1941 Cadillac fog light covers

[Caddy41girl]

I am new to the Cadillac world, just got my first 1941 Cadillac series 62 and I am in the process of restoring it. I would like to know if someone can tell me about the fog light covers. I have read that fog lights were an option from the dealer. My caddy does not have fog lights, wiring or a switch on the dash. That being said, I assume that it never had that option installed originally. So my question is, I would like to put it back to original and all that is on the car now is a empty casing/ring type deal in the hole where the light would go. If fog lights were NOT installed then did it have the fog light covers, with the V in the middle or were those covers only used over the fog lights? I need to know if I buy the covers, are they going to "snap" onto this bucket type deal or do I need something else to attach them to? Any help would be appreciated.

[Steve Passmore]

If you have the fog light buckets then the car would have had the fog lights. Cars without fog lights had just the covers which were held on by a bracket inside the fender, there was no inner bucket, If you removed the covers you just had a big hole into the fender. If you fit covers I think you will have to remove the buckets first.    I have two cars without fog lights and they both have no buckets. Someone has obviously scavenged them from your car, they are sought after and expensive if you can find them.

[Caddy41girl]

There is no wiring or switch on the dash for them though. What's up with that?

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Picture 1 below shows a 41 without fogs. Where the fogs should be installed is what Cadillac calls Fog Lamp Opening Cover. Picture two is with fogs installed. So is your car like picture 1?   Bill

[Steve Passmore]

There is no wiring or switch on the dash for them though. What's up with that?

As they were an extra the switch was added under the dash if they were ordered, wiring too.

[Caddy41girl]

Bill mine is not like either of those pictures, the first picture is what I am looking to do, mine has a open housing where the fog light or cover should be.

[Chris Cummings]

Hi.  I agree with Steve.  Your car had fog lights, and sometime before you bought it, someone helped themselves to the fog lights, dash switch and related wiring.  The switch is just a bolt-on unit that mounts below the dashboard.  Dealers could and did install fog lights for their customers as an add-on, so it was not hard to add them, and it's not hard to remove them. 

If you find and purchase a set of fog lights, your car is ready for them.  If you choose to find a pair of covers and install those instead, you would remove the buckets first.

If you send for your car's build sheet it will tell you whether the car was ordered with fog lights.  It won't necessarily show them if the customer purchased a set after taking delivery.

Hope that helps.

Chris Cummings

[Steve Passmore]

Chris is on the nail there.  That looks like where fog lights were to me. you will have to remove that bucket to fit the covers or look for the lights to go in there.

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Good suggestion by Chris to send for the build sheet on your car. If you elect to put back the fog lamps then I think with a little patience you can collect the remaining parts by watching Ebay. Pictured below is a 41 with the fog lamp switch next to the deluxe heater controls and also a 41 with a back up switch beside the economy heater controls. Both switches in 41 used the same mounting bracket in 41 to hold the fog switch or the back up switch, I believe the fog lamp switch had a 20 amp fuse as part of the switch and the 41 back up light, also had a 20 amp fuse, but the fuse was in the power line between the ignition switch and the back up switch.  Bill

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Here is the other picture I missed posting

[Caddy41girl]

Great info, where do I send to get the build sheet? I love to find out the history behind cars!

[Bill Ingler #7799]

At the top of this page, left side you will see CLC Home. Click this and it will open to a page called General Overview. At the top right of this page you will see Tech Resources. Click on Tech Resources and a drop down menu will show Vehicle Authentication. Click on Vehicle Authentication. When you read this page on Vehicle Authentication it will give you the info on how to get a build sheet for your car. Again what others have said, accessories could be added by the dealer for the new owner.  Bill

[gary griffin]

Caaddy41girl,

   In addition to the build sheet I  recommend an authenticity manual also be purchased. I strongly suggest you use those two items to guide your restoration. I purchased a 1942  6719  with intentions of painting it and installing seat covers and using it for pleasure rides. I ended up with those documents and have converted to a full authentic restoration. My saga is in the restoration section of the Forums and it has been a real inspiration to do a real authentic restoration.

[Steve Passmore]

Great info, where do I send to get the build sheet? I love to find out the history behind cars!

This information used to be controlled by Allied Vaughn but looks like the GM Heritage centre has taken over. You can go straight to their site at  www.gmmediaarchive.com
Remember, these build sheets only tell you what accessories were on the car and what distribution centre it was sent to.  I see they are still $50 for a copy.

[Caddy41girl]

Gary I have a shop manual, is that different than a authenticity manual? I found the GM archives, last night will for sure be ordering that. My car I believe is about 95% original now, even still has the original car covers on it, over the top of the original upholstery! I need to find where I put the data plate info and you ask you all about the paint color. I am usually pretty good at looking those up but this one I believe if I remember right, 63A. I can find the paint code 63, but does the A mean anything? Crystal Blue or Oceano Blue

[Dan LeBlanc]

The authenticity manual is published by the Cadillac and Lasalle Club and documents how things should be restored to be a factory-accurate restoration.  This is stuff you can't get from a shop manual, but, rather, countless hours of volunteers' research to put it all together and have one definitive guide on how a car should be done to the highest factory-accurate standards.