News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

I need help from 1957 Cadillac Convertible owners ( Vent Window slide Lock )

Started by Bill Balkie 24172, June 20, 2015, 01:40:41 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Bill Balkie 24172

Hello,
   This has been  a question I have been trying to get the answered  for quite a long time . Does your 1957 Cadillac Convertible whether  it's a series 62 or the  Biarritz  model  have a slide lock on the vent window . I know all the hard tops have the lock .  The convertibles do not , however every once in a while I will run across a convertible that has the lock .I would really like to hear from everyone about this but most important  from the cars that have not been restored . My next question is why  would Cadillac leave off the locks on Convertible ? and were all convertible built without the Slide vent lock ? I have added a photo of my vent window without the lock

  Bill     
Bill Balkie
1970 Coupe DeVille
2009 CTS

57eldoking

Hi Bill

I just checked the 47 individual Biarritzes in my photo library and couldn't find a single one with vent locks on either restored or unrestored cars. Out of the 54 Sevilles I have on file all of them seem to have the locks. One explanation could perhaps be that the vent window was an easy object to break into. A convertible may often be parked with the top down, and even if it is up, cutting a hole in the soft top to gain entry would be very easy. The explanation could be as simple as that. Maybe insurance companies had a say in the matter as well, who knows!

Switching between driving our Biarritz and Seville sometimes I forget about the vent lock and for a second or two think the vent window mechanism in the Seville has malfunctioned!

I wonder how many cents they saved per convertible by eliminating the vent locks  ::)
1957 Eldorado Biarritz #906
1957 Eldorado Biarritz #1020 http://bit.ly/1kTvFlM
1957 Eldorado Seville  #1777 http://bit.ly/1T3Uo1c
1995 Fleetwood Brougham  http://bit.ly/20YwJV4
2010 SRX Performance

1946 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup
1957 Buick Caballero Estate Wagon (x2)
1960 Chevy Apache 10 Stepside
1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (x2)
1992 Pontiac Trans Sport GT

Jon S

Quote from: 57eldoking on June 24, 2015, 10:25:58 AM
Hi Bill

I just checked the 47 individual Biarritzes in my photo library and couldn't find a single one with vent locks on either restored or unrestored cars. Out of the 54 Sevilles I have on file all of them seem to have the locks. One explanation could perhaps be that the vent window was an easy object to break into. A convertible may often be parked with the top down, and even if it is up, cutting a hole in the soft top to gain entry would be very easy. The explanation could be as simple as that.

Switching between driving our Biarritz and Seville sometimes I forget about the vent lock and for a second or two think the vent window mechanism in the Seville has malfunctioned!

I wonder how many cents they saved per convertible by eliminating the vent locks  ::)

Don't know, but by 1958 they saved a lot of cents as the locks were eliminated from all models!  The bean counters won.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

57eldoking

Weren't the 58s also the first to feature power vents as an option? I would guess having vent locks wouldn't be a good idea then.
1957 Eldorado Biarritz #906
1957 Eldorado Biarritz #1020 http://bit.ly/1kTvFlM
1957 Eldorado Seville  #1777 http://bit.ly/1T3Uo1c
1995 Fleetwood Brougham  http://bit.ly/20YwJV4
2010 SRX Performance

1946 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup
1957 Buick Caballero Estate Wagon (x2)
1960 Chevy Apache 10 Stepside
1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (x2)
1992 Pontiac Trans Sport GT

Jon S

Quote from: 57eldoking on June 24, 2015, 10:34:31 AM
Weren't the 58s also the first to feature power vents as an option? I would guess having vent locks wouldn't be a good idea then.

Yes, and yes.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Bill Balkie 24172

Thank you everyone  for your input . Do you think it is safe to say that all 1957 convertibles were without vent locks . or maybe it was an after thought part way thru production .
this is one of those questions where you would like to talk to a production line  worker that work on these cars . We might never know the answer however it still bothers me .

  Bill
Bill Balkie
1970 Coupe DeVille
2009 CTS

Roger Zimmermann

My '56 Biarritz has no lock; my '56de Ville has them. The '57 Brougham has no lock, but the vent windows are electric.
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101