Your headlights might have a relay which is weak or you need a new headlight switch . Anything can be fixed . There are dedicated online services for Cadillac or try ebay , if not there are forums that can help .
many more things wrong with it. you mentioned the pitting on the chrome esp interior trim. another possible cause for this (aside from water exposure) is extreme humidity or storage with poor ventilation. I'm leaning toward the latter esp if the Cadillac spent time on the east coast of the US. That is fixable and you want to get the rear window looked at esp around the seal/sealant inside the ext trim around the window.
I have so much to say about this car. I have always loved landyachts, but the 1964 Cadillac Coupe DeVille is my all-time favorite. It is stunningly beautiful, especially with the horizontally aligned headlights. There's a famous French movie (le Corniaud) featuring the exact same model (except in white) and this is how I came across this model. I really like it when someone buys an old cool car with missing features and restores it to the fullest, kudos for the A/C repair. I love the paintjob too, the color fits it perfectly. It looks mint. It still has quite a lot of minor issues, I hope they will be allright to fix. Even if you plan to do most yourself, I think bringing it to a specialist could be very useful in case he knows how to fix this or that in an efficient manner you didn't think of, where to source parts from and to be aware of known troubles with these.
This was the first year for the automatic climate control. One issue which was addressed in 65 . There is a temperature sensor I believe outside the car under the front wheel well . The air conditioner also has another temperature sensor built into the padded bash board directly center to the steering wheel The two sensors are connected in order to determine if the air con should switch on or heat in order to maintain the desired cabin temperature. The outside temperature sensor always corroded due to road salt and debris Im sure that will need replacing.
Very common for flippers to buy a pretty nice old car and then do the paint and bodywork. Perhaps do just enough mechanical work to get it running halfway. However, all the dozens of details that require more thought and time? They get left alone and not working. Things like what you mentioned and then also usually the heat and AC are beyond the skills of most shade tree mechanics. I also believe that 64 was the first year for climate control and it is a little more complex than later years. Good luck with the car
The seat controls work like this. The middle button push forward and backward obviously for moving the seat back and forth. Moving the middle button in or out moves the whole seat up and down by running the height motors front and back in unison. The front tilt button moves only the front height motor up and down. The rear tilt button moves only the rear height motor up and down.
My dad bought one with 5K miles on it but a Sedan De V (4 door sedan has much shorter doors which are nice in tight parking lot) in early '65. Was a GM executive vehicle with ALL the bells and whistles. Traded in a'56 for it. Mom, dad and I went to pick it up. From the back seat looking at the instrument panel (just like yours except radio - only thing missing no tape or stereo) it looked like a space ship to me compared to '56. I was in awestruck. There was a light misty rain on the way home and while we were moving along the road I reached over the back seat, popped the glove box open and asked what the chrome button in upper left (where you have the big hole). Saw the car dealer push it so I gave it a push too. There was a muffled clunk and the trunk lid opened. It had some kind of hydraulic closure on it that drew the lid down tight with a couple of clunks (but required a manual close). Stowed a motorbike in there one summer only needed to remove the handle bar. Although an odd location for wheel to left of AC control it was for setting cruise control. If I remember correctly if you study the numbers on that dial they don't make sense for AC. Was at least 2 different types of cruise control, maybe 3. The typical type and a resistant gas pedal that firmed up when you reached speed indicated on that dial. Ya practically had to stand on the pedal to use if needed to go faster. Car would auto dim high beams as cars approached while night driving and put highs back on after passing. Was control on top of dash in left corner for sensitivity of on coming lights. Sensor in very end of left fender above headlights. Give me a Reply as I would enjoy and can probably answer most curious questions. BTW Didn't notice but we had small ding in rear bumper too but our car was a very light tan with Landau top but rear window bottom was all the way down to rear deck.
There is a company in the United States called at Vintage Air that makes air condition for almost any car and heaters and they could replace that with the Vintage Air system that fits right in there you wouldn't even notice the difference that it wasn't Factory and it fits right in there and you'll have heater and air condition you might check with them Vintage Air
I feel your pain brother. I hope you didn't pay a lot of money for that Caddy. All the signs of a low budget amateur restoration, probably a "flip". This is exactly why I sold my 1962 sedan de ville which had all the same issues your car has. Obvious poor prep work before painting, body fill over trim fastener holes, poor body panel alignment, etc. Where to begin? They didn't even bother to replace the rubber seals and weather strip after removing the glass, which is why there is obvious water damage to your headliner around the rear glass above the package shelf on the driver's side. The door glass doesn't work properly because of misalignment of the window tracks, which can be a pain to get right, and I can only imagine the horror that lurks behind the dash. Be aware that all of the HVAC and automatic door locks are vacuum operated, so the miles of vacuum hose behind the dash and routed through the front doors need to be inspected if not replaced. The electric seat adjustment motor located under the front seat can be taken apart cleaned and regreased. Also, the contacts in the electric switches in the door panels can be cleaned and serviced. You also want to find out what specific carburetor came on your 429 and replace it. > Carbs: The original Carter AFB and Rochester 4GC carbs that came with the Hydramatic equipped cars, will not have the mounting block for the THM trans kickdown switch, so you will need a carb from a THM equipped car. Yours looks to be a THM by the PRNDL. Check your engine for blowby by removing the breather cap/oil fill cap while engine is running, look for excessive oil smoke coming from oil fill tube, and inspect the metal media inside the breather cap for oil saturation. Your headlight problem could be an issue with the dimmer switch or in the turn signal switch. I'm not trying to tear down your car as much as warn you that it appears that whoever tried to restore/flip this piece of history didn't give it any respect. These classic luxury cars were highly advanced technologically for their time and require a great attention to detail and cost when getting it right.
This guy knows what he's talking about obviously he knows a lot about Cadillacs I used to have a 71 Sedan DeVille I know the problem with the air condition mine was not working either but I ended up selling it before replacing the Air ac this was back in 1981 long time ago
Excellent coverage and I very much appreciate the information verifications. I love your professional presentation. I’m a fan because I love your voice and great sense of humor.
It's sad yours has been repaired so poorly. I had one i bought from my elderly neighbor. Just a joy even at 120,00 miles. Everything work perfectly and a brut of a engine. Silky smooth ride. Many a wild rides in that one with party friends.
The '64 Caddy is one of my favorites! I hope you get it all sorted without throwing too much money at it. In another generation, fewer people will be able to afford/justify the expense of having an old classic car to take care of. As for me, I get my fix at car shows, through magazines like Collectible Automobile and going to museums and auction previews and, of course, online sources. Thanks for sharing.
I'm not mechanically inclined but I owned a 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham in 1977. I suspect there may be some similarities between the two cars and now I come to the point which is about the air conditioning. As my car was relatively new the a/c was working fine except at one point the heater stopped working. This was during winter (in New York) and what it did, when set automatic and hot, it blew cold air. Took it to the dealer and it turned out that the a/c had its own radiator which provided the heat and in my case the a/c radiator had developed a leak and so no more heat. So you might want to check whether the a/c in your car needs its own separate radiator. I loved my car at time and I love it even more now even though I sold it many years ago. They really don't make them like they used to. And I now drive an Ls600hl! Nearest to the old Cadillac but a long way from it. Hope you really enjoy the Caddie.
Thanks for thr input. Yes, a leaking or clogged radiator is also a possibilty. I know the A/C evaporator is separate and I will buy a new one of thqt regardless of whether mine is still present as it's not expensive and most likely not in great shape anyway. I hope I can use the original heater though as undoing that is a bit more of a wet job than I would like to do.
Beautiful car. Probably the only thing wrong with your headlights is corrosion on the plug contacts or corrosion on the ground. I know my 1968 Falcon has many lights that have no ground wire, but the light assembly itself grounds to the body. Your car may be similar.
I noticed right away in your first video that it didn't kick-down when you showed how it accelerated. Without kick-down it won't rev out and short-shift all the time relying completely on torque. I learned to drive (at 16) on a 8.2 litre '76 Sedan DeVille. They aren't fast, but certainly not slow if set up properly.
The automatic climate control could be an issue to fix. I had a 68 Caprice that had Comfortron A/C and it was very expensive to fix. They had to find parts on ebay and luckily the shop had an older tech who was familiar with this type of system.
Beautiful car with lots of fun to be had making adjustments and correcting items that seem to have been neglected over the years. I have a 67 Cadillac and have done much of what you are embarking on. I would offer one piece of advice: do not try to fix the climate control system. Your car is the first year Cadillac had a fully automatic climate control system. Even when they were new they were problematic. These systems do not improve with age. Do yourself a BIG favor and replace it with a system from Vintage Air. You can find them on the internet. It will provide efficient heat/air/ defrost and will be reliable. Much luck to you. Keep making videos of your progress.
Vintage Air does not make a sure fit system for Cadillacs. I would stick with the factory unit. When they fail to work it is usually due either to a leak, or to someone messing with adjustments who has no clue what they are doing. Both happened to my car. With Cadillac Tim's book, setting up the original system should be straightforward.
Regarding the HVAC system, cars from that era used vacuum operated actuators. The vacuum hoses and the bellows in the actuators all deteriorate over time making the system unable to change modes. Lack of heat could be due to the inability of the blend door to select air through the heater core, or the heater core could be plugged up so that heated engine coolant cannot get thru. There is also usually a vacuum operated actuator that controls fluid flow through the heater core, so the valve could be stuck or the actuator is failed and not able to open the valve. Does your car still have the air conditioner compressor? With a shop manual you will be able to figure out how it all is supposed to work and get it going again. It’s not surprising that a classic like this would take a lot of work but it’s sad that you’ll also have to undo the things that someone carelessly butchered. Everyone is different by my personal preference is to get back as close to original as practical.
Yes - I had one of these and all signs indicate someone took this car apart to paint it and did a poor job of reassembly, they left out a lot of details some of which you covered.. Also, just because theres a hole in the back package shelf for a 6" x 9" speaker doesnt mean it came with one, it was an option and most cars just had a dash speaker unless the rear speaker was ordered - there was no stereo radio options on cars back then so only one speaker in back with a front/rear dial on the radio that allows fading the rear and front speakers in and out.
Here is a hack for heat on the climate control, if you haven’t gotten it fixed by now: on the transducer (vertical cigar shaped by the power servo), remove the top vacuum hose and hook it directly onto the vacuum port for the power servo (also remove it’s hose first as well). This will cause the power servo to call for full heat for the climate control system. This will work for heat until you can get things working as designed.
He will go nuts trying to make that old Cadillac perfect. Has no Air Conditioning. Nothing that can’t be fixed by spending a lot of time and money. Hope he didn’t pay a lot for the car.
The problem with the headlights I believe is somewhat common with old American cars. My mother had her old corvette completely restored and the headlights will flicker on and off, especially with bumps. I’ve been told by the mechanic you sort of have to live with it as I’m the one who mostly drives it 😅
Go to an edelbrock carb.. basically a carter carb. Put petronix on your distributer.. make sure edelbrock is the correct size for the 429.. probably a 1406. Window can be adjusted after you take the door panel off .. What you need for the kick down on transmission the rod is Called a TV rod
If cars only could talk... So they could tell us about their past. A lot of tasks. Are parts easily obtainable in the US? I wish you lots of success with all these tasks!
Thanks! Parts are available (Cadillac built over 160k cars of the 1964 model), but shipping will add up. I will try to combine as many parts as possible in single orders to save a bit in that regard.
My dad had a 1965 Sedan de Ville. I was with him when he bought it second hand. Your altitude may make a difference in how the car runs. Carburetors have more trouble adjusting, carburetor may need to be re-jettet. Are you using a full synthetic oil? Synthetic oil performs better than regular petroleum based oils in cold temps. The Germans invented synthetic oil during WW2 when their petroleum facilities were being bombed by the allies, to run in their German tanks. Amzoil, which first appeared in 1972 is a very high quality synthetic oil. I first started using it in 1976. Your car is absolutely beautiful! Your car is from an era when american cars were "rolling art showcases" in my mind from about 1955-1972. You Swiss are experts on clocks/watches, that should be an easier fix for you. Enjoyed your Vlog!!
. . . interesting looking clock. It's weird how like the chrome items in the interior are like the same as from the cars before and up into like the 1980's . . .."tough-teen" buttons . . . interesting. . . .
Agree, it appears to be a 750CFM (haven't looked for rhe exact model number yet) and thus quite a bit oversized for that engine that stock uses a ~500CFM carb.
A lot of issues to tackle, but none of them individually is a really big undertaking (except for the automatic climate control). The electric antenna on these cars was controlled by a switch integrated into the original radio. The power/volume knob (closer to the driver) could be pressed in (toward the dashboard) to raise the antenna, and pulled out (away from the dashboard) to lower it. Since this car has an aftermarket radio, that functionality may have been lost. Look for the wires under the dash, near the radio. You should be able to test the antenna motor with them. Adding a discreet three-position, momentary toggle switch low or under the dash might be the answer here.
The ‘64 had a new engine (429), changes in the transmission, plus the troublesome auto climate control that would create problems with the electrical system. My ‘64 needed to be jumped if I was driving with the a/c on and I had shut the engine off, and constant slipping of the transmission. Yes, you have a lot of problems on your CDV.
It looks good, but once you get the carburator replaced it should get over the mountain pass just fine. Took a trip with my parents as a teenager across country in 1971 in a 69 Buick Electra with a 430 engine and it went over the Colorado mountain passes just fine
Hello Mario! Isn’t it difficult to source parts for this car in 2022? Are there any parts manufactured? Are there many second hand ones ? Thanks in advance
Comsumables are still made new (even by AC Delco, which is the OEM for much of the stuff) and some parts are interchangeable for a wide variety of GM models. There are also plenty of NOS and used parts floating around. I have to buy everything in America, but the cost for parts is generally lower and availability is better then for comparable European cars from the era.
And I forgot to remind you about the battery switch..u r going to need, for the car itself and for your safety, any one with a screw driver can start it🤣🤣🤣🤣
Car theft isn't really a big issue on Switzerland. And this is the last car anybody would want to steal. A regular battery switch will however be put in as I want to avoid the battery draining or the car developing electrical fires while parked for longer periods.
Most issues are easy to fix. But yes, they are many. I would go for a vacuum secondary aftermarket Carb in that case, with electric Bimetal Choke… IF originality is not so important. The powerwindows have a upper Stop which can be adjusted in most cases. Maybe your car had only one speaker in the rear from Factory. Many american cars up to the mid 70s had a electric blower to defog the rear window, sucking air trough a „faux“ speaker grille. I usually sacrified them for stereo sound and put the original stuff in my basement. 😉 As you can see on my Channel, i also tried to clean the white interior of my Oldsmobile. The stains on the Headliners are often caused by glue that „make its way“ trough the vinyl over time. Moisture and UV light do their job too, yellowing white vinyl and plastic.
Thanks for the inputs. The Caddy only has one speaker in the back, but that one is not there. Stereo wasn't really a thing in cars in 1964. And my car was not specified with a window defogger. All in due time. First, I need to assess the situation behind the dash and spend money on parts. 💸💸💸
Well, you have to prioritize, andI wouldn't worry about any of that stuff you mention. As an Amaerrinen I would follow the following course of action: a) get a big hat with a large feather b) get a long fur coat ( imitation is fine) c) install horns on the front hood (a la boss hog - you may have to Google it) d) I could go on... Just kidding! Absolutely love the car and the channel! Keep making videos! Your channel is great!
Interesting "project". I hope the amount of work will not overwhelm or frustrate you going forward. Personally, I think you are underestimating (by far) when you say CHF 4000 to get most things done, as I suspect you are going to need more work done by Swiss mechanics or specialists, and their hourly rate is ridiculous. I will be watching your next videos with much interest, and wish you much success! 👍🏻
"How hard can it be?" 😅 I have the relevant literature and a good understanding of how the system works. I should be able to do everything except filling the system myself. As long as I get the parts, and the stuff I have left still works, I should be able to pull it off. Or I might set the car on fire at some point because of insurmountable frustration. 🤷🏻♂️
One more question, with all due respect, was it worth buying a car that needs so much work? I’m asking because I believe it could be quite difficult finding mechanics who can work well on caburetted motors and old mechanical stuff in general.
Sure, it may not be common tech anymore but it's comparatively simple. It's also just a single four barrel and therefore doesn't need the art of synchronizing like the multi-carb setups on some old European V8s.
Again, someone had this car apart to paint it and did not finish the reassembly, lots of parts left out - looks like youre also missing the round duct work that runs up to the dash vents, control cables are also likely not reconnected, really poor job of reassembly what a shame.
very cool car, COMFORT CONTROL, VERY RARE OPTION FOR A DEVILLE, PPL USSUALLY ORDERED IF THEY GOT THE ELDORADO, , OR FLEETWOOD SIXTY SPECIAL, ONE REASON, NO HEAT, BECAUSE HEATING / COOLING ARE INSTALLED IN ONE UNIT WITH CC, BUT WAS SEPARATE UNIT CONTROLS WITH AIR/ AND HEATING, YOU PROB ALREADY KNEW THIS THO, LOL.
Owning a '64 myself, I wrote twice some suggestions, but my comments are immediately deleted for whatever reason. Is there some automatic RUclips Artificial Dumbelligence judging the content of these comments?
@@swisscarguy I recommend checking the wires that go from door to body, inside the rubber grommet. they tend to crack and wear and may cause anything from misfunctionality to an electric short and fire
@@swisscarguy GM has heritage pages where you can find a 420 page data book and a few years ago you could get a build sheet for your car. I can not write more specifically because RUclips auto-deletes it
I don't get it why anyone would buy such a car. It looks cool but does it have anything else going for it? I guess not. Will be a problem to maintain. If you fully modernize it , I think it will make for a quite unique project car, but I can imagine it will be damn expensive. I mean new engine, driving train, etc etc. In the end of the day it should make sense for owner, so fine.
I like it too, it screams rock and roll and Elvis. Hard to maintain in Europe, not practical, astronomical consumption, crap handling and performance but oh so cool and, looking at the way the holy grail 59s prices have gone, other years should be affected, so also a solid investment.
About 20 years back I considered buying a running 63 Cadillac. The kid who owned it wanted $2000. My wife pointed out that I wasn't a mechanic, so I passed. Still, I do dream about the car. It's a rolling work of art.
They get such awful fuel mileage and the price of gas there is expensive not sure why so many want them in Europe . Germany pepole are buying up a lot of our muscle cars.
I will agree, the original carburators for these have issues and are not the easiest to repair. I'm currently dealing with one right now as we speak lol... probably going to put a street avenger series on it, But I will say for such a big car, knowing they under rated the power of this engine do to insurance and regulation. it is remarkably efficient on fuel with a functioning original carburator. Depending on how heavy your foot is on that pedle lol.
Anything you guys noticed? And I don't mean the dent in the rear bumper.
Yes your panerai, that cars in those days have to look good, so many of them on a closet look had even paint problems aliment and other issues.
Incorrect dash pad. But I like it!
Your headlights might have a relay which is weak or you need a new headlight switch .
Anything can be fixed . There are dedicated online services for Cadillac or try ebay , if not there are forums that can help .
many more things wrong with it. you mentioned the pitting on the chrome esp interior trim. another possible cause for this (aside from water exposure) is extreme humidity or storage with poor ventilation. I'm leaning toward the latter esp if the Cadillac spent time on the east coast of the US. That is fixable and you want to get the rear window looked at esp around the seal/sealant inside the ext trim around the window.
On the headlights, check th connectors and the grounds. The headlight harness grounds to the front bottom of the radiator support, on both ends.
Everything that is wrong with my 1964 Cadillac Coupe De Ville - well, well. There's a new way to show off.
outstanding video,i really like the way the presenter talks he seems very informative,im glad i subscribed
I have so much to say about this car. I have always loved landyachts, but the 1964 Cadillac Coupe DeVille is my all-time favorite. It is stunningly beautiful, especially with the horizontally aligned headlights. There's a famous French movie (le Corniaud) featuring the exact same model (except in white) and this is how I came across this model. I really like it when someone buys an old cool car with missing features and restores it to the fullest, kudos for the A/C repair. I love the paintjob too, the color fits it perfectly. It looks mint.
It still has quite a lot of minor issues, I hope they will be allright to fix. Even if you plan to do most yourself, I think bringing it to a specialist could be very useful in case he knows how to fix this or that in an efficient manner you didn't think of, where to source parts from and to be aware of known troubles with these.
A Louis de Funès movie I haven't seen *and* that prominently features a '64 Cadillac! I must see it!
This was the first year for the automatic climate control. One issue which was addressed in 65 . There is a temperature sensor I believe outside the car under the front wheel well . The air conditioner also has another temperature sensor built into the padded bash board directly center to the steering wheel The two sensors are connected in order to determine if the air con should switch on or heat in order to maintain the desired cabin temperature. The outside temperature sensor always corroded due to road salt and debris Im sure that will need replacing.
Very common for flippers to buy a pretty nice old car and then do the paint and bodywork. Perhaps do just enough mechanical work to get it running halfway. However, all the dozens of details that require more thought and time? They get left alone and not working. Things like what you mentioned and then also usually the heat and AC are beyond the skills of most shade tree mechanics. I also believe that 64 was the first year for climate control and it is a little more complex than later years. Good luck with the car
The seat controls work like this. The middle button push forward and backward obviously for moving the seat back and forth. Moving the middle button in or out moves the whole seat up and down by running the height motors front and back in unison. The front tilt button moves only the front height motor up and down. The rear tilt button moves only the rear height motor up and down.
My dad bought one with 5K miles on it but a Sedan De V (4 door sedan has much shorter doors which are nice in tight parking lot) in early '65. Was a GM executive vehicle with ALL the bells and whistles. Traded in a'56 for it. Mom, dad and I went to pick it up. From the back seat looking at the instrument panel (just like yours except radio - only thing missing no tape or stereo) it looked like a space ship to me compared to '56. I was in awestruck. There was a light misty rain on the way home and while we were moving along the road I reached over the back seat, popped the glove box open and asked what the chrome button in upper left (where you have the big hole). Saw the car dealer push it so I gave it a push too. There was a muffled clunk and the trunk lid opened. It had some kind of hydraulic closure on it that drew the lid down tight with a couple of clunks (but required a manual close). Stowed a motorbike in there one summer only needed to remove the handle bar. Although an odd location for wheel to left of AC control it was for setting cruise control. If I remember correctly if you study the numbers on that dial they don't make sense for AC. Was at least 2 different types of cruise control, maybe 3. The typical type and a resistant gas pedal that firmed up when you reached speed indicated on that dial. Ya practically had to stand on the pedal to use if needed to go faster. Car would auto dim high beams as cars approached while night driving and put highs back on after passing. Was control on top of dash in left corner for sensitivity of on coming lights. Sensor in very end of left fender above headlights. Give me a Reply as I would enjoy and can probably answer most curious questions. BTW Didn't notice but we had small ding in rear bumper too but our car was a very light tan with Landau top but rear window bottom was all the way down to rear deck.
There is a company in the United States called at Vintage Air that makes air condition for almost any car and heaters and they could replace that with the Vintage Air system that fits right in there you wouldn't even notice the difference that it wasn't Factory and it fits right in there and you'll have heater and air condition you might check with them Vintage Air
I feel your pain brother. I hope you didn't pay a lot of money for that Caddy. All the signs of a low budget amateur restoration, probably a "flip". This is exactly why I sold my 1962 sedan de ville which had all the same issues your car has. Obvious poor prep work before painting, body fill over trim fastener holes, poor body panel alignment, etc. Where to begin? They didn't even bother to replace the rubber seals and weather strip after removing the glass, which is why there is obvious water damage to your headliner around the rear glass above the package shelf on the driver's side. The door glass doesn't work properly because of misalignment of the window tracks, which can be a pain to get right, and I can only imagine the horror that lurks behind the dash. Be aware that all of the HVAC and automatic door locks are vacuum operated, so the miles of vacuum hose behind the dash and routed through the front doors need to be inspected if not replaced. The electric seat adjustment motor located under the front seat can be taken apart cleaned and regreased. Also, the contacts in the electric switches in the door panels can be cleaned and serviced. You also want to find out what specific carburetor came on your 429 and replace it. > Carbs: The original Carter AFB and Rochester 4GC carbs that came with the Hydramatic equipped cars, will not have the mounting block for the THM trans kickdown switch, so you will need a carb from a THM equipped car. Yours looks to be a THM by the PRNDL. Check your engine for blowby by removing the breather cap/oil fill cap while engine is running, look for excessive oil smoke coming from oil fill tube, and inspect the metal media inside the breather cap for oil saturation. Your headlight problem could be an issue with the dimmer switch or in the turn signal switch. I'm not trying to tear down your car as much as warn you that it appears that whoever tried to restore/flip this piece of history didn't give it any respect. These classic luxury cars were highly advanced technologically for their time and require a great attention to detail and cost when getting it right.
This guy knows what he's talking about obviously he knows a lot about Cadillacs I used to have a 71 Sedan DeVille I know the problem with the air condition mine was not working either but I ended up selling it before replacing the Air ac this was back in 1981 long time ago
Excellent coverage and I very much appreciate the information verifications. I love your professional presentation. I’m a fan because I love your voice and great sense of humor.
It's sad yours has been repaired so poorly.
I had one i bought from my elderly neighbor.
Just a joy even at 120,00 miles.
Everything work perfectly and a brut of a engine.
Silky smooth ride.
Many a wild rides in that one with party friends.
A lot of work ahead of you Mario. You can prevent Cadillac Coupe De Ville future fatigue by cooking more!
The '64 Caddy is one of my favorites! I hope you get it all sorted without throwing too much money at it. In another generation, fewer people will be able to afford/justify the expense of having an old classic car to take care of. As for me, I get my fix at car shows, through magazines like Collectible Automobile and going to museums and auction previews and, of course, online sources. Thanks for sharing.
I'm not mechanically inclined but I owned a 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham in 1977. I suspect there may be some similarities between the two cars and now I come to the point which is about the air conditioning. As my car was relatively new the a/c was working fine except at one point the heater stopped working. This was during winter (in New York) and what it did, when set automatic and hot, it blew cold air. Took it to the dealer and it turned out that the a/c had its own radiator which provided the heat and in my case the a/c radiator had developed a leak and so no more heat. So you might want to check whether the a/c in your car needs its own separate radiator. I loved my car at time and I love it even more now even though I sold it many years ago. They really don't make them like they used to. And I now drive an Ls600hl! Nearest to the old Cadillac but a long way from it. Hope you really enjoy the Caddie.
Thanks for thr input. Yes, a leaking or clogged radiator is also a possibilty. I know the A/C evaporator is separate and I will buy a new one of thqt regardless of whether mine is still present as it's not expensive and most likely not in great shape anyway. I hope I can use the original heater though as undoing that is a bit more of a wet job than I would like to do.
Join the 63/64 Cadillac group if you havent already.
Beautiful car. Probably the only thing wrong with your headlights is corrosion on the plug contacts or corrosion on the ground. I know my 1968 Falcon has many lights that have no ground wire, but the light assembly itself grounds to the body. Your car may be similar.
I noticed right away in your first video that it didn't kick-down when you showed how it accelerated. Without kick-down it won't rev out and short-shift all the time relying completely on torque. I learned to drive (at 16) on a 8.2 litre '76 Sedan DeVille. They aren't fast, but certainly not slow if set up properly.
Good luck on the endeavor to bring the car into its original condition. From the video it already looks mega cool, the color is awesome! Cheers.
Following for more videos , as i too have a 64 with some of the same issues. Hope to see videos of how you fix the issues.
Me too!
The automatic climate control could be an issue to fix. I had a 68 Caprice that had Comfortron A/C and it was very expensive to fix. They had to find parts on ebay and luckily the shop had an older tech who was familiar with this type of system.
Beautiful car with lots of fun to be had making adjustments and correcting items that seem to have been neglected over the years. I have a 67 Cadillac and have done much of what you are embarking on. I would offer one piece of advice: do not try to fix the climate control system. Your car is the first year Cadillac had a fully automatic climate control system. Even when they were new they were problematic. These systems do not improve with age. Do yourself a BIG favor and replace it with a system from Vintage Air. You can find them on the internet. It will provide efficient heat/air/ defrost and will be reliable. Much luck to you. Keep making videos of your progress.
Vintage Air that's the ticket
Vintage Air does not make a sure fit system for Cadillacs. I would stick with the factory unit. When they fail to work it is usually due either to a leak, or to someone messing with adjustments who has no clue what they are doing. Both happened to my car. With Cadillac Tim's book, setting up the original system should be straightforward.
Hey! good luck with your restoration. My Grandfather owned this car and it was awesome. I hope it works out!
Just as I hoped, a new baby Caddy for our man Mario to spoil and adore.
Wouldn’t it be easier to find another 64 Deville that has everything working? It would cost more, but you’d save time and frustration.
It's a project. Easy is not the goal here.
I had a '64 Cadillac and it ran great - mine was painted cream with red button tufted leather interior
Regarding the HVAC system, cars from that era used vacuum operated actuators. The vacuum hoses and the bellows in the actuators all deteriorate over time making the system unable to change modes. Lack of heat could be due to the inability of the blend door to select air through the heater core, or the heater core could be plugged up so that heated engine coolant cannot get thru. There is also usually a vacuum operated actuator that controls fluid flow through the heater core, so the valve could be stuck or the actuator is failed and not able to open the valve. Does your car still have the air conditioner compressor? With a shop manual you will be able to figure out how it all is supposed to work and get it going again. It’s not surprising that a classic like this would take a lot of work but it’s sad that you’ll also have to undo the things that someone carelessly butchered. Everyone is different by my personal preference is to get back as close to original as practical.
Most of the vacuum lines are actually missing. But at least the heater core is still good. No compressor and most of other good A/C stuff missing.
Yes - I had one of these and all signs indicate someone took this car apart to paint it and did a poor job of reassembly, they left out a lot of details some of which you covered.. Also, just because theres a hole in the back package shelf for a 6" x 9" speaker doesnt mean it came with one, it was an option and most cars just had a dash speaker unless the rear speaker was ordered - there was no stereo radio options on cars back then so only one speaker in back with a front/rear dial on the radio that allows fading the rear and front speakers in and out.
I don't think you're the kind of person who should be driving a used car....
Another thing there's some huge fans and mechanics in Denmark and Sweden
its a 60 year old car.don't complain about what wrong with it fix it or give it to me I'll fix it and not complain about it
Here is a hack for heat on the climate control, if you haven’t gotten it fixed by now: on the transducer (vertical cigar shaped by the power servo), remove the top vacuum hose and hook it directly onto the vacuum port for the power servo (also remove it’s hose first as well). This will cause the power servo to call for full heat for the climate control system. This will work for heat until you can get things working as designed.
He will go nuts trying to make that old Cadillac perfect. Has no Air Conditioning. Nothing that can’t be fixed by spending a lot of time and money. Hope he didn’t pay a lot for the car.
The problem with the headlights I believe is somewhat common with old American cars. My mother had her old corvette completely restored and the headlights will flicker on and off, especially with bumps. I’ve been told by the mechanic you sort of have to live with it as I’m the one who mostly drives it 😅
Go to an edelbrock carb.. basically a carter carb.
Put petronix on your distributer.. make sure edelbrock is the correct size for the 429.. probably a 1406.
Window can be adjusted after you take the door panel off .. What you need for the kick down on transmission the rod is Called a TV rod
If cars only could talk... So they could tell us about their past. A lot of tasks. Are parts easily obtainable in the US? I wish you lots of success with all these tasks!
Thanks! Parts are available (Cadillac built over 160k cars of the 1964 model), but shipping will add up. I will try to combine as many parts as possible in single orders to save a bit in that regard.
Did you ever uave problems with the reverse lights on yours
My dad had a 1965 Sedan de Ville. I was with him when he bought it second hand. Your altitude may make a difference in how the car runs. Carburetors have more trouble adjusting, carburetor may need to be re-jettet. Are you using a full synthetic oil? Synthetic oil performs better than regular petroleum based oils in cold temps. The Germans invented synthetic oil during WW2 when their petroleum facilities were being bombed by the allies, to run in their German tanks. Amzoil, which first appeared in 1972 is a very high quality synthetic oil. I first started using it in 1976. Your car is absolutely beautiful! Your car is from an era when american cars were "rolling art showcases" in my mind from about 1955-1972. You Swiss are experts on clocks/watches, that should be an easier fix for you. Enjoyed your Vlog!!
. . . interesting looking clock. It's weird how like the chrome items in the interior are like the same as from the cars before and up into like the 1980's . . .."tough-teen" buttons . . . interesting. . . .
Those are all small fixes except the carb needs to replaced as soon as possible.
Agree, it appears to be a 750CFM (haven't looked for rhe exact model number yet) and thus quite a bit oversized for that engine that stock uses a ~500CFM carb.
A lot of issues to tackle, but none of them individually is a really big undertaking (except for the automatic climate control). The electric antenna on these cars was controlled by a switch integrated into the original radio. The power/volume knob (closer to the driver) could be pressed in (toward the dashboard) to raise the antenna, and pulled out (away from the dashboard) to lower it. Since this car has an aftermarket radio, that functionality may have been lost. Look for the wires under the dash, near the radio. You should be able to test the antenna motor with them. Adding a discreet three-position, momentary toggle switch low or under the dash might be the answer here.
The ‘64 had a new engine (429), changes in the transmission, plus the troublesome auto climate control that would create problems with the electrical system. My ‘64 needed to be jumped if I was driving with the a/c on and I had shut the engine off, and constant slipping of the transmission. Yes, you have a lot of problems on your CDV.
Caddyshack restorations offers that shift knob
It looks good, but once you get the carburator replaced it should get over the mountain pass just fine. Took a trip with my parents as a teenager across country in 1971 in a 69 Buick Electra with a 430 engine and it went over the Colorado mountain passes just fine
Hello Mario! Isn’t it difficult to source parts for this car in 2022? Are there any parts manufactured? Are there many second hand ones ? Thanks in advance
Comsumables are still made new (even by AC Delco, which is the OEM for much of the stuff) and some parts are interchangeable for a wide variety of GM models. There are also plenty of NOS and used parts floating around. I have to buy everything in America, but the cost for parts is generally lower and availability is better then for comparable European cars from the era.
And I forgot to remind you about the battery switch..u r going to need, for the car itself and for your safety, any one with a screw driver can start it🤣🤣🤣🤣
Car theft isn't really a big issue on Switzerland. And this is the last car anybody would want to steal. A regular battery switch will however be put in as I want to avoid the battery draining or the car developing electrical fires while parked for longer periods.
All he has to do is get a Year One catalog. That would solve most of his problems. These cars are heavily supported.
Most issues are easy to fix.
But yes, they are many.
I would go for a vacuum secondary aftermarket Carb in that case, with electric Bimetal Choke… IF originality is not so important.
The powerwindows have a upper Stop which can be adjusted in most cases.
Maybe your car had only one speaker in the rear from Factory.
Many american cars up to the mid 70s had a electric blower to defog the rear window, sucking air trough a „faux“ speaker grille.
I usually sacrified them for stereo sound and put the original stuff in my basement. 😉
As you can see on my Channel, i also tried to clean the white interior of my Oldsmobile. The stains on the Headliners are often caused by glue that „make its way“ trough the vinyl over time. Moisture and UV light do their job too, yellowing white vinyl and plastic.
Thanks for the inputs. The Caddy only has one speaker in the back, but that one is not there. Stereo wasn't really a thing in cars in 1964. And my car was not specified with a window defogger. All in due time. First, I need to assess the situation behind the dash and spend money on parts. 💸💸💸
Everything wrong with my car and a 27 minute video D:
Russ Austin of classic Cadillac parts also a great source
Any part can be repaired or replaced. The issue is time and money.
Well, you have to prioritize, andI wouldn't worry about any of that stuff you mention. As an Amaerrinen I would follow the following course of action:
a) get a big hat with a large feather
b) get a long fur coat ( imitation is fine)
c) install horns on the front hood (a la boss hog - you may have to Google it)
d) I could go on...
Just kidding! Absolutely love the car and the channel! Keep making videos! Your channel is great!
Interesting "project". I hope the amount of work will not overwhelm or frustrate you going forward. Personally, I think you are underestimating (by far) when you say CHF 4000 to get most things done, as I suspect you are going to need more work done by Swiss mechanics or specialists, and their hourly rate is ridiculous. I will be watching your next videos with much interest, and wish you much success! 👍🏻
"How hard can it be?" 😅 I have the relevant literature and a good understanding of how the system works. I should be able to do everything except filling the system myself. As long as I get the parts, and the stuff I have left still works, I should be able to pull it off. Or I might set the car on fire at some point because of insurmountable frustration. 🤷🏻♂️
what's your opinion on genesis g70/g80?
The look nice but I never driven one. But Hyundai/KIA have been doing pretty decent cars lately, so I expect them to be good as well.
One more question, with all due respect, was it worth buying a car that needs so much work? I’m asking because I believe it could be quite difficult finding mechanics who can work well on caburetted motors and old mechanical stuff in general.
Especially in Europe, on an old American car
Sure, it may not be common tech anymore but it's comparatively simple. It's also just a single four barrel and therefore doesn't need the art of synchronizing like the multi-carb setups on some old European V8s.
@@swisscarguy thanks for the reply, all the best to you
My husband is 66, and he would love to volunteer to help you. His sister lives in Lausanne and we would love to visit 🥰
Yes, it looks like another $5000 to $10,000 to bring this baby back to a nice #2 car.
Good luck . I just went completely thru the entire ac system of a 1963 caddy not fun
Will you have to sell your apartment once you start to put a bit of mileage on it?
I wish I owned an apartment.
Again, someone had this car apart to paint it and did not finish the reassembly, lots of parts left out - looks like youre also missing the round duct work that runs up to the dash vents, control cables are also likely not reconnected, really poor job of reassembly what a shame.
It's an old car
Absolutely beautiful 😍
It all depends how much you paid for it !!!!!!
CHF 28'200.-
Yep, almost every problem he's facing someone in the club has solved it. Joining a club for marquee is important
Trotz alledem ein sehr höpsches Auto. Ihre Einstellung, dem Auto gegenüber, gefällt mir.
very cool car, COMFORT CONTROL, VERY RARE OPTION FOR A DEVILLE, PPL USSUALLY ORDERED IF THEY GOT THE ELDORADO, , OR FLEETWOOD SIXTY SPECIAL, ONE REASON, NO HEAT, BECAUSE HEATING / COOLING ARE INSTALLED IN ONE UNIT WITH CC, BUT WAS SEPARATE UNIT CONTROLS WITH AIR/ AND HEATING, YOU PROB ALREADY KNEW THIS THO, LOL.
Owning a '64 myself, I wrote twice some suggestions, but my comments are immediately deleted for whatever reason. Is there some automatic RUclips Artificial Dumbelligence judging the content of these comments?
Not from my part. I appreciate all the suggestions.
@@swisscarguy I recommend checking the wires that go from door to body, inside the rubber grommet. they tend to crack and wear and may cause anything from misfunctionality to an electric short and fire
@@swisscarguy GM has heritage pages where you can find a 420 page data book and a few years ago you could get a build sheet for your car. I can not write more specifically because RUclips auto-deletes it
Cooles Auto , ich mache gerade das gleiche , klima neuer kabelbaum an meinem 65 coupe de ville
Love that car. thank you
What a hooptie 😊🤭
I've stopped Hoovies Garage video to see it
Nice car though ☺
If you don't like it I'll buy it
3d print 👏👏👏👏!!!!!!
You pepole over there keep buying up all our classics here in the USA we have like nothing left 👎 its very irritating I must say .
A Crack in your windshield .
Fix what's wrong and move on
Sorry these cars are never perfect , if you want everything perfect buy a new Cadillac.
I don't get it why anyone would buy such a car. It looks cool but does it have anything else going for it? I guess not. Will be a problem to maintain. If you fully modernize it , I think it will make for a quite unique project car, but I can imagine it will be damn expensive. I mean new engine, driving train, etc etc.
In the end of the day it should make sense for owner, so fine.
Because you cannot buy a car like this new. It's a very different driving experience from modern cars. And I like it.
@@swisscarguy what specifically do you like about the driving experience?
I like it too, it screams rock and roll and Elvis. Hard to maintain in Europe, not practical, astronomical consumption, crap handling and performance but oh so cool and, looking at the way the holy grail 59s prices have gone, other years should be affected, so also a solid investment.
About 20 years back I considered buying a running 63 Cadillac. The kid who owned it wanted $2000. My wife pointed out that I wasn't a mechanic, so I passed. Still, I do dream about the car. It's a rolling work of art.
Because its swag.
They get such awful fuel mileage and the price of gas there is expensive not sure why so many want them in Europe . Germany pepole are buying up a lot of our muscle cars.
Swag
Only problem is you mate
I will agree, the original carburators for these have issues and are not the easiest to repair. I'm currently dealing with one right now as we speak lol... probably going to put a street avenger series on it, But I will say for such a big car, knowing they under rated the power of this engine do to insurance and regulation. it is remarkably efficient on fuel with a functioning original carburator. Depending on how heavy your foot is on that pedle lol.
There is something wrong with you
Way more than something.