Steele Rubber

[35-709]

Replacement body rubber parts, seals, gaskets, etc., are just about always necessary when redoing an old car.  As I am getting close to finishing my '35 sedan one pair of needed rubber parts have eluded me.  They are the 2 large "grommets" (as they are called) for the rear bumper, one on each side, where the bumper support brackets come out from the body.  They are part numbers 1408368 & 1408369 for left and right side, Steele's number for them I believe was 70181 L&R.  Made of unobtanium, Steele hasn't made them since 1994 when one of the molds broke, and because of little call for those parts they did not continue making them.  I knew about all this beforehand.  At the recent car show in Daytona Beach, FL held over the Thanksgiving holiday I stopped by the Steele Rubber trailer to talk with them about those rubber grommets.  When it was my turn to talk with one of the reps he asked how he could help me --- I said I was there to beg and plead.  I told him what I needed and how long it had been since Steele had made any and why.  He got out a 1994 catalog and found them, he remembered the grommets and why they had not made them for so many years.  I asked if there was any way they could make me a set ---- pleeease!

The fellow promised call me on Monday after he got back and had a chance to see what the situation was.  Sure enough, he really called me on Monday!  They had found the old molds and he said they were going to try and repair the broken one and if possible they would make and send me a set.  WOW!  Three or four days later I had the only set of these to be made since 1994!  And they are beautiful!

My point in telling this story is twofold, number one to point out what a great and helpful outfit I consider Steele Rubber to be, going the extra mile to help me and actually doing what they said they would do with no further prodding on my part --- starting with calling me on Monday as their rep said he would.  Secondly it is to inform everyone on these forums that if you need these particular rubber parts for a 34/35 Cadillac the Steele rep said they would make more.  Thank you very much Steele Rubber.      

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Geoff,

Great news, and good on Steele Rubber for not just fobbing you off.

Bruce.

[Doug Houston]

Lynn Steele got into the rubber parts business quite unexpctedly. He had a tool and die shop in Farmington, Mich., and was restoring a '31 Cadillac V12  club sedan in the earlier days of this club. He needed  a pair of the hoses that coupled the heads to the radiator. So, being a die maker, it was duck soup to make the tooling for things like that, so he did, and successfully. He wisly let the word out, probably in the SS, as well, about the hoses. Lotrs of orders came in forr the hoses, then inquiries about oher parts came in, and he found himself in the rubber parts business. The tool and die business was about dead at the same time, so rubber parts were the main product, now.

One Saturday, about 1976, I was restoring my 41-62 convertible sedan, and Lynn called me about the cowl weatherstrip for that car. Do I have one he could see?  I lived diagonally across Detroit from him, but he and his brother-in-law came over to see what they could. I gave him a piece of the seal from the 2 dr.convertible, then showed him all sorts of stuff that was used on the '41 Cadillac, and other "C" bodies.  the two guys left with an armload of pieces and parts, and went to work at the shop. The next month's '41 Cadillac page of his catalogue had suddenly gotten bigger.

On another occasion, he called and asked if I had a hood rest bumper, and I said that I did. I said that I'd get back with him, and then called Ed Anderson, at Cadillac Engineering (CLC member, too). Asked Ed if he could find the drawing for the bumper. (gave him the part number), and a couple of days later, he callerd and asked where he should mail it. I told him tod just send it directly to Lynn Steele. That was how he got the Cadillac drawing for that part. Believe me; it IS correct.

His wife, Evie, was editor of the Michigan CCCA newsletter for a couple of years. They're both gone now, Lynn having passed first. Lynn was a perfectionist. While sometimes, something might not fit too perfectly, I guess that, viewing the percentages, they're not doing so terrible.

A couple of years ago, I had the '41 convertible coupe repainted, this time very well. I needed almost everything for it in body rubber  pieces, so I have all of his stuff on that car. Currently, the 41-60S is in the paint shop, and I just phoned a big order for that car.  What goes around, comes around. His family still runs the place. 

[Peter Nieuwlandt]

Well done Geoff,it never hurts to ask.
Maybe I need to contact Steele too for a spare set for my 34

Peter

[35-709]

   Couldn't hurt, Peter!  Since I wrote the above piece I have had the opportunity to install them.  The right side fits better than the left but I am still very happy to have them and am most satisfied.
Geoff N.