Good news! Just loose transmission bolts. It was serviced at another shop in December and I'm guessing they failed in this aspect of the service.
The current shop (Cathedral Service Center in Franklin Square, N.Y.) drove it around a bit and said it runs well. They advised me to pick it up and enjoy it - which I'll do later today. I'm hoping when I return to the area again in a few months to start addressing some of the cosmetic issues when the weather becomes more favorable.
Confirmed! Running well! Good drive and back in the garage. Barring another puddle, onward to some cosmetic improvements next time.
J.A. Ackley said:
On its way to the shop. This guy knows how to tow.
He probably double checked the sticker on his door jamb before loading that behemoth on there.
It's certainly convertible weather. Let's open the garage door and take a cursory look.
Rut-roh. It appears tranny fluid is on the ground. Ugh. We had the fluids flushed six months ago, and the tranny has leaked ever since. It seems to be a slow leak - so maybe gaskets?
In reply to J.A. Ackley :
Don't get me wrong, I love seeing more Caddy content, but finding a new leak isn't what I had in mind.
This is what the ATF looks cold. I'll fire it up and get it warmed up in an hour or so and see where it actually winds up.
Ick. Leaks are bad...
In reply to Recon1342 :
Especially ones hard to diagnose. After running it for 15 minutes, the transmission warm, the fluid was within the stick parameters for full.
Then the car decided it was too high and let some out. Smart, these cars.
glueguy (Forum Supporter) said:Then the car decided it was too high and let some out. Smart, these cars.
I know, right? 
Smarter than me, at times, for sure 
Well, gave it a nice run with the top down today. Beautiful day for a convertible. No issues once running. My wife helped wash it and it's back in the garage. Time to get back to regularly schedule duties.
That car just looks so grand. Sometimes the good ole days are the good ole days. I know, emissions, gas mileage, safety, convenience. They were the good ole days. Get off my lawn.
In reply to glueguy (Forum Supporter) :
Thank you. It definitely turns heads. Yesterday, I heard/saw a bunch of people rushing out of the mechanic shop to view it. On the cutthroat neighborhood roads in N.Y., many people allow it to pass by while they duck behind a opening amidst parked cars. I feel it brings out the good in people, which is nice to see in these days when the can appear to be so dark.
Made a quick trip to New York for Thanksgiving to see my mom after a bout of Covid hit her hard. The weather didn't cooperate in taking out the Caddy this time - and I had a time crunch dealing with other things helping my parents - but I did make sure to say hello to the Caddy. Hoping the weather is better Christmas time (usually is) and we can get some things done.
Are the bumper filler pieces hard to find? I love seeing this one pop up!
crankwalk (Forum Supporter) said:Are the bumper filler pieces hard to find? I love seeing this one pop up!
I've found several aftermarket options for filler panel replacements. They're usually made of more durable fiberglass or heavy duty plastic. I haven't decided which path to go yet.
The filler panels on this Caddy were replaced in the 1990s with junkyard ones as the previous filler panels cracked. The logic was they fit better than anything aftermarket at the time. They held up for about 25 years, so I can't complain ... I guess.
There's a long list of things I'd like to get done. I'll share that soon. I'll admit it - I'm not sure where to start.
That thing is so sexy. Love to see them out being enjoyed.
J.A. Ackley said:There's a long list of things I'd like to get done. I'll share that soon. I'll admit it - I'm not sure where to start.
Start anywhere. Just do something. Then do the next thing. And the next. And eventually it's done, or at least better than it was. But if you want to prioritize: safety first, reliability second, cool third. But progress only happens when you do something: researching and purchasing parts counts as something just like actually working on the car.
- Sean
In reply to ShawneeCreek :
Good advice!
Here's my to-do list when I head back to New York in a couple of weeks (and I'm doing this from memory - subject to change when I get there).
Immediate Concerns
- NYS Inspection (safety only, since it's an antique)
- Oil change
- Check for evidence of mice (it's been a never-ending battle)
- Clean up overflowing transmission fluid (last time I'll trust Joe Mechanic)
- Run it for a bit and enjoy it
Other Concerns (in order of priority and ease of fixing)
- Wash it
- Thorough inspection
- Slightly bent wheel that cannot support hubcap
- Weatherstripping (or something in it) for driver's side window scratching the glass
- Convertible top de-laminating from its structure
- Body issue with right-side door (hole?)
- Valve cover gaskets suspect (fresh oil on them, periodic smoke)
- Filler panels - front and back
- Clean up bumper chrome - front and back
Whoever dreams of a white Christmas, stop. It's an overrated cliche. :-D However, snow didn't mean we couldn't do anything with the Caddy, though.
For the first time, I had a white Christmas on Long Island in New York. Unfortunately, that meant the Caddy stayed in the small garage, especially given the cold and copious amounts of salt used on the roads - see my CX-5 for reference.
So ... some of the items on my list got postponed to March: NYS inspection, oil change, clean up transmission fluid (more on that later) and run it for a bit and enjoy.
However, we still could do a few things, such as inspecting the car as it sat in the garage.
Yep, filler panels continue to decline. However, that's not a reliability issue, but more cosmetic. Let's put that toward the bottom.
Hard to see in this photo, but something is scratching the driver's side window when it rolls up and/or down. Will investigate next time, but not super high priority, either.
More filler panels missing. Likewise, not high on the list.
This wheel can't keep a hubcap on it. Photographed for reference and as a reminder to fix that. I like my car with the appropriate amount of bling when riding through my hood.
An inside the door jam filler panel that cracked. Door might need adjustment based on the scraped paint and slight difficulty in closing it.
The valve covers typically have fresh oil on them after running the car. Making a photographic note to fix that as well. Possibly new valve cover gaskets?
Here's an example of why an extra set of eyes is beneficial. My wife, Jess, spotted a wet area here. We believe it's coming from the wire clamp on the large radiator tube. Something to watch.
Since I'm considerate like that, I put mice repellent on a plate. The mice seemed to rip it up still. We added new repellent. The mice activity outside the car has decreased dramatically (they're not eating as much bait) after cleaning the garage and some cleaning of the basement. We got a lot more to clean in the basement, but if mice don't got anything to eat or any place to nest, they won't be back - and that's how we like it.
Jess was kind enough to get down low to check out the liquid situation. Yep. It's leaking fluid.
Well, lookie here. It seems to be leaking from the lower bolt. Interesting. This will need to be addressed.
So, what's our plan when we return next?
- NYS Inspection (safety only, since it's an antique)
- Fix leak
- Oil change
- Clean up garage
- Check (again) for evidence of mice
- Wash car
- Most importantly, run it for a bit and enjoy it
Oh, and maybe get a new sweater for Jess ... and a steak dinner.
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