOME 

I’ll be replacing it anyway however 

[ebinmaine 67,391]

3 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

I’ll be replacing it anyway however 

What's a little kink in a radiator...

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

13 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

What's a little kink in a radiator...

 

Not a problem, ‘til it is!

[Pullstart 62,829]

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

Well, the Cadillac has finally met it’s demise.  Well, almost.  Well, it should be done.  I need to get through a bit more winter.  I should quit driving it right now.  Argh.

I was carefully back dragging this slop we got today on a pea gravel driveway at the good ‘ole boy neighbor’s house.  The plow wouldn’t go up and I heard some funky noises from the pump solenoid.  I popped the hood and found a disturbing frame crack between the driver’s side upper a arm and the steering box.  Youch!  I ended up wiggling the power wires on the studs and they must have made better contact.  The plow is working and I’m driving half the speed from now on.  
 

I have a title-less truck from Washington State out back that would make a frame swap candidate.  I have the Texas truck in the barn that would easily accept the 92,000 mile drivetrain but it’s 2wd.  I could likely make it 4x4.  2 of the 4 frame holes for locating the front differential are already in place in these frames.  The other two just need drilling and sleeving for the mounts to be complete.  All the front suspension is the same, you just pop CV axles in and call it good.

 

What to do, what to do.  Either way, dozing with the Cadillac has finally hurt it enough.  It needs to be done.  RIP Cadillac!  You don’t owe me a thing, you’ve been a trusty steed for 9 hard years!

[cafoose 3,354]

51 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

disturbing frame crack between the driver’s side upper a arm and the steering box.  Youch!

Weld it up heard tell you got fabricating skills