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fender skirt removal

Started by Quinton Bradford #25053, November 21, 2008, 02:41:21 PM

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Quinton Bradford #25053

I recently purchased 63 Deville.  I am very ashamed of myself for asking this, but I must admit that I am new to the world of owning a vintage car.  How do you remove the fender skirts?  I haven't had to remove them yet, but I know I will soon.  Would the owners manual, if I had one, cover this?  Any help is greatly appreciated!

Q
Quinton Bradford
1963 Cadillac DeVille - "Gertie"

Dave Shepherd

Take a look at the center of the bottom edge of the skirt, should be a square lug that turns counter clockwise, it is made to fit the lug wrench.

quadfins

Just make sure that you turn it the correct way. If you force it the wrong way, you'll dent the sheet metal.
Jim Eccleston
1961 Coupe de Ville
BATILAC
Senior Crown
DeCou Driving Award x 4

TJ Hopland

How long was that the style?  I know in the early 70's it was just a metal bar that was held on a small hook.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

76eldo

It's that way on a 1960, so I would suspect it goes back a little further than that.

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

Otto Skorzeny

fward

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for YOURSELF

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

Jack Mcilwraith


GoManGo1946

1946 Cadillac 60 Special Fleetwood

Adam & Kirstin Bieszart
Wheaton Illinois

quadfins

I'd like to clarify a little.
This applies to 61 & 62, although I suspect the surrounding years, including '63 are similar.

The lug mentioned is not a lug nut. It is a rectagular bar that is the same size as the lug nuts, so the wrench will fit. The bar itself is really the T end of a metal bar, about 6 - 8 inches long. The tip of the bar is hooked, somewhat like a forefinger when you are scratching your ear (or whatever!!!). The bar is inside a sleeve attached to the skirt, that has a spiral cutout. The bar has a guide nub. As the rectangle is rotated, the bar is forced upward and the hook outward (due to the spiral cutout). This is what contacts the reinforecement plate on the inside of the rear fender, and holds the skirt in place. The skirt has two hooks at each bottom end, which are placed in the mounting brackets of the rear fender/quarter panel. Then the skirt is hinged upward into position. The wrench then turns the lock-bar into position, and the skirt is attached.

The spiral guide should have a lockout at the end, to prevent the hook from turning too far and touching and distorting the sheet metal of the skirt. Over the years, careless or unknowing overtightening may have bent or broken the lockout, allowing you to inadvertantly turn the bar too far and damage your skirt. This happened to me. there are solutions, but be watchful.
Jim Eccleston
1961 Coupe de Ville
BATILAC
Senior Crown
DeCou Driving Award x 4

Otto Skorzeny

That's right. It's the same for everybody else with the earlier cars. I normally use a piece of cloth and a pair of vice grips to avoid scratching up the lug.

It should be obvious to anyone tightening one up when it's in proper position. The lug is rectangular. When the longer flat side is parallel with the side of the car, it's in position.

If you're taking your car somewhere for service, do yourself a favor and take the skirts off at home and put them in the trunk. No sense letting some tire changer mess them up or risk them getting damaged on the shop floor while he's putting tires on or something.
fward

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for YOURSELF

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

76eldo

I agree.  I freaked out on a guy at a tire store for putting one of my mint hubcaps, shiny side down, on a rough concrete floor.  I was on the road and picked up a nail, and needed a flat fixed.

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado