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 Hurrah for the '59 Cadillacs

What does a High School teacher do when he retires? 

Simple, he buys a 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood Sedan - the one with the huge rear fender fins ! 

by Joseph Ansara

It all began one summer day in 1997 at the C.N.E. My wife and I were checking out some of the advertising booths. One in particular, was dispensing information on the Barrie Automotive Flea Market. We decided we would go to look things over just for fun. Well, there it stood out among other classics------ a big, black, beautiful `59 Caddy. Of course we bought it, even though we already owned three other (ordinary) ca

rs.  

Now, owning a `59 Cadillac is quite different from owning other cars. A great deal of loving care and attention is required. Some of this attention can be costly. You just don’t discard a classic car, so you keep it and repair whatever needs fixing. Basically, our car was in very good condition for the price: $9,000 certified. I would estimate in the nearly five years of owning this car that we have spent approximately $10,000 in maintenance and repairs.

What a classic car owner needs is connections. Good connections. They can be right in your neighborhood or be a great distance away. There are many general and specialized repair shops that think they can look after your car. Some can and some cannot. At one point, the car developed a vibration that was traced to the U-joints and center hanger on the drive shaft. One so-called “specialized” shop just outside of Metro Toronto tackled the job and worsened the situation by not balancing the drive shaft and installing the wrong kind of U-joints. After some research, I took the car to a drive shaft specialist who corrected the mistakes and eliminated the vibrations. That left one “specialized” shop off of my list.

Being a member of a Cadillac Club is essential for good connections, good times and good fun. We belong to the Trillium Cadillac and La Salle Club (TCLC). Members exchange ideas, repair stories and gossip in several yearly activities.

Other repairs can be handled in shops that deal with particular problems. When the radiator and heater core needed to be re-cored, a reputable radiator shop was able to perform high quality workmanship. The replacement of tires, batteries, spark plugs, hoses and wires can ordinarily be done in a good General Motors dealership. Repairs to your exhaust system should be approached with some care. Not any muffler shop can accommodate such a heavy car. You have to shop around and discuss the situation with a number of shops before you entrust one of them with your car.

When my starter and generator required rebuilding (at different times), I was very pleased to find an auto electric shop in my neighborhood that would handle the job. They just happened to have the parts right there. The price was reasonable and each job was completed within 48 hours.

It is a good idea to carry certain spare parts in your trunk. A fuel pump, fan belts, light bulbs, fuses, brake fluid, etc. can save you a lot of time and money. A tool box containing a good selection of wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, etc. can be life saver items. ---A case in point ! One day, while driving in the city, clouds of steam began billowing out from under the hood. The top hose on the radiator blew a hole. It so happened that I was able to coast into (of all places) a Canadian Tire parking lot. Guess what? Although the service area was open, the mechanics were not allowed to work on my car! Even if I were to drive it into the shop! One kind store clerk helped me to select a hose which could be cut and adapted to my engine. I did the job of replacing the hose right there in the parking lot, topped up the coolant and was on my way.

Brakes and steering systems, as in any car, are critical to safety and must be maintained at a high level of performance. Because of the difficulty of obtaining these parts, you cannot depend upon any suppliers to have them on hand. When I needed brake drums and a crucial upper left control arm, Don Horton (Classic Caddies) came to my rescue since some American suppliers would have required me to mortgage my home to pay for these parts! Don owns a classic Caddy repair shop just south of Huntsville, Ont. on Highway 11.

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing” When a chirping sound developed in the left rear wheel , it was an indication that the wheel bearings were worn out, which was the case. So, I asked my son (an apprentice mechanic) to take off the wheel and   check the bearings. Well, he couldn’t get the wheel nuts off the studs to remove the wheel. Why? He was tightening  the nuts rather than loosening them! The studs on the left hand side of the car had left-handed threads! Wow! Since then, I have had the studs replaced with right hand threaded studs which are clearly marked with an “R”.

I like to have everything functioning properly on the car – dash lights, clock, cigarette lighters, power radio aerial etc. ‘59’s are infamous for having a weak horn ring that can break easily if pressed too hard. I let one of my jerk friends drive the car, and of course, in his excitement, he broke the horn ring, so I’m getting it welded and re-installed. From now on, only my family and I drive the car.

Sometimes, alternative parts may be used for original ones. The original brake light switch which operates the brake lights when you depress the brake pedal is a very complicated unit and is prone to failure over time. Simpler and more elegant switches are available. They operate like the switch on the fridge door. When the door is opened, the light comes on. My son mounted one on the steering column with hose clamps just above the brake pedal. It works just fine. These are just a few of the things  that I have experienced with the car.

The responsibility and the financial cost of owning a classic car are  equal to the enjoyment and “elevated stature” you receive in ownership. You wouldn’t believe some of the comments such as:

“Mommy, Daddy – Look, a BATMOBILE!”

“How many bodies have you got in the trunk“

“Where’s the airstrip? I didn’t see you land!”

“You are intimidating the intimidatable!”

I admit that the expense of owning and operating my Cadillac is greater that that of owning and operating one of my late model Buicks.  The Buicks, however, are run-of-the-mill, ordinary cars; but when I get behind the wheel of my ’59 Cadillac, I become a king!

Joseph Ansara lives in Toronto and drives his Caddy everywhere.