1947 Cadillac Fender Skirts

[47caddydaddy]

Hi guys, After a new paintjob, I'm almost done putting everything back on my 1947 series 62 sedan. I'm down to the fenderskirts. I bought new fenderskirt rubber seal from Steele Rubber, but am confused as to where it goes (there was no rubber on the skirts or skirt openings before the car went for paint). I'm kindof thinking the rubber seal goes on the skirt opening in the fenders, and not on the skirts themselves. Can any of you Caddy experts verify this?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Bob

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

Cadillac would not leave sharp edges on a skirt. I'm sure the rubber goes on the skirt somehow. Just hang on until an owner of a '47 gets on the thread and lets you know how to do it correctly. I had a 1941 Series 67 once that I had found NOS stone guards, probably the last set in the world. I even turned down the guy with the "Lil' Red Wagon," the Charles Starett custom station wagon that offered me a bundle for them. I kept them and let them go when I sold the car. The idiot who painted it couldn't tell that you loosened three or four fender mounting bolts so as to be able to slip the front edge into the gap between the fender and the body. Instead, he took a razor knife and trimmed the excess. Every time I get out my LeRoi Smith book and look at the picture of my car it makes me sick. I was 22 years old and not much of a mechanic when I got a pair from Hoosier Cadillac in 1958 brand new for $6.50 each, I was able to figure it out without any instructions. Beware of "experts" which the jerk was. He should have known you don't cut parts putting them on a Cadillac. Argh!

So don't go messing around until you find out how to install them, Please! Sorry to be so brusque, but I still get mad when I think of what that ham-handed jerk did to those rare stone guards. Congrats on getting the '47 nearly done. BW.

[Bill Ingler #7799]

Hi Bob: Since my 47 is stored for the summer about 25 miles from my home what I will tell you on the fender skirt seal is from memory. The picture 1 below shows the metal flange that goes around the radii of the skirt. The second picture 2 shows the cross section of the skirt seal as shown in the Steele catalog. This is part number 70-0154-45 marked 1946-64  and the one I used on my 47. The catalog also shows another seal 70-289-45 which is marked 1946-50. Which one is correct? Can`t tell you and maybe someone else knows the correct answer.

Look at the opening marked 3 in the picture 2. Push the seal up using opening 3 to slide up and cover the metal radii flange around the skirt. Now that puts side 1 of the seal facing the unfinished metal inside of the skirt and that will leave side 2 to ride against the outside of the metal flange around the skirt which will then ride against the face of the short flange that goes around the radii of the wheel opening in the fender. So now when you twist close the fender skirt lock, this then pulls in of the skirt and now you have a good seal between the fender, fender seal and fender skirt. You also will have to trim the seal to fit around the top part of the skirt lock so make sure you have it fitted the best you can, trim the seal around the lock, then trim the length. Trimming the length last allows some wiggle room in case you are off a little in cutting around the skirt lock. Hope you can visualize what I just wrote.    Bill