Upholstery 1957 7523/33 Limo

[Kurt Kjelgaard]

Hello guys,

My car is a 1957 7533X, but with the same interior in the front compartment as in the back (as in the 7523X).
The most common front interior for the 7533X was black leather (and black door sides, instrument cover etc.).
The build sheet for my car has the trim code as 00, which according to GM Heritage Center
is special order and that's all they can tell.
The interior has been redone at some point in time with the same cloth throughout,
but a small tag attached to the springs under the front seat says 84....
This would be the combination of the two cloth types acc. to the manuals.

Can anybody explain in detail the difference between trim code 84 and trim code 85.
84 is apparently a combination of Bedford cord Broadcloth and 85 is Broadcloth throughout.

What is the difference in the two types of cloth and which parts of the seats/seat backs/door panels in trim 84
is which type of cloth?
I am not in the textile business (far from, actually) so the names (bolsters, inserts etc.) doesn't tell me much.
I hope somebody can shed some light on this, thanks

[Walter Youshock]

Looks like you have the Imperial limo (divider window) with the Series 75 sedan front compartment.  That would explain the special order interior since formal limos had the leather front compartment.

Code 84 is beige broadcloth bolsters and trim with beige Bedford cord inserts.  Code 85 is beige broadcloth throughout.  Broadcloth is a heavy wool that was used in closed cars almost from day one.  It looks like a wool overcoat.

The Bedford Cord Cadillac used is a smooth material with a herringbone-tweed effect woven into it.  It also has a bit of a sheen to it.  I have a piece of each somewhere.  If I find them, I can scan them so you get the idea.

Probably more rare than your interior is a "75" with the special-order $445 mouton carpet.

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

Kurt,

Trim code 85 is all beige broadcloth, which is a smooth, tightly woven wool material, that looks like expense flannel. Code 84 is beige broadcloth with beige Bedford cord. Bedford is also woven wool but has a rib pattern to the weave like twill or corduroy. The ribs can be fine, medium or course in size and may have another complimentary color in the stripe. The ’57 Bedford cord is single color and has a rib the size of corduroy slacks. Base on the samples I have , both colors are medium in tone but the broadcloth has a slight red tint. The Bedford has a slight crème tint. The resulting combination is a very subtle two tone effect. Code 84 uses the Bedford cord for the square biscuits and buttons on the seat cushion and lower part of the seat back The upper backrest and top of the backrest are the beige broadcloth. I believe the side and door panels and division partition are also broadcloth.

HTH,
Ralph

[Kurt Kjelgaard]

Excellent - this gives me a starting point..
Thanks to both of you for taking your time with this.

Ralph, am I correct in the assumption then, that the idea with the 84 code is a more coarse and tough
material on the wear surfaces and the smoother broadcloth on the not so exposed surfaces?

I would really appreciate scans/pictures of each of the textures, if possible.
I got some samples from SBS Auto Fabrics, but want to confirm the colors and look.

I also would like to see how the carpets would look - not the mouton version, unfortunately:-),
but the code 84.

For info, all the normally chromed parts/moldings/switches/screws tec. in the rear compartment is not chrome,
but gold plated. Even the square on the clock face and the pointers are gold plated.!
That alone could certainly justify the 00 trim code, I guess.

Looking forward to some pics.

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

Kurt,

Send me your e-mail address and I'll scan the fabrics when I have a moment. rfm45@optonline.net

The original carpet was a long silky cut pile that resembeled but wasn't mouton. I beleive it was some synthetic like nylon.
Ralph

[Walter Youshock]

This does sound interesting.  Gold-plated hardware?  The Eldorado Brougham Town Car also had gold hardware in the rear.  Wonder what the history of this car is?

The braodcloth was used on the bolsters, door panels, partition, armrests and jump seats.  The Bedford Cord was used on the seat and back rest inserts (biscuit areas).

I think the headliner was also broadcloth or something very similar like a brushed silk or moleskin fabric.

[Kurt Kjelgaard]

Yes, it is somewhat special in the rear compartment.
The triangular molding on top of the divider is gold plated as well as ashtrays,
radio knobs, door sliding handles, the little knobs "door inside remote locking device"
as the parts book calls them, are also goldplated.
Lamp surrounds, a/c outlets, grilles at floor level, everything is gold plated.

Must have been expensive with all this special order stuff.
The cast parts have the normal part number cast on them and there is normal chrome
underneath the gold plating, so they must have taken parts out of stock and had them plated
before assembly.
The parts books does not mention anything about gold plated parts for the 753/33

Acc. to the build sheet, the car was delivered to the LA area.
That's how close I can get.

Do you have an idea on how to get further into this?

[Walter Youshock]

Back in 1993 when I bought my '57, I was able to do a Title Search in PA where the car was originally sold just by using the VIN.  Since mine was always a PA car, I got copies of the original title from 1957 and the two subsequent titles--one from the original owner to his estate and then the estate to me.  This was before HIPPA, Identity Theft and everything else we have to think about.  I don't know how or if you could get that info from the California DMV or not.

Do you have the Build Sheet from Cadillac Historical Services?  With that, you might be able to at least find out what the dealership was.

[Kurt Kjelgaard]

I will look into getting some info from CA DMV.
The build sheet only shows the delivery areas, in this case LA,
but not a specific dealer.
There is a list with the dealers at that time, but most are closed and others have
changed name/owners. I am at the moment trying to compile a list
of then dealers and present dealers and hope to make some matches.
Then I will write to the possibles and ask them if they have any records on my car.
My hopes are not high, though

[Kurt Kjelgaard]

Just checked the CA DMV

http://dmv.ca.gov/online/vrr.htm

Must be a certified user acc. to the link above,
so no go for me

[Kurt Kjelgaard]

One more question concerning the Bedford Cord:
When fitted, which way does the ribs in the fabric go,
from side to side or back to front?

[Raymond919]

I have a 1949 model and the ribs run front to back. On the seatback, they were up and down. I would assume that they used the same method down through the years.
Ray Schuman

[Kurt Kjelgaard]

Sounds very plausible - thanks

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

Kurt,

Ray’s comment about the stripe direction is correct. Placing the stripe side to side on the seat would be like a blue suit with horizontal pinstripes.

Ralph

[Walter Youshock]

YIKES!

FORBID!  Absolutely vertical stripes. 

Not only does it look better but the weave of the fabric is stronger on the vertical than the horizontal.

Next to leather, these wools were probably the best wearing upholstery fabrics available.  That's why they were used for so many years.

[Kurt Kjelgaard]

Thanks all, we can't have the car look like a mens wear store, can we? :-)

On the serious note - can anybody tell me how I as a foreigner can access
the California DMV as I mentioned earlier?