Question for 1955 6237DX authenticity freaks.........

[5390john]

See attached photo of my 1955 6237DX ("Marilyn") taken on the day 5 1/2 years ago when she was pulled out of the barn. Zoom in the the spare tire support rod to the right of the spare. The attachment point of the rod is painted red, same color as the hold down spring that is close by. I am positive that the trunk of this car, at this point in time, is as the factory made it.

Would like to have a second opinion - is the red color of the attachment point of the spare tire rod correct?
Thx in advance
John Adams

[Caddy Wizard]

Here is the attachment point from a 54 S62 sedan.  I don't think the attachment point in this photo has been restored or repainted (obviously, the trunk carpet is non-original).

[dino]

Attachment point on my 54 coupe deVille.. 37K untouched original car..  Attachment point is body color..  Note spare tire well still has the original card board liner..

[5390john]

Dino:
Thx for your post, I have never seen or even heard of a cardboard liner for the spare tire well. Your car is a '54, was that standard in '54? On all models? How about '55 De Villes? Is the liner glued in? Can you pull it out and take photos?
Can anyone else out there in Caddy cyber space add any input?
John Adams

[Caddy Wizard]

i've had lots of 54-56 Cads.  Never seen or even heard of the liner for the spare tire well...

[dino]

The reason I posted the picture of the spare tire well liner is to try and get the answers to the same questions you are asking.
I don't know if a liner was a stock item on all new cars in 54.
I have never seen this before seeing it on this car...  Can anyone shed any light on this subject ?
I am not going to disturb it by trying to pull it out..

While we are talking about things not seen before. I also have a 56 series 62 convertible.  The jack is mounted behind the spare tire as it should be, but the jack is stored inside a black canvas pouch.. The pouch looks original.
Has anyone ever seen such a thing on a 56 Caddy ?
Original 55K mile car.. Known history.. Can't see any past owner ever having it made for the car..

[dino]

i've had lots of 54-56 Cads.  Never seen or even heard of the liner for the spare tire well...

Not sure how to respond to this quote.
Here are a few more shots of the trunk..  Never been touched... Maybe not many of these liners survived...

[Caddy Wizard]

Hey, Dino, I am not questioning the authenticity of your spare well liner.  I just have never seen one.  I am pretty familiar with these cars, but obviously, I don't know everything.  Lots of folks know more about authenticity of the 54-56 cars than me.  So I don't mean to imply that your liner is not an original feature and if I gave the opposite impression, my apologies!  BTW, your car is a jewel.

I really like 54-56 Cads!  Here are some of my favorites that I have had...(the next to last photo was of us wrapping up a paint job on the 54 CDV and then I traded it for the Pecos Beige 56 FW).

The last photo is of my daily driver from 1988 to about 2000...

[5390john]

Looks like I've found a subject for a treasure hunt.....
Dino -- I really like the liner and I think it adds a nice finished look to the trunk. I would add one to my car just to make it look better. Maybe the liner you have is an aftermarket part from the distant past that has been forgotten. Again, just to confirm and be double dog sure, as far as you know the liner in your car is original? BTW, very nice car, I'm impressed!!!
John Adams

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Last weekend, there was a 100% untouched original '56 Coupe deVille with extremely low mileage at the annual Northern NJ CLC spring show. I can attest the trunk liner of that car is identical to that shown in the beige car above. 

[Caddy Wizard]

Thanks Virgil!  Very cool.  We learned something today, it seems...

[5390john]

Any photos? Any idea who the owner was and if the owner has photos?

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

i've had lots of 54-56 Cads.  Never seen or even heard of the liner for the spare tire well...

I have to agree - that's a "first" for me and I've seen quite a few original cars in
25 years of judging.

Mike

[Lexi]

First for me as well, and I have owned several '56s. Never heard of that jack canvas either. Clay/Lexi

[Roger Zimmermann]

When I bought my '56 de Ville in 1981 or 1982 (don't remember), the trunk material was the original one, very dirty. There was no liner in the spare tire well, but I cannot say if it was once removed in the years before.

[dino]

Black canvas pouch.  Finally got a chance to take a few pictures of black canvas pouch mentioned above. Pouch contains jack, hook and tire iron.
Has anyone ever seen one of these before.  Can anyone shed any light on whether or not this was standard on all new cars in 1956?
Zipper was a little rusty but with the help of some WD-40 I was able to get it open.
Cloth trunk liner material and top were replaced by previous owner. Original liner was "dirty".. No thought given to originality...

[5390john]

I may have found an answer on the spare tire well liner question. I contacted REM Automotive, a supplier of reproduction parts to companies like OPGI, to see if they had this part. They sent me part of a kit that was for earlier Cadillac's, see photo. They appear to be die cut tar paper.  I am going to see if it fits in the spare tire well of my '55, will post again with the results and a photo.
John Adams

[5390john]

Later today.............
See photo of the spare tire liner trial fitted in the spare tire well of my '55 6237DX. It seems to fit pretty well but there is no included method of attaching the liner to the well. I'm initially thinking something like carpet tape around the edges. I would not want an adhesive that isn't relatively easily removed, 'cuz after all, the liner is tar paper.
The interior of my car is being installed now, the trunk fabric will probably start being installed in a week or two. By that time I hope to have and idea of how to adhere the liner.
It looks to me that installing the liner could make the trunk look significantly better, even thought I doubt that it was on the cars new from the factory. If anybody out there has any verifiable info on that point please don't keep it secret!
Look forward to responses........
John Adams