The horn relay is the small black box with 3 wires connected to it on the upper driver’s side of the ’49 firewall. They are inexpensive and easily obtained, as the same horn relay was used on 1934-52 Cadillacs and probably other GM cars as well. You can merely replace it and see if this corrects the problem. If you prefer testing it first, have an assistant press your horn button. Assuming the horn does not blow, connect a jumper wire from the center terminal of the relay to the left hand terminal; that is, the terminal closest to the center of the car. If the horn then blows, the problem may be with the relay.
newsletter
Monthly Archives: September 2010
ME AND MY COUPE DE VILLE RETIRE II
I’ve been enjoying driving the car on long drives around the Long Beach (Washington) Peninsula. That’s what I bought it for so long ago, and now that I’m retired I can take advantage of the sunny week-days and drive with little or no traffic here at sustained speeds and few stops. Lovely road car and lovely memories of riding in my grandmother’s ’49 on the exact same roads, past the same landmarks. I wish I could have shared photos of the interior of my car with Jim Jordan (see June ’10 Times) so that he could have restored his interior to its original look. I was fortunate to buy an untampered-with, one-owner car, which looks very much at home in its new garage (photo attached). Still looks timeless, modern, and elegant!
RUST BEHIND THE ROCKER PANEL MOLDING
Hi everyone. I know I am a new-comer and that there are many people who are very experienced about working and restoring ’49 cars. But I would like to give a little contribution even if, probably, many of you already know what I am talking about.
Taking apart my car I came to the lower chrome molding. I took it apart and then I took off the retainer metal strip. Really a lot of dirt and mud came out from the space between the retainer and the body and the retainer and the chrome. Probably this is a kind of mud trap which can be harmful for both chrome and body metal, especially if you drive your car all year round and in bad weather. Too bad I did not take a picture when there was all that mud around. Better, maybe, to periodically have a look at this spot once in a while as rust may be developing there. Hope this little tip can help someone.
FISHING FOR 49 CADIILACS
In my spare time, when I’m not twisting wrenches on my 6207 Club Coupe or another old automotive toy, I enjoy a day on the lake fishing for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. Such was the case in mid June when I was invited for a couple of days of fishing on Great East Lake which borders New Hampshire and Maine. We had a pleasant afternoon of fishing, then headed out for a light supper at Poor Peter’s Pub … a local watering hole with very good comfort food. Upon approaching the restaurant, I was surprised to see a white ’49 Club Coupe out front … in of all places, rural Maine. As you all know, other than at car shows, we seldom see another vintage Cad, so this was surprising to say the least.
Upon closer inspection, this was no ordinary ’49 Coupe. It had a rally style ram front bumper, bucket seats with racing type belts and a roll bar. Also, heavy duty steel wheels that looked sort of NASCAR and plaques front and rear with “Peking to Paris Rally”. Now my curiosity was peaking so I had to find the owner and chat with him about this car. I asked the waiter and he directed me to a group of 60-something gentlemen enjoying their dinner and beer. I proceeded to inquire about the car and of course, mentioned my involvement with the best Cadillac ever made. Long story short, this is a specially modified 6207 Coupe that will be running this rally in the Fall of 2010. When you access the website (below) for the Team and the Rally, you will see the many exotic countries they will be navigating … including Mongolia and Iran! This famous event, first run in 1907, requires the car to run the original motor and brakes, along with certain other OEM parts, but does allow some latitude on other systems.
I will be following their progress on this incredible adventure and hope many of you will do so as well. I’m so glad they chose our favorite Cadillac to challenge the Asian and European countryside and elements.
Peking to Paris in a ’49 http://cschwager.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/the-preparation/
POWER WINDOW SWITCHES AGAIN
This is what I do to repair the Hydro Electric Window Switches when they start to act up. A lot of time, the nylon rod breaks from age and use. This makes the switches sloppy and prone to poor contact. This angers the driver when the windows sometimes fail to go up, or sometimes fail to go down. Removing the switch for the car is not terribly difficult – just be sure to mark the wires so you know where they go. If the wiring is original, be careful about handling it or you may have to use shrink wrap insulation if the cloth insulation comes off.
The pictures show the refurbishment of a 1953 Cadillac 4-gang switch, but the 1949 switch is the same as in all functional respects; only the chrome is a little different. Picture A shows a 4-gang switch disassembled. The orange wire or rod is weed wacker line, .095” in diameter. I have also used the tip off a broken fly rod instead, but finding broken fly rods is not easy!
PICTURE A
The most difficult part of disassembly is getting the spring clip/lock off (Picture A, top left) without damaging it or the housing. But if one is patient, one can get the two spring clips out of their holes and slide it off. Then everything just falls apart.
Picture B shows the toggles from two different perspectives, one with a nylon rod through it and three oriented to show the holes in the toggles for the nylon rod. It goes through all 4 toggles and holds them in place and ensures good contact on the spring surfaces. Both ends of the original nylon rod are tapered, but the weed wacker line will fit fine without the taper. If you have trouble threading it in, you could taper one end of the replacement line (rod) with a little sandpaper. These toggles are original to a 1949 Cadillac.
PICTURE B PICTURE C
Picture C shows the base unit with one toggle installed and the orange nylon line partially installed. It takes a little patience to install the line, but really it is not that bad of a job. Red wine is a great shop assistant!
While you have the switch assembly apart, now is a good time to clean and polish things. Take time to clean up the housing. Also, take the springs out and polish them for better electrical contact. I generally clean them up just in case. A dab of dielectric grease might be used to maintain good electrical contact and avoid corrosion down the road.
When you get the toggles installed and the rod threaded the spring clip fits over the hole where the rod goes through. The clips hold the rod in place. Once done the switch toggles will be nice and tight and work a lot better.
A WEDDING WITH A 1949 CADILLAC
On Friday, May 28th, my friends Christian Stiewe and Samira Farouqi got married, with my ’49 convertible and me an important part of the festivities. Christian and Samira live in Cologne, about 60 miles from my home. The area is heavily populated, and there are traffic jams every morning and afternoon in and around the city. To avoid getting stuck, I decided to travel to Cologne Thursday evening and spend the night at another friend’s home in the same neighborhood.
I was busy at work that day and got home late, but it wasn’t too bad because when I finally started, the traffic jams had disappeared. But soon after entering the highway, raindrops were falling. When I started the wipers, one of the blades flew away! With a bad feeling, I continued my journey (no chance to stop and look for the missing part). The rain stopped soon, and when I arrived at my friend’s home, I found a pair of new wiper blades in the trunk. Phew, you can imagine my relief.
The night brought rain again, but the sky cleared up very slowly in the morning. After breakfast I drove to Christian’s home to pick up some glasses for the champagne to be served after the wedding ceremony. Next, I had to drive to the town center to get flowers for the car and pick up Samira from the hair dresser. The traffic was very heavy, and road work didn’t make it easier. Finally I managed to pick up the flowers, the bride and reach the civil registry office just in time.
After the ceremony the sky had cleared further and the Cadillac’s top was dry. I put it down and placed the car next to the entrance, where the champagne was served while everyone tried to photograph the couple and the Cadillac. What an experience driving an old Cadillac cross-town with the top down, flowers on the hood and a happy couple in the back seat! Pedestrians shouted congratulations and held their thumbs up when they saw us passing by.
After the wedding pictures had been taken, I drove the couple to the hotel where the wedding guests were waiting. The hotel was surrounded by a large pedestrian zone. No motor vehicles allowed. But the management lowered a barrier just for us. I drove slowly in a semi circle, stopped in front of the entrance and let the couple get out of the car. What a show! When I drove my ‘49 to the underground garage, I took three boys with me. For them riding the short distance in that old Cadillac was much more exciting than the wedding.
The next day started with a perfect blue sky. After breakfast with Christian, Samira and some other guests, we stowed the presents in the trunk and I drove the couple home. They enjoyed the ride again, and so did I on my way home. What started so bad with rain and a lost wiper blade became a very nice experience that will stay in fond memory for a long time.
SERVICING THE 1949 CADILLAC SPEEDOMETER HEAD
Recently the speedometer head on my ’49 Coupe de Ville developed a screeching noise that was loud and about as welcome as fingernails scratching a chalk board. If you follow the steps listed below you can fix your speedometer, also.
Disconnect the ground cable from the battery. Wrap a towel around the steering column and secure it with tape. Apply tape to towel, not the paint. Lie underneath the dash with a good light. Remove the 2 wing nuts that secure the instrument cluster to the dashboard. Loosen the nut at the bottom of the dash for the trip odometer. Make sure there is enough slack in the oil pressure tubing to allow the cluster to move forward a couple of inches; if not, disconnect the oil pressure tube now. Push and wiggle the instrument cluster toward steering wheel about two inches. Be patient. It’s been there for 60 years and it may want to stick. Return to sitting position in your front seat. Your back will appreciate this. Now you can lean forward and view the backside of the entire cluster. You can also pull the cluster a little closer to your body to have easier access to everything connected to it.
You MUST mark all wires and bulb fixtures BEFORE unplugging them from the instrument cluster housing. I recommend using masking tape on each wire, numbering everything from left to right and writing those numbers down. Unplug all wires from the gauges, all bulb fixtures, and unscrew the speedometer cable nut and pull cable out. You must also remove the oil pressure gauge tubing. Use caution. Use an open end wrench to secure the gauge fitting as you loosen the tubing fitting so as not to damage the gauge. A 6 point tubing wrench is best for the tubing nut. Do not damage the nut. Unscrew the odometer reset cable at the speedometer housing and pull it out. With everything disconnected you can remove the entire cluster from the dash, while taking care not to bump any painted surfaces, and place it on your workbench face down against a soft cloth.
Remove the 2 screws that go through the rubber grommets near the connection for the speedometer cable. Keep all screws and fasteners in a shallow pan or other suitable container since you don’t want to lose anything! Remove 4 screws that hold the galvanized cover to the speedometer head. Gently place a thin screwdriver between the cover and main housing and pry it away from the head AS you hold the head downward. It may stick because there is a rubber gasket between the cover and head. SAVE the rubber gasket and grommets. Now you will be able to view the speedometer head. It is a delicate instrument so be careful handling it! You will see 2 tabs about an inch long that are bent over the edge of the head to secure it during assembly at the factory. Bend them sideways just enough to allow sufficient clearance for the head to be lifted out of the main housing.
Before lifting the speedometer head out of the main housing REMIND yourself that you do not want to damage the pointer or the very delicate spring that is attached to the rotating part that attaches by a slender shaft to the pointer. Lift the head out of the main housing and place it on your work bench with the pointer side (front) facing your body. Write down the orientation of the indicator needle/pointer in relation to the left directional signal arrow. When reassembling you will want to place it back onto the shaft in the SAME position. Use two thin bladed screw drivers to get underneath the pointer. The ends of the screw driver blades should contact the shaft and be opposite one another so when you pry the pointer upward you do not break it. It does not require much strength, but you MUST pry with equal pressure. After you have removed the pointer you will see that it has internal splines that mate to the splines on the shaft. That’s why you marked the orientation prior to removal.
Remove the 2 screws that secure the plated face, with directional arrows, to the head’s pot metal housing and lift the face off. Your next step is to remove the 2 countersunk screws that secure the support for the shaft. After you have removed the support, the shaft will develop a mind of its own and flop all over the place, so handle with care. You do not want to damage the spring. As you handle the head for continued disassembly the part that rotates with the shaft may get out of its correct position. Just remember that the stops rest against each other so as to prevent the indicator needle from rotating too far counter-clockwise. When reassembled the needle must rotate clockwise to indicate the speed you are traveling.
Next you will find one thin clip that secures the numbered speedometer assembly and one that secures the numbered odometer assembly. Remove the clips one at a time and remove the numbered assemblies one at a time by sliding them in the direction of the retaining clip groove as you lift out the opposite end and then slide it back toward the original position. Put differently, they angle out of the housing. Please note: the back side of the numbered assemblies have slotted tabs that must engage a thin flat strap to correctly orient them. Visually examine before removing. Now you can remove the gear that runs front to back in the housing. Note orientation. Don’t attempt to remove the other gears. Now you can clean the gear teeth and bearing surfaces. The old grease has dried and hardened and is no longer lubricating properly. Q-tips are helpful, but do not leave residue of cotton on gears. Use a very, very light grease to lubricate all gear teeth and bearing surfaces for shafts. Apply sparingly and DO NOT lubricate the indicator needle shaft. It rotates in a brass bushing which acts as a lubricant. Greasing it will adversely affect performance and accuracy.
This next step is critical for quiet operation of your speedometer head. On the back side of the head you will find a brass cup plug near the threads for the speedometer cable. It may be covered with dust and fuzz. Clean it with a Q-tip and then pry it out of the hole using an ice pick or sharp awl. Be gentle. Use just enough strength to remove it without damage. Place the pointed end of the tool against the bottom inside portion of the cup plug and simply pry it out. DO NOT LOSE IT. Under the cup plug you will see a round piece of felt which was lubricated at the factory. Do not attempt to remove it. Place several drops of 3-in-one-oil onto the felt and allow it to be absorbed as you rotate the shaft, by hand, that mates to the speedometer cable. Cradle the pointer shaft in one hand so the spring does not get damaged as you lube the felt and spin the cable shaft. When the cable shaft rotates smoothly and freely then you can push the cup plug back into the hole.
Now you can reassemble the speedometer head. Reverse the process of disassembly. Here are some tips: make sure the stops for the pointer are correctly oriented as stated earlier and the slotted tabs on the back of the numbered assemblies are aligned correctly. Ensure that the countersunk screws are in the correct locations. Be certain your indicator needle is correctly oriented before gently pushing it back onto the shaft. If you bend it don’t panic, just straighten it. Also, if the luminescent paint on the tip of the needle is flaking off you may want to paint it before reassembly. When you install the entire cluster back into the dash, be careful to connect everything to the proper location. Oh, and have a cold one after the road test. You deserve it!
A FORTY NINER AT HIS FIRST GRAND NATIONAL
With apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein, I got to Kansas City on a Friday; by Saturday I’d learned a thing or two! Thing 1: It’s just as hot in Overland Park, Kansas as it is in St. Louis. Thing 2: there is nothing to help take one’s mind off the heat than the sight of 76 beautiful vintage Cadillac and LaSalle “gas buggies” on display.
Unfortunately, there were only three 49 Cadillacs in attendance, one convertible, one coupe and one sedan. The light (Corinth?) blue 6267X convertible is owned by chapter member Russell Creason of Kansas City, MO. The dark (Triumph?) blue 6167 coupe is owned by Steven Christensen of Shawnee Mission, KS. The sedan was a light blue 6269 owned by Tom L. Brown. There was one close relative, a 1948 6269 SDN belonging to James Moore of Sharpsburg, GA..
It made me wish I had taken my 1949 6069X, but I am not yet brave enough to drive it on the interstate, and I don’t have access to a trailer. Nevertheless, I had a great time viewing and photographing the automobiles for the better part of two days (see next page), paying particular attention to features on the ‘49s for comparison with mine, and discussing our cars with the other owners. My daydream of owning another collector Cadillac to go with my 49, now includes even more candidates for consideration.
Late in the day Saturday, hot and tired after two days spent walking around on the asphalt parking lot, I headed for home, grateful that I had the opportunity to attend my first Grand National. I am looking forward to the next one close enough to my home base to make attendance feasible.
Kansas City Here I Come GRAND NATIONAL
The Cadillac & LaSalle Club Grand National took place July 14-17 in Overland Park KS, near Kansas City. I couldn’t go myself, but a number of chapter members braved the heat and were there, including George Bergen whose report is below.
Browsing through my file of old copies of the Times one day, I noticed in a 2003 article written by chapter member Ray Anderson of Edgewater FL that he has owned his Series 75 limousine since 1961. Delving further, I came across another article by Bob Knutson of Duluth GA in which he relates that he has owned his 6269 4-door since 1963. Congratulations are in order to these long-time ’49 owners, which makes me wonder if any other Forty Niners have owned their cars as long or longer than these two gentlemen. If so, I think it would be of great interest to the rest of us, so please send in the particulars and we’ll include it in an article in the next issue. If you can include a photo of the long-owned ’49 in question, so much the better.
A final word on the bias ply vs. radial tire discussion we had in the Times a few issues back. Recently, my 6107’s rear 8.20×15 bias ply tires were getting a bit thin, so I bought two new ones. When researching the possibilities, I found that the cost of bias ply tires has increased to the point ($168 each) that for very little more I can buy radial tires. When these wear out I think I’ll finally make the switch.