New member-just picked up a 46

[Jim Thompson]

Hello all, really great site! I just picked up a 1946 model 61 and really love the car. Looking forward to all I can learn from the site. Here is a quick rear shot of the car:

[35-709]

Purrrrty!  Welcome to the club, Jim.

[homeonprunehill]

Hello all, really great site! I just picked up a 1946 model 61 and really love the car. Looking forward to all I can learn from the site. Here is a quick rear shot of the car:

/quote]


03-12-08
JIM, Anyone with the name of JIM and has already joined the CLC can't be bad.
Good Luck,JIM

[homeonprunehill]

Hello all, really great site! I just picked up a 1946 model 61 and really love the car. Looking forward to all I can learn from the site. Here is a quick rear shot of the car:

/quote]


03-12-08
JIM, Anyone with the name of JIM and has already joined the CLC can't be bad.
Good Luck,JIM

03-12-08
JIM P.S. Sorry I din't enclude this in my other post, But, you do have a nice looking car. ( is that a NC license plate I see on it)? BTW, I grew-up in NC. Where are you from?

[Jim Thompson]

I am actually in Florida. The previous owner passed away and owned Causby Buick in Morganton.

[Jim Thompson]

I will try to get some better pics of her soon. All I have right now is the crappy cell phone pic. They always turn out a little fuzzy.

[Richard Sills - CLC #936]

1946 was a low-production Cadillac.  Only 2,200 of these Series 61 4-door sedans were built (and only about 800 Series 61 coupes).

Many 1946 Cadillacs were shipped from the factory with temporary wooden bumpers, which the dealers later replaced with chrome bumpers as they became available.

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

Very nice car.  Synchro-mesh or Hydra-Matic?

[homeonprunehill]

I am actually in Florida. The previous owner passed away and owned Causby Buick in Morganton.

03-12-08
JIM, I spent about 4-5 years in FL.  Orlando,Miami (Homestead) and at Tampa, with the AF, Which part of FL do you live in? I was born in Mt. Airy, NC ANDY GRIFFITHT and I were the only people borned there that left and had sense enough not to go back! Best I remenber, Morgenton wasn't very far from Mt.Airy. welcome to the club. Again, real nice looking car. Good Luck,JIM

[walt chomosh #23510]

Jim,
Just that little glimpse of your 46 tells me that your car has"soul"! Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy my 55!....walt...tulsa,ok

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

1946 was a low-production Cadillac.  Only 2,200 of these Series 61 4-door sedans were built (and only about 800 Series 61 coupes).

Many 1946 Cadillacs were shipped from the factory with temporary wooden bumpers, which the dealers later replaced with chrome bumpers as they became available.

G'day Richard,

Would any of these "Wooden Bumper Bar" cars have been delivered to the new owner before the Chrome ones got into the hands of the Dealers?

Or, would the Dealer simply have to store the vehicles, at his own expense until the Bumpers were fitted?

Bruce.

[Jim Thompson]

Very nice car.  Synchro-mesh or Hydra-Matic?

It is a hydromatic and even still has the complete original interior. Mileage is 34,300 original and I have decades and decades of supporting vehicle inspection receipts validating the mileage. Pretty excited with the car, only one I have ever seen in person so I bought it.

[Jim Thompson]

I am actually in Florida. The previous owner passed away and owned Causby Buick in Morganton.

03-12-08
JIM, I spent about 4-5 years in FL.  Orlando,Miami (Homestead) and at Tampa, with the AF, Which part of FL do you live in? I was born in Mt. Airy, NC ANDY GRIFFITHT and I were the only people borned there that left and had sense enough not to go back! Best I remenber, Morgenton wasn't very far from Mt.Airy. welcome to the club. Again, real nice looking car. Good Luck,JIM

I am in Tallahassee. Hey, Mt Airy, the wife and I were just there Sunday. I really love that town, nice and quiet. Although, probably too quiet  . I moved to Tallahassee from Atlanta, it is like Mayberry here compared to Atlanta.

[Jim Thompson]

Jim,
Just that little glimpse of your 46 tells me that your car has"soul"! Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy my 55!....walt...tulsa,ok

Thanks, it has really drawn a lot of attention so far. People run over to it smiling wanting to look her over. These old cars have so much more soul that the new stuff today.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Thanks, it has really drawn a lot of attention so far. People run over to it smiling wanting to look her over. These old cars have so much more soul that the new stuff today.   

And beauty, class, and style as well.

Bruce.

[homeonprunehill]

1946 was a low-production Cadillac.  Only 2,200 of these Series 61 4-door sedans were built (and only about 800 Series 61 coupes).

Many 1946 Cadillacs were shipped from the factory with temporary wooden bumpers, which the dealers later replaced with chrome bumpers as they became available.

G'day Richard,

Would any of these "Wooden Bumper Bar" cars have been delivered to the new owner before the Chrome ones got into the hands of the Dealers?

Or, would the Dealer simply have to store the vehicles, at his own expense until the Bumpers were fitted?

Bruce.

03-12-08
Bruce &'46 JIM If memory serves me correctly,Most all new cars(the big 3) at one time came with the "wooden 2X6 black bumper at one time. There was a shortage of Chrome. South Africa furnished the chrome but, the Russians had it tied-up with contracts. Yes, some cars were delivered with wooden bumpers,but usully not for long,if memory serve me right. Even my '38 Cadillac-la salle came with a 4X4 fromt bumper when delivered to me in 1967.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Jim,

Fantastic information.

Bruce.

[Fred Zwicker #23106]

Shortly after World War II, I remember the 1946 cars and many had wooden bumpers, waiting for the chrome bumpers. There was so much demand for new cars that the dealer delivered the cars to the customer with wooden bumpers. When the chrome bumpers arrived in stock, the car was pulled into service at the dealership and the chrome bumpers were installed. 

At that time, I was not in the Cadillac league, so do not recall if Cadillacs were shipped with the wooden bumpers.  My father had a 1937 Hudson Terraplane and was looking at the new Hudsons at the time, so remember well the many 1946 Hudsons with wooden bumpers.  I often wonder if there are any photos of these cars taken at the time, or better yet - a sample wooden bumper?

Come to think of it, my car (just restored) is still waiting on bumpers from Paul's chrome.  Maybe I should get some nice 2"x 4"s and install wooden bumpers on the car until the chrome ones come in.  See photo of my fully restored car, less bumpers.

Fred

[Richard Sills - CLC #936]

A CLC member in Pennsylvania still owns a 1946 Cadillac sedan that he bought many years ago from the widow of the original owner.  When he was about to drive off with his newly-purchased car, the seller said, "Young man, don't you want to take the original bumpers?"  He was perplexed because the car had both of its bumpers and they looked completely original.  Turned out that the seller was referring to the wooden bumpers with which the car was delivered when it was sold new.  At some point after the original owner took delivery, the dealer notified him that the chrome bumpers were now available to be installed on the car. 

My friend took the wooden bumpers, but unfortunately they have been lost over the years.  Still, this was a very interesting insight into the way new cars were delivered immediately after the end of the War.  With the car shortage and the seller's market that prevailed at the time, you can be assured that the buyers were delighted to get their new Cadillacs, even without chrome bumpers.     



         

[Jim Thompson]

It's still the cell phone, but here are a few more pics: