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Authenticate a 1956 Coupe DeVille build

Started by mlmsm, November 09, 2010, 03:54:18 PM

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mlmsm

I own an original 1956 Coupe De Ville which has remained in stock condition for all these years.  Until last year it had been garaged in California for all its life.  Then I had it trucked to VA.
Today someone questioned whether this car actually came from the factory with two (2) Carter inline 4 barrel carbs as the delivered configuration.  How does one prove that this was the delivered option and configuration?
Thank you.
Michael Curran
Virginia
michael curran

J. Gomez

Michael,

My copy of the AMA list (Page 6) shows all models having a single Carter (2 models) or Rochester (2 models), with the exception of the Eldorado. The Eldorado show (with an *) having either a dual carb with Carter or Rochester (the rear was different with AC cars). Unfortunately my copy is all fade under the carb models numbers.  :(

Maybe someone may have more info if dual carbs were available with non-Eldorado models.

Good luck..!
J. Gomez
CLC #23082

PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192

I thought that the Eldorado engine [ie twin carb set up] was available from the factory in other models as an option. I could be wrong, but I'm sure I read that somewhere.
Phil

Glen

Wouldn’t the body tag show the dual carb option? 

Glen
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

Glen,
Body tags never show engine options. The best way to know for sure is to buy an invoice.
It will show as an Eldorado engine option.
Bob
1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

The Tassie Devil(le)

Seeing as the Sabre Wheels in either Silver or Gold were available as an option, I would be pretty sure that the Dual Carb engine would be available as well.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Mike Josephic CLC #3877

"Body tags never show engine options. The best way to know for sure is to buy an invoice.
It will show as an Eldorado engine option."


Bob:

Where can you "buy an invoice" for a car of that vintage?  The "cars built" sheet was
all I was aware that could be had.

Mike
1955 Cadillac Eldorado
1973 Cadillac Eldorado
1995 Cadillac Seville
2004 Escalade
1997 GMC Suburban 4X4, 454 engine, 3/4 ton
custom built by Santa Fe in Evansville, IN
2011 Buick Lucerne CX
-------------------------------------
CLCMRC Museum Benefactor #38
Past: VP International Affiliates, Museum Board Director, President / Director Pittsburgh Region

Glen

Bob, Thanks for the reply.  Somehow I remember the multi carb engine had a “Q” designation and thought it would be on the body tag.  But then the power train is not a part of the body so the answer is, as you say, no. 

Glen
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

Mike,
That's what I meant. I'm used to working on older cars that had an invoice. Doesn't the cars built sheet show an engine option when there was one???  The "Eldorado" engine option was available on any car from 1955 to 1960.
Bob
1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

Mike Josephic CLC #3877

Hi Bob:

I have a '55 Eldorado and have the "Cars Built" sheet for it.  It is just one page
showing cars built December 17th - 22nd 1954.  No mention of an engine option
for duel quads there -- (although I know that you could order that on a  series CDV
in '55, for example and rarely on a series '60).  The option was called the "Q Option".
That's in the Authenticity Manuel for Class 15.

Mike
1955 Cadillac Eldorado
1973 Cadillac Eldorado
1995 Cadillac Seville
2004 Escalade
1997 GMC Suburban 4X4, 454 engine, 3/4 ton
custom built by Santa Fe in Evansville, IN
2011 Buick Lucerne CX
-------------------------------------
CLCMRC Museum Benefactor #38
Past: VP International Affiliates, Museum Board Director, President / Director Pittsburgh Region

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

#10
Mike,
The only cars built sheet I have is for 1959. It does have a option list on the RH 1/3 of the page & does show Eldorado engine. I'm not familiar with other years. The engine unit  # does strart with a Q & I'm not going to dispute whether some  call It a Q engine.
So... getting back to the sheet for his car. If the sheet shows engine unit #'s as the sheet I have does, and his car has a Q engine unit #, then his car DID come from the factory with dual quads. Right???  So... he still needs to get that sheet to be sure.
Bob
I just had another idea. He needs to verify that his motor is original by the numbers. Then find his engine unit # & see if it starts with a Q. Mystery solved & he saves $50.
1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

okccadman

The build sheets I have for my 1956 Cadillacs DO have a column for "Eldorado Engine" with the other listed options on the broadcast sheet.  There is an "X" on that line on my 1956 Sixty Special's broadcast sheet showing it wa sfactory equipped with the 2 4 bbl engine.
Jim Jordan CLC# 5374
Oklahoma City, OK

55 Series 62 Sedan
56 Series 62 Coupe
56 Fleetwood 75 Derham Limo
59 Fleetwood Sixty Special
66 Fleetwood Brougham
66 Superior Hearse/Ambulance
67 Fleetwood Sixty Special
68 Fleetwood Eldorado
76 Coupe de Ville d'Elegance
90 Brougham
92 Fleetwood Coupe
93 Allante
94 Fleetwood Brougham
02 Eldorado Commemorative Edition

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

mlmsm

Thank you all, each and every one of you for sharing what you know so that I have an answer.  I will proceed with getting the rebuild kit situation figured out first.  Then I will look into this documentation, "Q" designation, and the El Dorado package in order to best understand my car - just what I have and just what it takes to properly maintain it.
Thank you.

Michael Curran
Virginia
michael curran

J Kjerrulf

I agree with Bob except for the eldo engine being an option on any car from 1955 to 1960. Last year any duals was a factory option for other series than eldo was 1956. My 1957 litterature says that the duals of 1957 was only an option (no cost) for the Seville and Biarritz and not availiable on other series than 70. No choice possible at all on series 70.
The 3x2 was an option on other series from model year 1958.

You could always check the engine unit No on the engine in car, I assume the engine serial No already have been verified. But: The money to authenticate your car is money well spent.

If your 1956 Cad is pretty untouched it should still have the special transmission code that followed with the Q-engine, "CE-56 xxxx" - or was it just on the Eldo series?

J Kjerrulf
/J Kjerrulf
Eldorado Seville 1957

okccadman

Any 1956 car equipped with teh Eldorado 2x4 bbl engine should have a "CE" number on the transmission.  To the best that I can determine the "CE" transmission has slightly different shift points.  I'm assuming this is for "high performance" driving.
Jim Jordan CLC# 5374
Oklahoma City, OK

55 Series 62 Sedan
56 Series 62 Coupe
56 Fleetwood 75 Derham Limo
59 Fleetwood Sixty Special
66 Fleetwood Brougham
66 Superior Hearse/Ambulance
67 Fleetwood Sixty Special
68 Fleetwood Eldorado
76 Coupe de Ville d'Elegance
90 Brougham
92 Fleetwood Coupe
93 Allante
94 Fleetwood Brougham
02 Eldorado Commemorative Edition

Roger Zimmermann

Any 1956 car equipped with teh Eldorado 2x4 bbl engine should have a "CE" number on the transmission.  To the best that I can determine the "CE" transmission has slightly different shift points.

There are also different parts into that transmission; for example, the fluid coupling is not the same.

Roger
1956 Sedan de Ville (sold)
1956 Eldorado Biarritz
1957 Eldorado Brougham (sold)
1972 Coupe de Ville
2011 DTS
CLCMRC benefactor #101