fasteners for 49 Fleetwood

[mphowlett]

How do I find out what nuts, bolts,clips etc to use to attach trim etc.Bought a 49 Fleetwood with new paint most new chrome needing reassembly.Unfourtunuatly I was not the one who disasembled this car and putting it back together is somewhat of a puzle.Also any suggestions as to where to buy fasteners would be helpfull.

[Otto Skorzeny]

Hi  mp,

Click on the link in my signature for a long list of vendors. There are 4 or 5 sources for fasteners on the list. Mr. G's is one of them.

[Jeff Hansen]

MP,

Another suggestion is to get a copy of the Master Parts Book for that year.  This will identify the size and type of each nut, bolt, and washer used and where they were used.  Clips are another matter, though.  While it will tell you where clips are used, it does not give a clear photo of the clip (only shown in exploded diagrams).  It will give you cross reference information to other years and models of Cadillac, though, which can be helpful. 

Otto's list will likely have literature vendors in it.

HTH,
Jeff

[Jeff Maltby 4194]

What clips are you missing ? Post me direct please.

[Caddy Wizard]

Reassembling a basket case can be challenging -- I know first hand by having done so on a 49 fastback and presently am doing so on a 54 CDV.  If possible, search the market for the rustiest, most beat up, too-far-over-the-hill 49 FW you can find in a junkyard and pay them to allow you to remove fasteners and clips from one side of the vehicle.  Bag and label everything as you go.  Take a digital camera and take pictures of everything as you go.  Then use this data to work with the inventory of bolts, screws, clips etc that you have with the car you bought from Dan.


Best of luck with the biggest jig saw puzzle you'll ever work...

[mphowlett]

Thanks for all the suggestions.I see some of you know the car I am working on,its a good start but could have been disassembled with more care.I do have a complete 49 fletwood I am using for parts and taking this one apart makes it easier to put the other one together.The problem I am runnig into is alot of the fasteners off the complete car are to rough to use.Right now I am looking for the washers and rubber inserts to attach the stainless trim.From what I can gather it looks like cup shaped washers with rubber inserts?I ordered inserts from steele rubber,dont know where to get washers.I think I will look into ordering the parts/body manual.Thanks again Mike   mhowlett50@yahoo.com

[Jay Friedman]

Dear MPHowlett,

To change the subject somewhat, I'd like to suggest you join the Forty Niners Chapter of the Cadillac LaSalle Club.  Dues are $8 per year, in return for which you get a quarterly (March, June, Sept., Dec.), illustrated, 8-page newsletter with informative articles on restoring, running and repairing '49 Cadillacs.  Many of our 230 members, such as Cadster49 whose post is above, are very knowledgeable about '49s and can help with this and lots of other problems.

As it happens I'm the chapter prez and treasurer, so if interested send an $8 check to: Jay Friedman, 1530 September Chase, Decatur GA 30033 and you'll get the March and June issues immediately and the Sept. and Dec. when published.

Jay 

[Bill Hedge CLC 14424]

$8.00 sounds like a good deal to me!  With over 200+ members you must be doing soemting right.  Keep up the good work.

[Jay Friedman]

You ought to join, too.  Even if you don't have a '49, maybe you'll see the light and get yourself one.

[Bill Hedge CLC 14424]

Jay:

I half expected that you would send me an invitation for which I thank you.  However, with 6 collector cars, my wife has decreed no more cars unless I get rid of one the existing cars.  So far, I have not been willing to sell any of my "kids".  I currently have so much reading I cannot get it all read, let alone add more to it!

[mphowlett]

                        Jay: The checks in the mail thanks