I will make you happy baby just wait and see…
On the weekend I cleaned the garage, the poor 59 Cadillac was surrounded by boxes, tools, tires and the trunk had become an impromptu storage area of other projects. By the end of the weekend I had freed her from imprisonment but had not had time to get her started.
Tuesday afternoon I began the usually laborious process of bringing her back to life. Once the battery received a top up charge the huge gold twin snorkel air cleaner would be removed revealing the tri-power carburetor set up. My 59 has the optional Q engine option, the standard 390 being equipped with three two barrel carburettors. Similar to a 64 GTO but with a vacuum operated instead of progressive linkage.
If you leave her sitting for more than a week or two the fuel drains back from the carbs and the centre carb must be primed before starting. Using a small cup of high test, small amounts of gasoline are dribbled into the carb and then the car cranked until the fuel pump can deliver suck enough from the tank to fill the centre carbs bowl and fuel line.
She wanted to run and obliged by bursting into life almost immediately, within minutes she was backed out into the bright sunlight. The AM tube radio had quit working last season and I took a few minutes to examine the wiring under the dash. The goddess of vintage cars was smiling and it turned out to be just a fuse. Once a 9 Amp fuse was located and the tubes warmed up The Ronettes came blasting through the speakers, magical. I just sat there in the warm summer sunshine listening Ronnie's amazing voice making the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
Later the girls and I took her on cruise along the lakeshore and to a park to fly kites, a lovely evening. Later I met my friend (another Cadillac fan) for coffee. On the way home much too late with the top down in the cool night air, Bobby Darrin singing, Beyond the Sea I felt like I was in a scene from Mad Men, Betty rather than Don of course.
Oh one more car story, five minutes into our maiden voyage, the Caddy starts to run rough and we can smell gas. I pull over into a side street shut her down and pop the hood (yes I do have a fire extinguisher in the trunk). No flames but the rear carb was wet with fuel, most likely the float had stuck. No tools on hand I improvised and grabbed the hard plastic comb in my handbag, a few whacks on the fuel bowl and we were back on the road!
I will adore you for eternity…
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| well worn copy of the 59 shop manual |
Yes the 59 is the car I am considering selling to fund FFS, a car I have owned since I was 16 and although I know it shouldn't be it is a hard decision. Car guys and gals will understand.
