Parts Car #58 is History

[Jason Edge]

I finally finished disassembly of parts car #58, a Park Avenue from Indiana, and trailered to the metal yard. AS most of you know what remains when I get done is the core frame and the body and junk that is no good. 

When I part a car out I basically pull them in with the car hauler, unload, remove everything except the undercarriage, then pull back up on the car hauler and remove the undercarriage. The very last big part to come out is the rear end assembly.  Below are a few pics from yesterday.  

I have been super busy with an addition to my new house, doing almost all the works, and going back and forth between house stuff and car stuff. It is good to get this last of 3 parts cars I pulled in last year out of the year so I can concentrate on the house a bit, and of course pulling my 64 out and driving it a bit. 

The 2023 CLC Grand National in Albuquerque will be here before we know it and am planning on a long raod trip driving my 2013 Escalade EXT so that will also start consuming my time. I am also working on the latest newsletter and hope to have out mid May.

So, here are some parting shots of parts car #58:

 

[Logan Robb]

A necessary evil and we thank you for it! Its a shame to see these cars go, but glad their parts can be made available to keep better examples on the road. 

I can't believe you've done this FIFTY EIGHT TIMES. Crazy man you are lol

Logan

[Jason Edge]

I use to say a car breaks down to 5000 parts based on something I read. Now that I have broken 58 down, it is probably closer to 10,000 parts when you get down to the small fasteners and odds and ends. With that said, I generally try to save the other 9,998 parts if they are useable when I break one down. The two I can't save due to space is the frame and core body! If I had space I would save them!

[Logan Robb]

Out of pure curiosity, what would you say is the rarest of all parts on these cars? Like the unobtainium? 

[Jason Edge]

Logan, The optional long trumpet Eldorado horn would have to be the hardest item to come by on a parts car.  These were standard on the Eldorado but a dealer installed option for other body styles. Not only are they often not present on the "other body styles" they are often gone on the parts car and driver Eldorados!  Our Chapter Member Les Eastling had been looking for many years for one to go back on his 63 Eldorado and finally found one this past month. It took me 48 parts cars before I finally pulled one in with this option.  The other items I have to say I have not seen many of is the optional AM radio foot control. I have also only brought one of those in. Here in the Southeast I have also only pulled in one car with no tint on the glass. I would expect this would be more common up North. 

As far as common items on the cars that are often in bad condition or missing include the left driver door wire conduit (rubber boot), front lower bumper ends, transmission kickdown switch rubber boot, and uncracked intake manifolds.  It is also hard to find the large rear center bumper end without dings and dents.    Condition wise, it is also hard to find pristine dash pads, steering wheels, front engine covers.  

There are items that where I have pulled in a very good % of nice items but due to demand I stay out of and have a back log on my Wait List. This would include front engine covers, and rear driveshaft sections. I would guess 1/3 to 1/2 of the 58 I have pulled in have been good to very good, but there is a big demand for these. Also, right behind they cracked intake manifolds, you often see a lot of cracked right side 1964 exhaust manifolds.

There are items on the car you would not use that deteriorate that almost always have to be replaced including the camshaft timing gear with the nylon coated teeth that chip away with high miles, and all the rubber seals and gaskets. Those I never save unless they had been just replaced before the parts car been parked.   Sometimes, like on parts car 58, there is a lot of new stuff installed on the car, then the car is abandoned and I get a lot of n ew goodies. In addition to a rebuild engine, that went to Chapter Member Les Eastling, almost all of the front steering and suspension items were replaced and new. Some of you that follow my parts postings on Facebook saw some of these goodies. 

[Logan Robb]

These are certainly interesting items! Luckily, the front buckets on my 64 are in good shape on the outside. There is, however, some corrosion on the inside of the buckets I need to address before it gets any worse. Appears to be just surface rust, but don't want that getting any worse! 

With the Eldo horn, what was the standard that came on most 64s? 3 horns? 2 snail looking ones and a short trumpet? And the Eldo came with the longer 4th note horn? I know for sure I am missing one horn and would love to complete my 64 horn brigade to at least 3 HA!

I was unaware of the exhaust manifolds. What causes them to crack so frequently? My guess would be the A/C condensates onto them-I actually just noticed this the other day. If this IS the cause for them cracking-Is there any fix to re route the condensate NOT onto the manifolds? Prev to the 64, I had a 77 Lincoln w a cracked manifold, and I'd like to never deal with the again if I don't have to!

I am also not sure what the "front engine cover" is you're referring too. I'm guessing I have one on my 64, maybe I don't? I'd be curious to see this part!

Interesting conversation as always!

Logan

[Jason Edge]

Check out our help page on  Horns Used in 1963 & 1964  If you go to our Help Page (www.help.6364cadillac.com or clicking Help in the header) and scroll down you will see a lot of neat info like t his. 
I believe the RH exhaust manifold was mainly due to stress off the Y pipe and flexing perhaps as It is almost always at the Y. The intakes crack due to heat tube that runs through that center exhaust channel that carries fire hot exhaust gasses through it..