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1937 Cadillac Questions

Started by zach lamberti, February 01, 2010, 11:12:33 PM

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zach lamberti

Gentlemen,

I recently acquired a 1937 Series 75 Cadillac and I have a few questions:

1) The car originally had a 6 volt electrical system, Correct?
2) Were these cars originally positive or negative ground?  How do I determine or verify it has not been changed in the last 73 years?
3) If the car is indeed 6V, my local parts house carries a 600 CCA 6V battery...will this be sufficient to turn the motor over? (V8 346 cu.in.)
4) And on a side note, can anybody tell me where I might find any ID tags or stampings on the car as there are no data plates on the firewall.

I would appreciate any an all help you might be able to send my way.


Thanks in advance,

Zach







Otto Skorzeny

1. 6v is correct
2. positive ground is correct. It should be obvious whether it's been changed or not. The positive terminal is bigger than the other negative one. The negative cable should go to the starter and the positive one to ground.

You can buy a correct 6v battery or a 6v Optima battery  (maintenance free) from Antique Auto Battery Co.

Click on the link in my signature to get the contact information.
fward

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

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zach lamberti

Thanks for the information Otto.  Does it make any sense to "upgrade" the system to 12V and switch to Neg. ground?  I will be driving this car regularly and want to make sure everything works as it should as well as be reliable and dependable. 

Also, if anybody knows about where I can find the ID plates or any other number stampings around the car, I would be very appreciative to learn where to look.

Thanks,

Zach

Otto Skorzeny

Personally I would say no. A properly set up and working 6 volt system will perform perfectly well. Unless you're adding AC, stereo cd player, etc, you don't need a 12v system.

That means your battery must be fully charged, the voltage regulator must be properly adjusted to factory specs and the generator must be charging according to specs.

If any one of the three components is out of wack it will affect performance and could damage one or both of the other components.

Make sure all connections are clean and tight. Make sure all cables used are of the exact type specified by the manufacturer when new. Too thick or too thin cables can cause starting problems.
fward

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

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vicbrincat

#4
Otto,

Positive ground? Is that correct?
When did  Cadillac change to Negetive ground?

Vic

Otto Skorzeny

#5
Yes. I'm positive it's positive.

1946 the positive ground was changed to negative ground.

1953 they went to 12v.
fward

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

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

harvey b

Hi Zach, the VIN should be on the top of the frame rail on the drivers side,it is stamped into the rail,should be between the cowl post and the upper control arm mount,scrape it with some sandpaper and the numbers should show up?,the engine number should be the same set of numbers except for the first couple?,it is on the block between the bell housing and the back of the head on the drivers side,you should be able to see the both numbers without moving.,not sure about the larger cars but on my 60 series the data plate is on the firewall just above the voltage regulator,it is the silver plate,it does not have the VIN,just the color and model numbers,in the picture you can see the plate,if it isnt there look for the rivet holes ???. As for the 6-12 volt change over,i was thinking of the same thing,i figured what was wrong with my car,it wasnt charging properly,soon as i fixed that it hasnt looked back since,i also added the biggest 6volt battery i could fit in it,that helps a lot too.HTH Harvey B
Harvey Bowness

zach lamberti

Gentlemen, Thank you.

Otto, I appreciate the advice and will now certainly be putting the car back to factory 6V spec.  I figure if it worked the way it did for this long, there is no reason why it won't work for another 73 years.  Right?

Harvey, Thank you for the picture and the information regarding the VIN location.  The data plate on my car was definitely removed and the holes were welded up.  I will look tonight and see if I can locate the numbers on the frame and bell housing.  Thanks also for the reassurance regarding sticking with 6 Volts.

I really appreciate the help guys.

Thanks,
Zach

       

Otto Skorzeny

Glad to be of service, Zach.

There are many owners of your vintage Cadillac on this forum who can help you with model specific questions should any arise in the future. Don't hesitate to ask any of them.

Can you post a photo of your car?
fward

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

HUGE VENDOR LIST CLICK HERE

zach lamberti

Otto,

As requested, here is a picture I took of my '37 after its first "bath" in 20+ years.  This car was used by the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs before going into storage.  I will post a picture of it taken while in service in 1942 (per the license plate) on top of Pike's Peak. 

Enjoy the pictures.

Zach

zach lamberti

Here it is in 1942!

JOHN D. CHRISTOFFERSON

NICE CAR ZACK.  I HAVE A 1937 MODEL 6519 WITH THE DUAL FENDER MOUNTS AND I BELIEVE IT TO BE THE SAME COLOR.  I THINK THE COLOR IS BRIARCLIFF BLUE, WHICH SHOULD BE AN ORIGINAL CADILLAC COLOR.   I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYONE THAT HAS A FORMULA TO MIX THAT COLOR HOWEVER.  THANKS FOR POSTING THE PICTURES.
JOHN CHRISTOFFERSON :)
JOHN D. CHRISTOFFERSON