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Well, you guys saw it coming. Christmas came early in the Ultramatic household this year. I went and got "another one".

Last Sunday I picked up this 53 Clipper Deluxe for only $2,000, from Steve Kelley in Dalton, NY. This car was at the 4th of July parade at the big Warren meet in '99, registration number 793. Here is a video expressing my thoughts on the car when I picked it up:


I test drove the car and we got it loaded up in a brisk half hour in total. The ride home was a little "interesting" as it started snowing on the way back, around 3pm, despite the previous day's forecast showing a low only around freezing and a 35% chance of precipitation. Fortunately, they didn't start salting the roads until we were very nearly out of it, and the car washed off without issue once back at the shop.



Here is the equipment list:
- Ultramatic
- Oil filter
- Push button radio
- Manual antenna
- Reverse lights
- Power brake (added later)

Here are my thoughts so far, after getting it home and looking it over.

Mechanical
The mechanical condition seems to be very good. This car was owned c. 2000 to 2016 by Nelson and Suzanne Seeley of Rochester NY. During that time they were able to purchase a recently restored car from the South which had sustained severe body damage, and swapped the engine and transmission from that car. The engine starts instantly even in 30-degree weather; likewise the transmission behaved perfectly well. The DD engage speed seemed a little high at 26-28 MPH, but not exactly a problem. (Normal speed is 15-18 MPH for all first generation Ultramatics.)

No unusual driveline noise noted, though once in the garage I noticed some suspension creaks. Probably control arm, maybe sway bar. I'll check it out some other time.

Brakes stick/pull a bit and need adjusted. The BTV system, added by the Seeleys, does not appear to have any real vacuum assist, though strangely I can hear the engine tone change as I press the pedal, meaning that the vacuum check valve should be working. I think I will have to go through the unit. I would almost rather just convert it back to manual brakes.

Electrical
There are not many obvious issues with the electrical system. The reverse light switch appears to need some adjustment, maybe a bulb burnt out as well. The radio doesn't work and hasn't in recent memory. The rear reading light switch doesn't work (very common). Turn signals also not working. Instrument cluster seems fine except the clock doesn't work. On the upside, the charging system works and the battery is relatively new.

Exterior
The exterior is generally in good condition; the car was painted by a dealer in the DC area before George Wallace bought it c. '93. (Before that it was apparently owned by two sisters.) This is also where it got the red roof, as it was all black from the factory. Unfortunately, Steve did not have a garage for the car, so it incurred a bit of damage in that regard. The most notable being that a tree branch fell and damaged the left chrome spear, denting the body a bit as well. I think the sheet metal can be corrected with a jack and block of wood. Might slap some aluminum tape on the spear or something. It would also not be terrible to get a fresh one rechromed since it's just the one piece.

Another major issue is the deck lid paint is cracking like crazy. Fortunately it's just that area; the roof, sides, and front clip need only a decent polish. I am thinking about sanding it down then using some spray paint to patch the paint. Fortunately it's just black, so...

While washing it off I checked the doors and all 4 doors leak like crazy. What's weirder is that only 3 have original weatherstrip. Obviously these will need a full weatherstrip job done. Fortunately, I know a guy. The windshields were patched in the past with RTV silicone and seem watertight at this point.

Interior
The interior is a bit of a mixed bag. The Seeleys put a nice new headliner in. The rear carpet is original and in good shape, while most of the front floor mats are missing. (These cars had carpet in the rear but rubber in the front.) The seat fabric is original except the front seat back, however the seat bottoms both front and back are degrading from UV exposure. There are a few rust holes in the front floor, of unknown origin (nothing serious); I plan to patch them with JB Weld. The dash is in nice shape.

The Plan
All that being said, here's my to-do:
- Pull brake drums and inspect shoes/drums/cylinders, check hoses, repair BTV, change brake fluid.
- Spruce up interior.
- Patch exterior paint issues.
- Drive it!!!

Let me know what you guys think!

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Congrats on the purchase! Great price for a solid car.

My Panama had the same rust holes in the front floor pans. Just a few small ones here and there. So rather than cutting out and replacing the entire pan, I cut small patches and welded those in. But honestly if they are small then I don't see why JB Weld wouldn't work. It's not the "proper" fix but that's not really what this car is for.

For the cracking paint on the rear, I would honestly recommend sanding down the bad parts, and painting with actual paint and not a rattle can. It's black so it should be fairly easy to blend. This kind of repair is done all the time on modern cars with minor accidents. If you're going to go through the work of sanding down the bad paint, I think you'll be much happier if you paint it with automotive paint through a spray gun. Single stage non-metallic is easy to do. If the rest of the car is two-stage with a clear coat, that's also not that hard. And the equipment doesn't need to be top-notch to do it. Or just borrow a paint gun from a friend.

Sounds like I need to adjust my Ultramatic on my '54, after reading what you said. Mine goes into DD way later than yours....like 35mph plus on decent acceleration.

It looks like a nice car and I really enjoyed my own 1953 Clipper Deluxe. It was nimble and handled well making it a fun every-day car along with it attending many NorCal PAC meets. It felt totally different, noticeably lighter and zippier than my 1954 Patrician.

On the Treadlevac, the engine speed should not change when you press the pedal so be sure that the vacuum can is there in the left wheel well and that it’s properly plumbed. Otherwise the booster itself may need to be serviced.

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The more you accelerate, the higher it is. So to test, bump the speed up by a few MPH then lift your foot off the gas, and repeat until you hear the obvious lack of "flare" in the engine revs. That's your DD engagement point at low throttle. Or slow down to 10 MPH at the top of a steep hill, and coast down; note the engagement speed.

Maximum engagement speed (and speed past which kickdown should not work) is about 50 MPH.

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I'll check. I have extra cans off 55's.

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That may not be bad for "decent acceleration".
Try a test on a level road using the minimum acceleration you can achieve.

It looks way better than my '54 did when I dragged it home. I am sure your transmission works far better than mine does!

My mantra with brakes is to treat them like your worst enemy, and last worked on them.

If it still has its original metal brake lines, then they are probably ready for a replacement. They can look great on the outside, but could be riddled with rust damage on the inside. Also, hoses are inexpensive; replace them all. It's cheap insurance.

My '54 doesn't have power brakes, but it stops when I need it to.

Also, my car had a groan from the front every time I hit a bump, or when I pushed up and down on the front bumper. I had tire kickers tell me it was bad kingpins, shocks, fender rub, etc. It turned out to be the replacement swaybar bushings I had installed before I got the car driveable again. They just needed a little lube, and it was cured.

With all these S8 engines, if you happen to have the front clip off, check, clean, and inspect the water distribution tube. Mine had the last 4" clogged with rust.

Luckily, your '53 is pretty identical to my '54, so you have a nearly 20-year blog to sift through for information if you want it.

Anyone know what this part is?

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That looks like the steering column seal to the firewall. Should be a rubber piece on the cabin side, with a jute layer up against the firewall. Mine wasn't in the best condition but serviceable.

What you show might be on the engine bay side. Mine is missing. Here's the inside seal.

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Thanks Kevins. I'll check this stuff. From the earlier images it looked like the brake lines are new cupronickel type.

In further news:
The package shelf had some water damage from water getting in the rear window, however when washing the car I didn't note any water getting in that area. It was also bleached white from the sun, but had been replaced in the past with dyed cardboard instead of being the original painted type, explaining the fading.

To fix this, instead of installing some more cardboard 🥱, I got some snow-white carpet from the local carpet store (Robert's Carpeting Inc.), and cut it to shape with a carpet knife. To cut the holes for the snaps, I simply folded the carpet in on itself aligned with the hole, and made a cut with a pair of diagonal cutters, then did the same with the fold rotated 90 degrees, so that each is a cross shape, then by pushing the carpet fibers slightly out of the way, the snaps are easily installed.

The rear seat had a decent amount of fading and UV damage; the seat bottom fabric was very fragile in places. Coincidentally, I just so happened to have a very nice 1953 Clipper Deluxe Trim Code 54 rear seat set in my basement, so I swapped it in.

Check out the before and after:







I am also planning on installing some nicer carpet. The "hogshair" carpet isn't really my thing. This is the original carpet:




Check out these preview photos of the new carpet:

Making great progress already! You'll have this ready to roll in two weeks or less at this rate, and then you'll only have to sit on your hands for another, oh, six months, before you can actually drive it out on the road!