It's your car, your money. It's a safe driver. That's it. I thank you for that. You enjoy the car and it's not in the crusher. That's a huge win. Keep up the great videos.
Great to see the 56' getting some love. I also own an old cadillac, it's got paint problems too. Thank you for saying what I've been trying to explain to people for years. Not everybody has the money or time for a perfect car. At the end of the day, it's a blessing to see these old rigs on the road, or at shows, in any condition.
Preservation vs Restoration. You're preserving a nice old car and personally I think you are doing a bang up job too! The new clear coat looks fantastic.
It’s only original once. The nice thing about the way it is is that you can just drive it and enjoy it. Beautiful car Ben I enjoy watching it come together.
I've been following this project from the beginning and am astounded at what you've accomplished. A running driving preservation is a monumental achievement and I'm proud of you. Keep up the good work and may the Spirits of Mechanics continue to bless you.
I remember when you brought it home, and your go-round with the first engine "rebuilder". You have come a long way since then, Ben..and so has your car.
As a guy who takes his own very patina'ed car to the occasional show and is happy to call it a survivor, I agree with you that this very charming 56 Caddy is best left in its current driver condition. The Poppy'sPatina application looks great on it, and it's probably very satisfying to see your time pay off like this.
Sounds as if you have a few new subscribers that have not been along for the journey you have been on with this car. I remember you pulling the car out glad to see you are still just as enthused with the car today!
That car is beautiful sitting the way it is. You're so correct Ben, once you go down that rabbit hole, it never ends. You've made it mechanically sound with modifications for safety. Love the patina. Great work, drive it and enjoy. Peace
This patina preservation process looks...relaxing! When you did the driver's side without the musical soundtrack...I was simply entranced with the actual process itself. I was able to imagine myself throwing on some of that stuff on my Dad's old car. I turned off the sound for the rest of it, and it all just worked. What an enjoyable upgrade for your Caddy. The result is worth MORE than the effort!
Good to see an update on the old caddy. I like this car for what it is and what it is to and for you. The patina coat is probably the best choice for near and longer term preservation. I like how the new coating makes that red pop a whole bunch. The bare rust on the trunk is really ugly. Might I suggest a patina match paint patch/blend on the trunk lid? You do not fully repaint the trunk in new paint, but do a rust removal/conversion and a prime/undercoat blend to treat the rust then put some primer on it, then add a little body color just to add a hint of the red and just make it look a bit ok. I have seen some other sites on UA-cam do this and they save a ton of money. I look forward to the day when you can afford to properly do a restoration/reupholstery to the seats. That in my opinion would be one of the best value and enjoyment things you could do to this car.
The guys that are making those comments have never built a car and probably never even owned an old car... The way this Caddy looks is what caught my attention a few years ago, and I started watching your channel (I'm not even a Vette guy.) Haha!! The idea you mentioned of putting a nice interior in it and driving it is absolutely perfect!! It took 70 years for that paint to look that sexy... Anyone can stroke a check to throw paint on it. It takes a special person to preserve the natural beauty...
Driver quality cars are so much more fun. No worries about parking lot a- holes dinging the $20,000 paint job...or rain. Good job Ben 👍. My son and I are building a 77 L-82 right now and he likes watching your older videos to get money saving ideas... especially with the interior work
I have watched every video you made for this car and I love it! It would look great if it was painted, but it just cost way too much! Please keep her running and making more videos and you will see hundreds of people watching them all! Thank you a lot!!
Ben, she looks incredible! You are absolutely right. These old Cadillacs are massive. (I own two, a 53 Convertible and a 52 4dr sedan) The amount of work required to repaint one of these behemoths is enormous. Both of mine need painting.... being from New England, they had to survive many salt seasons. All I can afford is to do is preserve them as you are doing here. Great video!
I have been in the bodywork game for over forty years, and it always blows me away how some people think painting a car is like painting the front door of your house. They don't have a clue. I have a 55 caddy in original paint with lots of patina and dodgy chrome. Yes I could paint it, but I love it how it is.... It's only original once. Great video Ben.
Howdy Ben!! She looks beautiful, it's your car, do what you want to it! Nobody else has put any work into it or is paying the bills for it!!! Big hugs from Kenny Ohio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Has it been 12 years? Wow? In a way, they’ve flown by. I remember first seeing that young man working out of his Dad’s garage and that brought back so many memories from my younger days. I’ll be 69 in a few weeks, so probably won’t be with you for the next 12, but I’ll hang around as long as the Good Lord lets me.😊
Back in the 1980s there was a product similar to this that you used over your existing paint to protect it from the elements. It applied the same way as this product. I wasn't satisfied with the outcome, so I applied a second coat and that was a total disaster as it melted the first coat into the existing paint. For the next ten years I continually applied rubbing compound every time I waxed the car. The streaks never came out. I am sure that there is a way to spray on a clear coat to achieve the same objective (saving the patina). And with your expertise on the C3s, I am sure that there are a ton of paint shop folks that would love to swap Corvette repairs for applying a topcoat.
Subscribed, and enjoying the cadillac, and the corvettes , you are right on focus ! I will tell you this , a method is coming to resurface all the chrome soon , for much less cost. Will update you soon. Keep it up.
Looks gr8! This Cadillac is what drew me to your channel and subscribing. But I really like all your vids, especially those featuring rescued vehicles.
That car looks great as it is, you're absolutely right about the paint, chrome, glass, seals, etc. it won't end and is it really worth it. Drive it and enjoy it . I have a 68 4dr HT and was facing same ordeal, wife said lets do interior to be comfortable, some mechanical for safety; we've been driving it now for 10 years and loving it. Hope to see more videos, subscribed
You're absotively right. The beauty of this car is like most of us, passably good looking from 10', but booze or astigmatism is the requirement for close ups. Kudos Big Daddy!
I just spent 3400 dollars on paint and supplies to repaint my 72 corvette, and now the labor starts at100 per hour. he’s right, 15 to 20000 dollars before chrome and trim.
Your Caddy is cool, new paint or patina; it’s yours do with it what you want. What the Internet thinks is irrelevant. Would like to see some content on resealing a C3 TH350, or if you’ve already done that, a link to the video. Not feeling confident about doing mine yet.
Ben you did a great job on that old Caddy .I like the just enough shine to match the cruiser.The couch potatoes who say spend the cash and paint it.probably don’t have any idea what that takes. With kids and a house and other bills you can enjoy the car with the Family and for pennies on the dollar.Enjoy!
One thing you can do to make what you have the best it can be. Is polish the stainless. I taped off the rubber paint and glass on my field fresh 64 galaxie a couple inches around the stainless to protect it, then I put a harbor freight buffing wheel on my polisher and using rouge I polished all the stainless to a mirror finish. The more shine and sun catching glint you can add the less people notice the lack of a paint job. They recognize how much it doesn't look like other patina cars rather a purposeful choice and it gets tons of compliments.
Most of the patina looks really cool on the car. If I had it and decided to paint it I'd probably prep and paint a couple panels at a time with a low gloss paint matched to what's there. A toned down paint job with the chrome reinstalled as it is could look nice if done properly.
I remember painting my TR4 back in the early 70's. It took two weeks to body work and prep. I choked at the price of the Dupont Lucite acrylic lacquer for the ten coats it would need. Then the cut and buff. It's a lot of work!
The car looks cherry to me. and as long as it’s drives where ever you want to take it who care what internet trolls have to say. They can go by their own and do whatever they want. Good video
I have always loved your 56 Cadillac , the beautiful aged paint and stance, if it had perfect paint and chrome it would look just like every other restored 56 sedan de ville.
Personally I like to do body and paint myself it’s therapeutic but after all it’s your car if you like it I love it.I’ll never knock a guy for spending money and time the way he wants to.love the car and just ignore the experts.lol thanks John from Arizona
Good job.The styling and trim give this car the right, as it were, to have that patina. It isn't a figurine to place on a fire place mantle for show, as stated it's meant to be driven down the road. Happy motoring.
True Storytime. I once had a 1972 Nova that looked and drove like something right out of Mad Max. Rusty, dented, mean. The previous owner had put all his money in the powertrain. When I bought it, I was 27 years old. I drove it like that for about two years and had tons of fun with it. Then, I got it in my head to restore the car. I went nuts, and spent about ten grand. (A lot at the time). By the time I was finished, it looked like a brand new car, with many new parts. Suddenly, I was afraid to park it anywhere for long...then at all. I found myself unwilling to drive it hard, so all that power went to waste too. Wouldn't want to get rubber shards all over my fresh new rear quarters, so no burn outs. It had become a trailer queen, and I sold it as such. I miss that car terribly, but what I miss is what it was like those first two years when I wasn't afraid to beat on it. I'm now 54 years of age and won't likely be doing any more muscle or classic cars in my life, but I wanted to say you're doing this the right way. When all is said and done, you won't have any real regrets about this Caddy or your time with it. It's a car, meant to be driven and enjoyed. It's a repaired and spiffed up survivor from a long-gone era of American automobiles, it was already 16 years old when my Nova was built in 1972. (I was three years old in 1972!) The car is lucky to have you, and you're lucky to have it ... and at the risk of sounding silly ...we're all lucky to have followed the both of you here on UA-cam over the past decade or more.
It looks good Ben. As for the knuckleheads out there, well, they are a sad part of life that those of us who want to have fun driving these great old cars have to put up with. Carry on.
As much as I hate patina I think you did the right thing. You're looking at $20K Plus to do this to showroom quality and there's still the chrome to dress up. However, if you were inclined to do it yourself, and you weren't all that fussy about the quality of the paint, you can still prep and spray it, and give it a driver-quality job. I helped a friend restore a '38 GMC T-15. All of his paint supplies came from the local hardware store. Primer, colors, thinner, sandpaper and everything else you could imagine. $400.00, which is a lot cheaper than a brand name at $1200/gal. The end product wasn't all that shiny but It turned out good enough to rate a feature in Vintage Truck Magazine. It's in the eye of the beholder...
You are correct...running into this issue with my MGB. It's only worth so much...even showroom condition. I'm building the engine my self...just the parts are 4500 bucks. The cars worth 9500. It gets a bit crazy. Drive on...nice car.
That car look well kept and it is a nice old used patina car . Some people ask me the same questions about my 1953 Pontiac . I give my old car a little spray paint then and now like we did with our Volvo when i grow up and my krom is look old and i like it like that . I like your old Cadillac like that better then if it look factory new all around . I dont want my Pontiac to look factory new .
I agree with everything you said at the end except "paint is over rated" but I run a restoration shop. Had a guy tell me a 57 Chevy was out of his budget so he bought a Rambler American, he was shocked the restoration was still out of his budget. Restoration cost can exceed the value and budgets of most cars, it's all in what's excepted by the owner. Enjoy your Caddy, it looks good and will draw lots of attention.
I like seeing this come along. I had to sell my Corvette because as I age, I could no longer get in or out of it. So what do I do? Buy a 1968 Cadillac that needs a lot of work.
Car looks great, ignore the idiots who tell you to paint it, you're 100% correct, you'd be into that for $20k+ once you're done, and then YOU WON'T DRIVE IT because it'll be TOO NICE ! :) ...personally, I'd spend the money completely redoing the entire interior, A/C, heat, nice audio system, and drive the hell out of it.
I agree that's a helluva lot of money for a paint job. And yes the chrome would cost a fortune. Keep doing what you're doing. I wish you didn't have to respond to the naysayers too. Thanks
What you didn’t mention Ben, is that if you did all these things you end up with a car that you’d be reluctant to drive and enjoy like you can do now. IMO you’re making the right decisions.
I understand stand about the paint process. My father and I are going through this on our 56 Bel Air. And spending over $1000.00 on re chroming 5 original pieces.
Enjoyed seeing the Cadillac again. I understand what you mean about re-chroming just the bumpers. I had just the bumpers re-chromed on my 1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible back in 2002, and it was nearly $4,000 for the pair and I think there were just about as many pieces as there are in your Cadillac's bumpers. I live in the Midwest, so I suspect that my cost was less than it would have been along either coast even at that time. I hesitate to think what the cost would be today.
It's your car, your money. It's a safe driver. That's it. I thank you for that. You enjoy the car and it's not in the crusher. That's a huge win. Keep up the great videos.
I am glad you still have the Caddy! I have seen all your videos when you first got it. It is an Americana heirloom.
Great to see the 56' getting some love. I also own an old cadillac, it's got paint problems too. Thank you for saying what I've been trying to explain to people for years. Not everybody has the money or time for a perfect car. At the end of the day, it's a blessing to see these old rigs on the road, or at shows, in any condition.
Anything that old still on the road is cool all on its own. It don't need a paint job. Good job Ben🤠👍
Preservation vs Restoration. You're preserving a nice old car and personally I think you are doing a bang up job too! The new clear coat looks fantastic.
It’s only original once. The nice thing about the way it is is that you can just drive it and enjoy it. Beautiful car Ben I enjoy watching it come together.
You've come a long way from the OG garage, and I'm so glad you've kept your '56 and the C3 Convertible!
Corvettes and Caddies...great taste in cars...btw..love the Kennedy sticker on back window..
Wow!, I've been watching your channel for 12 years now! Still love it! Love the Caddy!
I've been following this project from the beginning and am astounded at what you've accomplished. A running driving preservation is a monumental achievement and I'm proud of you. Keep up the good work and may the Spirits of Mechanics continue to bless you.
I remember when you brought it home, and your go-round with the first engine "rebuilder". You have come a long way since then, Ben..and so has your car.
Me too....
That car is amazing. You shouldn't have to explain your choices. Spend the money on a nice interior and enjoy the car. A legacy for your family.
As a guy who takes his own very patina'ed car to the occasional show and is happy to call it a survivor, I agree with you that this very charming 56 Caddy is best left in its current driver condition. The Poppy'sPatina application looks great on it, and it's probably very satisfying to see your time pay off like this.
Sounds as if you have a few new subscribers that have not been along for the journey you have been on with this car. I remember you pulling the car out glad to see you are still just as enthused with the car today!
Brother, only the customizers would complain about a dent . A 1956 should look like a 1956... and you nailed it I'm proud of you...
Your doin the right thing. That car is a testament to what Man has created in our time
That car is beautiful sitting the way it is. You're so correct Ben, once you go down that rabbit hole, it never ends. You've made it mechanically sound with modifications for safety. Love the patina. Great work, drive it and enjoy. Peace
To hell with the haters. It’s your car and project, do it your way and what works for you
This patina preservation process looks...relaxing! When you did the driver's side without the musical soundtrack...I was simply entranced with the actual process itself. I was able to imagine myself throwing on some of that stuff on my Dad's old car. I turned off the sound for the rest of it, and it all just worked. What an enjoyable upgrade for your Caddy. The result is worth MORE than the effort!
Good to see an update on the old caddy. I like this car for what it is and what it is to and for you. The patina coat is probably the best choice for near and longer term preservation. I like how the new coating makes that red pop a whole bunch. The bare rust on the trunk is really ugly. Might I suggest a patina match paint patch/blend on the trunk lid? You do not fully repaint the trunk in new paint, but do a rust removal/conversion and a prime/undercoat blend to treat the rust then put some primer on it, then add a little body color just to add a hint of the red and just make it look a bit ok. I have seen some other sites on UA-cam do this and they save a ton of money.
I look forward to the day when you can afford to properly do a restoration/reupholstery to the seats. That in my opinion would be one of the best value and enjoyment things you could do to this car.
Great looking Caddy!!!!!!!
Looks great, and I've always loved that Caddy since I first watched you aquire it Ben. I can't believe it was that long ago!
The guys that are making those comments have never built a car and probably never even owned an old car... The way this Caddy looks is what caught my attention a few years ago, and I started watching your channel (I'm not even a Vette guy.) Haha!! The idea you mentioned of putting a nice interior in it and driving it is absolutely perfect!! It took 70 years for that paint to look that sexy... Anyone can stroke a check to throw paint on it. It takes a special person to preserve the natural beauty...
Driver quality cars are so much more fun. No worries about parking lot a- holes dinging the $20,000 paint job...or rain. Good job Ben 👍. My son and I are building a 77 L-82 right now and he likes watching your older videos to get money saving ideas... especially with the interior work
Dude you are a rock star. That car should be patina. And you don't have to worry about driving it. I want one.
I vote for the new interior!
My friend has a 55 deville and he got a quote for paint in El Paso 7000 so Ben you ain’t lying man
I think it looks great Ben! The patina is perfect. Like you said, that's a lot of "real estate" to paint!
I have watched every video you made for this car and I love it! It would look great if it was painted, but it just cost way too much! Please keep her running and making more videos and you will see hundreds of people watching them all! Thank you a lot!!
Ben, she looks incredible! You are absolutely right. These old Cadillacs are massive. (I own two, a 53 Convertible and a 52 4dr sedan) The amount of work required to repaint one of these behemoths is enormous. Both of mine need painting.... being from New England, they had to survive many salt seasons. All I can afford is to do is preserve them as you are doing here. Great video!
That was very relaxing to watch. I love that Cadillac just the way it is.
Love the car Ben I’ve watched it come along. You’ve done a great job on it.
I have been in the bodywork game for over forty years, and it always blows me away how some people think painting a car is like painting the front door of your house. They don't have a clue. I have a 55 caddy in original paint with lots of patina and dodgy chrome. Yes I could paint it, but I love it how it is.... It's only original once. Great video Ben.
This car is a true gem ! I have enjoyed each and every video! Thank you!
Howdy Ben!! She looks beautiful, it's your car, do what you want to it! Nobody else has put any work into it or is paying the bills for it!!! Big hugs from Kenny Ohio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Has it been 12 years? Wow? In a way, they’ve flown by. I remember first seeing that young man working out of his Dad’s garage and that brought back so many memories from my younger days. I’ll be 69 in a few weeks, so probably won’t be with you for the next 12, but I’ll hang around as long as the Good Lord lets me.😊
Good to see that you are making progress. New Sabre wheels look great too!
Back in the 1980s there was a product similar to this that you used over your existing paint to protect it from the elements. It applied the same way as this product. I wasn't satisfied with the outcome, so I applied a second coat and that was a total disaster as it melted the first coat into the existing paint. For the next ten years I continually applied rubbing compound every time I waxed the car. The streaks never came out. I am sure that there is a way to spray on a clear coat to achieve the same objective (saving the patina). And with your expertise on the C3s, I am sure that there are a ton of paint shop folks that would love to swap Corvette repairs for applying a topcoat.
Man that looks AWESOME
okay thats amazing! what a nice turnaround
Subscribed, and enjoying the cadillac, and the corvettes , you are right on focus !
I will tell you this , a method is coming to resurface all the chrome soon , for much less cost.
Will update you soon.
Keep it up.
Looks gr8! This Cadillac is what drew me to your channel and subscribing. But I really like all your vids, especially those featuring rescued vehicles.
Looks great Ben!
Johnathon Ward would be glad to see you make this car into "ICON Derelict" quality. And that's what you're on the road to. 🤓
Love it! The Caddy is what made me subscribe years ago; I am liking the love rub! I remember the back seat fire form years ago... keep the faith!
You're car Ben, you do what you want .
That car looks great as it is, you're absolutely right about the paint, chrome, glass, seals, etc. it won't end and is it really worth it. Drive it and enjoy it .
I have a 68 4dr HT and was facing same ordeal, wife said lets do interior to be comfortable, some mechanical for safety; we've been driving it now for 10 years and loving it.
Hope to see more videos, subscribed
Maken it your own! Looks great!😊
You're absotively right. The beauty of this car is like most of us, passably good looking from 10', but booze or astigmatism is the requirement for close ups. Kudos Big Daddy!
I just spent 3400 dollars on paint and supplies to repaint my 72 corvette, and now the labor starts at100 per hour. he’s right, 15 to 20000 dollars before chrome and trim.
pretty lame video
Your Caddy is cool, new paint or patina; it’s yours do with it what you want. What the Internet thinks is irrelevant. Would like to see some content on resealing a C3 TH350, or if you’ve already done that, a link to the video. Not feeling confident about doing mine yet.
Nice job on making the caddy look good, Ben. I know paint is really expensive these days. looks good!
I think the car looks great just like it is.
I think it looks more interesting with all the patina
Looks great 😊 Huge improvement
Love it the way it is. !!!!
Thanks Ben I really appreciate your content
Ben you did a great job on that old Caddy .I like the just enough shine to match the cruiser.The couch potatoes who say spend the cash and paint it.probably don’t have any idea what that takes. With kids and a house and other bills you can enjoy the car with the Family and for pennies on the dollar.Enjoy!
Love that Caddy
Your the man tell it like it is!
One thing you can do to make what you have the best it can be. Is polish the stainless. I taped off the rubber paint and glass on my field fresh 64 galaxie a couple inches around the stainless to protect it, then I put a harbor freight buffing wheel on my polisher and using rouge I polished all the stainless to a mirror finish. The more shine and sun catching glint you can add the less people notice the lack of a paint job. They recognize how much it doesn't look like other patina cars rather a purposeful choice and it gets tons of compliments.
Cars awesome the way it is ❤
Fantastic car and I agree 100% with you.
I like it the way it is, don’t listen to anyone else. It’s YOUR car, not theirs.
Most of the patina looks really cool on the car. If I had it and decided to paint it I'd probably prep and paint a couple panels at a time with a low gloss paint matched to what's there. A toned down paint job with the chrome reinstalled as it is could look nice if done properly.
I remember painting my TR4 back in the early 70's. It took two weeks to body work and prep. I choked at the price of the Dupont Lucite acrylic lacquer for the ten coats it would need. Then the cut and buff. It's a lot of work!
The car looks cherry to me. and as long as it’s drives where ever you want to take it who care what internet trolls have to say. They can go by their own and do whatever they want. Good video
I have always loved your 56 Cadillac , the beautiful aged paint and stance, if it had perfect paint and chrome it would look just like every other restored 56 sedan de ville.
Personally I like to do body and paint myself it’s therapeutic but after all it’s your car if you like it I love it.I’ll never knock a guy for spending money and time the way he wants to.love the car and just ignore the experts.lol thanks John from Arizona
You are exactly right Ben! As I found out with the restoration of my family's 66 Rambler Wagon....they become a MONEY PIT!!!
😊Sweet! Fear not, you are in Texas so it will eventually warm up there ... sooner than it will up here.
Do a second coat. Big difference in shine. I love that car Ben. Find me one like it. Please !!!!!
Good job.The styling and trim give this car the right, as it were, to have that patina. It isn't a figurine to place on a fire place mantle for show, as stated it's meant to be driven down the road. Happy motoring.
It's perfect as it is.
True Storytime. I once had a 1972 Nova that looked and drove like something right out of Mad Max. Rusty, dented, mean. The previous owner had put all his money in the powertrain. When I bought it, I was 27 years old. I drove it like that for about two years and had tons of fun with it. Then, I got it in my head to restore the car. I went nuts, and spent about ten grand. (A lot at the time). By the time I was finished, it looked like a brand new car, with many new parts. Suddenly, I was afraid to park it anywhere for long...then at all. I found myself unwilling to drive it hard, so all that power went to waste too. Wouldn't want to get rubber shards all over my fresh new rear quarters, so no burn outs. It had become a trailer queen, and I sold it as such. I miss that car terribly, but what I miss is what it was like those first two years when I wasn't afraid to beat on it. I'm now 54 years of age and won't likely be doing any more muscle or classic cars in my life, but I wanted to say you're doing this the right way. When all is said and done, you won't have any real regrets about this Caddy or your time with it. It's a car, meant to be driven and enjoyed. It's a repaired and spiffed up survivor from a long-gone era of American automobiles, it was already 16 years old when my Nova was built in 1972. (I was three years old in 1972!) The car is lucky to have you, and you're lucky to have it ... and at the risk of sounding silly ...we're all lucky to have followed the both of you here on UA-cam over the past decade or more.
It looks good Ben. As for the knuckleheads out there, well, they are a sad part of life that those of us who want to have fun driving these great old cars have to put up with. Carry on.
You do awesome work on the cars you already do. You're fine doing whatever work you do 👍🏼. Being skilled doing the mechanical work is more than enough
It looks good, keep it like it is
Show more videos of you driving it ,that thing is badass !
Awsome job looks great......
I've been watching since you dragged that car to your parents house - keep it just the way it is. It's perfect......
Awesome job buddy
As much as I hate patina I think you did the right thing. You're looking at $20K Plus to do this to showroom quality and there's still the chrome to dress up. However, if you were inclined to do it yourself, and you weren't all that fussy about the quality of the paint, you can still prep and spray it, and give it a driver-quality job. I helped a friend restore a '38 GMC T-15. All of his paint supplies came from the local hardware store. Primer, colors, thinner, sandpaper and everything else you could imagine. $400.00, which is a lot cheaper than a brand name at $1200/gal. The end product wasn't all that shiny but It turned out good enough to rate a feature in Vintage Truck Magazine. It's in the eye of the beholder...
Looks great
You are correct...running into this issue with my MGB. It's only worth so much...even showroom condition. I'm building the engine my self...just the parts are 4500 bucks. The cars worth 9500. It gets a bit crazy. Drive on...nice car.
Looks great to me. Like you say most people don’t have that kind of money laying around for a new paint job.
That car look well kept and it is a nice old used patina car .
Some people ask me the same questions about my 1953 Pontiac .
I give my old car a little spray paint then and now like we did with our Volvo when i grow up and my krom is look old and i like it like that .
I like your old Cadillac like that better then if it look factory new all around .
I dont want my Pontiac to look factory new .
happich semi-chrome polish is best I've found for bringing chrome back, this is coming from an old guy that found out many years ago! :)
love the Caddy. New to the channel but looks like interesting project
I like it just like it is
I agree with everything you said at the end except "paint is over rated" but I run a restoration shop. Had a guy tell me a 57 Chevy was out of his budget so he bought a Rambler American, he was shocked the restoration was still out of his budget. Restoration cost can exceed the value and budgets of most cars, it's all in what's excepted by the owner. Enjoy your Caddy, it looks good and will draw lots of attention.
Totally agree on a paint job. I have a 68 el camino and I refuse to spend 6k on paint job.
I like seeing this come along. I had to sell my Corvette because as I age, I could no longer get in or out of it. So what do I do? Buy a 1968 Cadillac that needs a lot of work.
The car is so cool as is….
Car looks great, ignore the idiots who tell you to paint it, you're 100% correct, you'd be into that for $20k+ once you're done, and then YOU WON'T DRIVE IT because it'll be TOO NICE ! :) ...personally, I'd spend the money completely redoing the entire interior, A/C, heat, nice audio system, and drive the hell out of it.
I was happy to see a clear coat going on. I think it is a good result for a patina car.
I assume it is good protection for the painted surfaces too.
I agree that's a helluva lot of money for a paint job. And yes the chrome would cost a fortune. Keep doing what you're doing. I wish you didn't have to respond to the naysayers too. Thanks
What you didn’t mention Ben, is that if you did all these things you end up with a car that you’d be reluctant to drive and enjoy like you can do now. IMO you’re making the right decisions.
I understand stand about the paint process. My father and I are going through this on our 56 Bel Air. And spending over $1000.00 on re chroming 5 original pieces.
Enjoyed seeing the Cadillac again. I understand what you mean about re-chroming just the bumpers. I had just the bumpers re-chromed on my 1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible back in 2002, and it was nearly $4,000 for the pair and I think there were just about as many pieces as there are in your Cadillac's bumpers. I live in the Midwest, so I suspect that my cost was less than it would have been along either coast even at that time. I hesitate to think what the cost would be today.