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1940 front rubber/mat for Lasalle

Started by amolnayak, January 20, 2018, 06:03:59 AM

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amolnayak

Gentlemen

Looking for a front rubber mat for my 1940 lasalle, i understand it was common for buicks, cadillacs, lasalles and several other torpedo bodied cars/ If someone has a spare mat and wants to part with it please let me know.

regards
Amol
1940 Lasalle 5227C
1956 Mercedes Benz 180D
1956 Fiat 1100 103E
1961 Rover P5 (now sold)
1992 Eunos Roadster V series special

Steve Passmore

'Bobs' sell them Amol, but it would be cheaper to just have a trimer make up some for you ion your country, Or is that not possible?  I have custom made dozens.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

39LaSalleDriver

Afraid Bob's doesn't have them...I spoke to them about a week ago seeking one for my 39.  :'(

The guy told me that they did get a very few in from their supplier about a year ago, but those were long gone. He went on to say that they (Bob's) are frustrated too as they know their supplier needs the business, can make them, but for some reason don't seem to want to put the effort into it very often. He recommended I check in with them every once in a while to see if they have been resupplied to any extent.

That being said, Steve do you have photos of the ones you have made and/or instructions on how to do so? I'd be very keen to make one myself or see if I could find someone who would. It strikes me that finding the proper rubber base would be the hard part of the equation.
Jon Isaacson

1939 LaSalle 5019

Steve Passmore

Quote from: USNTar on January 20, 2018, 01:41:40 PM
Afraid Bob's doesn't have them...I spoke to them about a week ago seeking one for my 39.  :'(

That being said, Steve do you have photos of the ones you have made and/or instructions on how to do so? I'd be very keen to make one myself or see if I could find someone who would. It strikes me that finding the proper rubber base would be the hard part of the equation.

Very naughty of 'Bobs' for them to keep advertising them on their website.

Sorry if I confused you regarding carpets. I didn't mean that I made carpets to match the totally authentic rubber backed type, just tailor-made carpets. Amol is not doing an authentic restoration.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

39LaSalleDriver

Gotcha. My suspicion is that Bob's keeps them listed because they are optimistic that they'll maybe have them in the future.  Let's face it,  39-40 Cadillac and Lasalle guys aren't the only ones who are looking for these :D
Jon Isaacson

1939 LaSalle 5019

amolnayak

Quote from: Steve Passmore on January 20, 2018, 05:16:17 PM
Very naughty of 'Bobs' for them to keep advertising them on their website.

Sorry if I confused you regarding carpets. I didn't mean that I made carpets to match the totally authentic rubber backed type, just tailor-made carpets. Amol is not doing an authentic restoration.

I think BoB is really frustrated that the guy who used to manufacture these is no longer active. In fact I had a chat with him and he told me I had no idea how many mats he could have sold only if he had the suppliers cooperation. He was definately optimistic about getting new stock.

Steve I am trying to keep the car stock in all respects cosmetically. The only thing you know I have really fiddled round is the electricals   :) Someone has offered me a Tan 41 rubber mat, does any one know if it will fit a 1940 car. The pattern is different but atleast it give the impression of a rubber mat in the front.
1940 Lasalle 5227C
1956 Mercedes Benz 180D
1956 Fiat 1100 103E
1961 Rover P5 (now sold)
1992 Eunos Roadster V series special

Tom Boehm

Hello Amol, If that mat is from a 1941 62 series Cadillac it will fit your car. The 1940 Lasalle series 52 and the 1941 Cadillac series 62 were both built with the GM "torpedo" C body.






















































































amolnayak

Quote from: Tom Boehm on January 23, 2018, 01:36:10 PM
Hello Amol, If that mat is from a 1941 62 series Cadillac it will fit your car. The 1940 Lasalle series 52 and the 1941 Cadillac series 62 were both built with the GM "torpedo" C body.

Hi Tom, I think its basically this item  http://bobsautomobilia.com/interior-floors-and-doors/floormat-brown-trimmed-for-1941-s.50-70-.-ff-418bn/
You think this will fit.
1940 Lasalle 5227C
1956 Mercedes Benz 180D
1956 Fiat 1100 103E
1961 Rover P5 (now sold)
1992 Eunos Roadster V series special

Steve Passmore

I think you may be on cross-purposes here Amol. It looks like 'Bob's mats are the-all rubber ones for the convertible. Your closed coupe would certainly not have an all rubber mat? None of my coupes ever have, not Buick or Cadillac.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

39LaSalleDriver

Quote from: Steve Passmore on January 24, 2018, 05:27:54 AM
I think you may be on cross-purposes here Amol. It looks like 'Bob's mats are the-all rubber ones for the convertible. Your closed coupe would certainly not have an all rubber mat? None of my coupes ever have, not Buick or Cadillac.

I have wondered about this myself for my 39-50...

For example, the authenticity manual claims that all Series 50 LaSalles in 39 (and 1940 for that matter) had a "Brown rubber mat with brown carpet inserts." From what I can tell, a substantial portion of the authenticity manual was based on the work of Fred Zwicker and the restoration he did some years back of his CONVERTIBLE. And indeed, about every time this topic comes up on this forum, everyone invariably references the poster back to his car restoration. Now, no offense to Mr. Zwicker, the work he did (which was fantastic), nor his information...BUT the professional historical researcher in me gets real hinkey basing my work on somebody else's restoration. Particularly when I run across some discrepancies, and even further when I ran across his comments that he based some of his research on photos of a car in the "LaSalle, Cadillac Companion" book, which I also assume was an even earlier restoration by someone else (I don't yet own that book so I can't verify that info).

First of all, what is in the manual, and indeed Mr. Zwicker's car (a 50-67) may well be true for that model of convertible. But I do not automatically assume that is true across the board for all cars in that year model. Note the comments from Mr. Dan Brooks a couple of years ago on this forum: http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=136491.msg305323#msg305323

He clearly had black mats in his car (a 1940 LaSalle 50-67, another convertible), and believes them to be original to the vehicle. So what to do? Is this an alternative, or fluke?

My next clue comes from this photo I ran across. It is claimed to be a factory photo of a 39-50 LaSalle. Note that while the drivers side mat appears to have a black rubber backing (though it could be brown) with carpet insert, the transmission hump and passenger mat are carpeting and not rubber backed. To take that a step further, I would propose that the carpet in this vehicle, while a black and white photo, shows a lighter shade of carpet than the "field mouse brown" you hear people talk about. The authenticity manual calls for a "Full gray carpet for trim codes..." in the rear of the compartment. I would say this photo shows exactly that (and my car matches the one in this photo). I really have a hard time believing that the carpet in the back would be a different color than the carpet in the front insert(s); particularly when it is obvious from this photo that the carpet in the back seems to match the carpet in the passenger front.

I could also get into the paint colors I have found on my window garnish moldings which don't jive at all with what the authenticity manual calls for (and I am 1000% positive the paint on mine is original), but that is another discussion for another day.

For my own purposes, given the fact that the rubber mats from Bob's are going to be rare as hen's teeth to come across, I think I am going to emulate what is seen in this factory photo for my restoration. I will try to source some other type of black rubber matting to attach the matching gray carpeting insert to, and cover the transmission hump and passenger front with carpeting which matches the back carpets and inserts of the drivers side.
Jon Isaacson

1939 LaSalle 5019

Tom Boehm

#10
Hello Amol, The 1941 series 50 and 70 Buicks were built on the same GM C Torpedo body as your 1940 Lasalle series 52.Yes, it should fit the contours of your floor. If this mat has had pedal holes punched already for a Buick they may not match the pedal positions of a Lasalle. According to the authenticity manual, all 39 and 40 Lasalles came from the factory with a rubber floor mat with carpet inserts. Even though this 1941 mat will fit your car, it looks different from the original 1940 mat. Because Bob's does not currently have the more correct 1940 mat in stock your options are limited. Some just install full carpeting which is not authentic factory original but period correct.

amolnayak

My belief that the front had a rubber mat of some sorts stems from this attached image from the book "Lasalle- Cadillac's companion car" Here the sedan shown has the rubber matting. If you compare it with the patterns on Bob's Buick mats for 1940 it may resemble it closely. It is certainly a black mat not grey or any other colour. When I purchased my car every piece of original carpet was intact except for the front carpet. That may be because the rubber may have deteriorated over time.

But yes Tom I tend to agree with you. Its next to impossible to find a original mat at the moment as there are no supplies from Bob. So i am just gonna put the same carpet that I will be using at the rear to give it a period look.
1940 Lasalle 5227C
1956 Mercedes Benz 180D
1956 Fiat 1100 103E
1961 Rover P5 (now sold)
1992 Eunos Roadster V series special

Tom Boehm

Here are some thoughts I had on this topic of floor mats for 39 and 40 Lasalle. Not in response to a specific question. The authenticity manual says that all the mats were brown with various colors of carpet inserts. Two guys above claim they have or have seen black original mats. Could it be that the original mat color was very dark brown and it shows up in black and white pictures as black? And after 77 years the dark brown rubber deteriorates darker to black? The reproductions are a medium brown. Just a thought. I am not convinced of this. I too would like to know how the writers of the authenticity manual arrived at that conclusion. By the way, three of the writers of the manual have since died.
    Also, since this topic came up I noticed in the pictures the "B" and "C" body mats have very different arrangements of carpet inserts and ribs. I did not know that before. "B" is 39 and 40 series 50 and "C" is 40 series 52.
    I would like to see a photo or one in person of an original rear mat. The photos I have seen are modern and appear to have a loose piece of carpet sitting on top.
    OK I have truly and officially analysed this topic too much.  Goodbye.   

las39

#13
Here's another pic. Looks more black than brown ?
1939 LaSalle 5027
1941 Chrysler Royal Coupe
1934 Oldsmobile F34
1976 Moto Guzzi Convert