1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Project: Full Screen Accurate Build

[DeLoreanDMC81]

I have some exciting news, well,... not all that exciting, it's a slow news day around here.

Meanwhile, back on Page 2 I did post a picture of the Midland radio I got. I happened to come across another one that was a little cleaner and a little nicer, so I bought it. But what makes it even better is that I found the correct microphone. (Told you it was slow news day)

Now as for whether these were actually in the original 1984 car, I have absolutely now idea. There aren't many photos of the interior that I have come across. Heck, I don't even know if the Midland radio was originally in the car. The car has been through so many changes and messed around with over the years, (due to people not taking care of it and restoration shops that don't know how to do the tiniest bit of research, but I digress,) it's hard to know with all these small details. But these pieces are in the car now and that's all I have to go off of.

Midland 77-859, with Correct Microphone:

What's in the Car Now:

I really had to brighten this picture up to see the details on the microphone

In this picture you can see where the arrow is pointing to the notch in the rear of the mic

Now just remember this, if any of you are having a hard time falling asleep, come back and read this post and it will put you right out. haha

 

[ZeroSum]

Cool!

 

[joberg]

Oh yes!!

 

[ventuoguy]

You should definitely have this in the car, it's the correct vintage, it's in the car now, and it just looks the part!!! GREAT Job!! Following this with so much interest and admiration!!

 

[Ambassadorz]

I have some exciting news, well,... not all that exciting, it's a slow news day around here.

Meanwhile, back on Page 2 I did post a picture of the Midland radio I got. I happened to come across another one that was a little cleaner and a little nicer, so I bought it. But what makes it even better is that I found the correct microphone. (Told you it was slow news day)

Now as for whether these were actually in the original 1984 car, I have absolutely now idea. There aren't many photos of the interior that I have come across. Heck, I don't even know if the Midland radio was originally in the car. The car has been through so many changes and messed around with over the years, (due to people not taking care of it and restoration shops that don't know how to do the tiniest bit of research, but I digress,) it's hard to know with all these small details. But these pieces are in the car now and that's all I have to go off of.

Midland 77-859, with Correct Microphone:

View attachment 1788163

View attachment 1788164

View attachment 1788165

What's in the Car Now:

I really had to brighten this picture up to see the details on the microphone

View attachment 1788166

View attachment 1788173

In this picture you can see where the arrow is pointing to the notch in the rear of the mic

View attachment 1788167

Now just remember this, if any of you are having a hard time falling asleep, come back and read this post and it will put you right out. haha

I love this thread. This ecto is looking incredible. I'm in the process of building a 59 Ecto as well (ECTO IL). Do you have any pics of the housing unit that holds your CB? I may need to fabricate but going to try my luck in finding one. Also, what is the name of the material you used for your black interior visors and inner roof?

 

[DeLoreanDMC81]

You should definitely have this in the car, it's the correct vintage, it's in the car now, and it just looks the part!!! GREAT Job!! Following this with so much interest and admiration!!

Don't you worry, it will definitely be in the car. Keep following along I've got some exciting stuff to share.

 

[DeLoreanDMC81]

I love this thread. This ecto is looking incredible. I'm in the process of building a 59 Ecto as well (ECTO IL). Do you have any pics of the housing unit that holds your CB? I may need to fabricate but going to try my luck in finding one. Also, what is the name of the material you used for your black interior visors and inner roof?

Which housing unit are you talking about? The headliner is just perforated material.

 

[DeLoreanDMC81]

Yes I know, I've been gone for a while, I've been busy with a million other things. I just wanted to update a few things. I did manage to get the switch brackets installed.

It's just so hard to match up how all the original ones were because when they did that garbage 2009 "restoration" they removed certain screen accurate pieces.

My installed switches, which sit above the left knee. Along with the accurate AMP Meter:

Here is the original single toggle switch that was in the original car, and still in the "restored" car, along with the original switch bracket, but with completely different toggle switches. And the original AMP Meter:

This shot is from the original unrestored car and you can see the original rusted switch bracket, AMP Meter and colored toggle switches:

Here are my newly installed switches that sit above the right knee. This one is a difficult one to match to the original because after the "restoration" these were removed in favor of a dumb CD player. And you only get 1 or 2 pictures of these particular switches:

Here are those original switches:

There you go, some additional progress had been made. It's just that with an old car like this, and the care I'm trying to take into it, things are just slow going. If I had endless money at my disposal this would have been done 5 years ago. lol

AND,... I've been able to track down a few additional super hard to find pieces. I'll share those later when I get more time.

 

[Lt Washburn]

How are you going to match the black under-dash?

 

[ID10T]

You should be able tofind those original style switches. With the screw terminals, they are robably much higher rated switches than the plastic-fantastic in there now (plus they look cooler chrome).

I can have a look around if you like.

 

[ID10T]

2 Position Toggle Switch with Screw Connector, 1 Flat Toggle

This two position toggle switch has a SPST switch with on/off positions.

www.roadprobrands.com

 

[DeLoreanDMC81]

How are you going to match the black under-dash?

That is super easy, I'm just going to spray paint it. The interior was originally brown, and everything you see inside the car was stained/painted black. And that's what I plan on doing.

 

[DeLoreanDMC81]

You should be able tofind those original style switches. With the screw terminals, they are robably much higher rated switches than the plastic-fantastic in there now (plus they look cooler chrome).

I can have a look around if you like.

I appreciate the help on looking for those chrome ones, but I am going to stick with the original looking ones that were in the car. What can I say, I'm OCD on the smallest of details.

 

[Lt Washburn]

The reference images looks like it has a vinyl/leather covering like part of your dash has; was it just painted?

 

[DeLoreanDMC81]

The reference images looks like it has a vinyl/leather covering like part of your dash has; was it just painted?

The under dash area is just painted metal. And that's what I plan on doing, just painting it black. Easy enough.

 

[ID10T]

I appreciate the help on looking for those chrome ones, but I am going to stick with the original looking ones that were in the car. What can I say, I'm OCD on the smallest of details.

I misunderstood. I thought the chrome ones were the originals.

Those colored plastic ones are much easier to find.

 

[DeLoreanDMC81]

I misunderstood. I thought the chrome ones were the originals.

Those colored plastic ones are much easier to find.

No worries. Unfortunately the chrome ones are not the original style ones to the car, it is the colored ones. With the few pictures that I have you can see that the switches were green and red, with a black one thrown in.

 

[DeLoreanDMC81]

A few years back, I was fortunate enough to purchase a couple of sets of blue domes from Code 3. Glad that I did because a month or two later they were completely obsolete. How's that for timing? -phew- And with any cost saving measure, Code 3 used a horrible plastic strip, glued to both dome pieces to keep the 2 halves together. The originals domes had a top and bottom metal strip, held on with 12 rivets.

Well as you all know I'm not one for inaccuracies, even in the smallest of places, even if you'll never see it. So I removed the junky plastic strip, had new metal ones made up, and riveted everything back together. While it was incredibly nerve wracking drilling through the plastic, installing new rivets, and praying nothing cracked or broke, everything worked out great.

I was even able to remove the inaccurate Code 3 side labels and install new, screen accurate, Code 3 Force 4 XL labels.

The left one has a brand new 100% accurate riveted strip. The right one has the original plastic strip the newer domes come with.

A new strip that I was buffing out to match the original look

A fresh set of Code 3 end cap stickers

 

[joberg]

Excellent research/work

 

[DeLoreanDMC81]

Excellent research/work

Thank you. It's an obsession, really. lol

Just wait until I post the few other accurate pieces I was able to find. Took me a long time to track down but it will be worth it. At least that's what I keep telling myself. haha