Could it be true?

[Ty]

I heard an interesting discussion during the Hershey event recently regarding 1937 Cadillac V-12 and V-16s. Is it true that persons could order both summer and winter bodies for these cars? I heard that you could simply take your car to a storage center (like dry storage for boats now days) and they would remove the body and replace it with the next seasonal one. If so, how would they have done that without damage to the body. Could, lets say, a sedan convertable replace a four door sedan? Just a likely story?
Ty Stinson
CLC22330

[Otto Skorzeny]

Sounds dubious to me.

Has anyone ever taken one to Pebble Beach with two restored bodies? The people that could afford those cars in 1930 are the same ones who can afford them today.

If they existed, I think there would be at least one actual car around that Jay Leno or Ralph Lauren had both bodies for.

I'm aware that many of these vehicles were re-bodied during their service life but that's a lot different than re-bodying a car twice a year.

The next poster might prove me wrong but I don't think so.

[Warren Rauch]

  It would be a fairly hard job on a car that big.
  My Grandfather used to do that very thing on early Twenties Model T Fords. He had a roadster body in summer and a sedan for winter. He claimed it was quite easy on the T.  I have always thought it strange since in the Late 20's when He did it ,the T's were only worth $10. Why not have two whole cars?
   California Tops were another answer. They could turn a pheaton into a sedan. Such tops replaced the soft top with a hard one and included top parts for the doors. They were availible in the after market at least into 60's. Same idea as an Allante.Warren

[Otto Skorzeny]

Right. A T is whole different animal. Those big Cadillacs aren't exactly snap-together models from Revell. You don't just undo 6 bolts and yank the entire body and interior off the car.

I too think that someone who could afford cars like those would have two whole cars if they wanted them.

Do you really think JD Rockafeller was taking a cab to work while the dealership was putting the closed town car body on his phaeton.

Gimme a break!

[76eldo]

Rarely done, but not unheard of.

In the teens and 20's many wealthy car buyers purchased a chassis from Packard, Pierce Arrow, Cadillac, etc, and then had a body for the car constructed by a coach builder to meet their specifications.  Companies like Hibbard and Darrin, Derham, Rolston, Dietrich and others made a living providing custom bodies for high end cars.  The bodies were a little more interchangeable back then.

By 1937, cars had become much more complex that those of the teens and 20's.

For the wealthy families who had a chauffeur, in some instances, people had cars with open and closed bodies. In the fall, the chauffeur would switch the body.  It was much more common for wealthy New york families to have an open car at their summer residence in CT or some other new england state, and that's why there are so many "Full Classics" that have been found in that region.

Brian

[Carfreak]

Seen @ the ACD Festival last month; 1909 Maytag Mason.  Took 4 men to change the bodies. 

[Carfreak]

 

[Carfreak]

 

[Otto Skorzeny]

A glorified buggy from 1909 is a far cry from a 1937 Cadillac V16. Until someone proves otherwise I'll stick with an emphatic, "No" to Ty's question.

In fact, I think I'll I say that it was never done.

I would love to be proven wrong because I think seeing the two bodies for the same chassis that were changed out every 6 months would be quite interesting.

[Carfreak]

A glorified buggy from 1909 is a far cry from a 1937 Cadillac V16. Until someone proves otherwise I'll stick with an emphatic, "No" to Ty's question.

In fact, I think I'll I say that it was never done.

I tend to agree with you Otto particularly thinking about the larger, heavier steel body, more intricate interiors, glass panes, etc.  of the 30s era vehicles. 

Just thought this demonstration on the 1909 was pretty cool.   

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Forest, with all due respect to the poster, the Mason was a bad example.  As a long time member of the CCCA, I have seen articles on quite a number of summer/ winter bodies. At least 2 were on Duesenberg chassis. All were on expensive chassis both American & foriegn made.  Most, like Brian said, were done for old money east coast people. By the mid thirties it was pretty much no longer done. I have never heard it regarding any Cadillacs much less 37's. As a younger guy that doesn't have a background in early classics, I can see where you've just never heard of it. There were also people that had the body from their old chassis transferred to new chassis at least 2 times. See what money will buy! LOL  Bob

[76eldo]

I was speaking to my brother in law tonight and asked him about this topic.  He owns a collection of Packards from the 20's to the 50's, and is very knowledgeable about classic era cars.  He feels that it is extremely unlikely that anyone would be switching bodies seasonally on anything as late as a 37 Cadillac.  By then the cars had become too complex to do that with, and too many connections such as the dash, etc.  Would not have been practical at all.

Teens and 20's cars were different and "closed" bodies were just becoming popular.

Brian

[Steve Passmore]

A glorified buggy from 1909 is a far cry from a 1937 Cadillac V16. Until someone proves otherwise I'll stick with an emphatic, "No" to Ty's question.

In fact, I think I'll I say that it was never done.

That sounds like the "gold dollar in the light lens" Ty

I agree with Forrest, far too complex a job on later cars, they don't have a loom connection at the cowl so plenty of disconnection work to do there, besides, as you say, where are all these spare bodies?  Also someone would have a "time" sheet for it from a Cadillac dealer.
A great deal of bodies fitted to exspensive cars here were hand built, and it was not uncommon far the wealthy to have newer bodies made for their older chassis or transfer the old loved family body on to a newer car, but no factory stuff like the cars we are talking about.
Some people hear a bit of imformation like this years ago and the more they tell it to people who don't disagree with it the more they believe it to be gospel themselves, and will argue it to the death.

[Ty]

Thanks everyone. That is a lot of good discussion. Too bad you didn't hear the one about the gold coin in every '37 glass tail light lense. It was said that is why they have that special color, and are so hard to make.
Ty Stinson
CLC22330