News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

New member needs help with Barn Find - 1925 Cadillac V-63 4 dr Sedan

Started by DRNOBEL, March 28, 2021, 11:38:02 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

DRNOBEL

I joined the CLC last year after finding a 1925 Cadillac V-63 4 dr sedan sitting in an old building on an  isolated farm.  I will try and attached a few photos.  I've refurbished a number of old tractors and a few old cars and trucks but I have never worked on an old Cadillac like this before.  Is there any one out there who would be willing to share their knowledge with me about this great old car? The old man I bought it from told me it ran great before they parked it in 1970 when his dad died. I can turn the engine over by hand but the starter doesn't work.

Thanks for your time

James Landi

AMAZING  Well, someone put this car away with a loving hand--- the fact that you're able to crank it over is HUGE-- are you a shade tree mechanic?  How knowledgeable are you?   If you have some mechanic acumen--- the second step in your journey is to blow out the spark plug area around the plugs to free it of debris before taking out the plugs, use Liquid Wrench to soak the plugs threads before attempting to release them, back  out the spark plugs,( taking a picture of the spark plug wire location, )  Then carefully fill the cylinders with lubricant--- someone will recommend a good rust cutting lub for the cylinders and their rings.  There's always a question of just how much lub you should fill in... I'm a believer in ALL the way up with in block valve train.   That is the start... the other approach is to put it up for sale in its present state as you can do a lot of irreparable damage if you're not up to the taking on the large task ahead.   James

Mike Baillargeon #15848

Quote from: DRNOBEL on March 28, 2021, 11:38:02 AM
I joined the CLC last year after finding a 1925 Cadillac V-63 4 dr sedan sitting in an old building on an  isolated farm.  I will try and attached a few photos.  I've refurbished a number of old tractors and a few old cars and trucks but I have never worked on an old Cadillac like this before.  Is there any one out there who would be willing to share their knowledge with me about this great old car? The old man I bought it from told me it ran great before they parked it in 1970 when his dad died. I can turn the engine over by hand but the starter doesn't work.

Thanks for your time

Dale thanks for joining the CLC.....you have a really nice car there....unbelievable condition for almost 100 years old !!

There is a group of owners of these older Cadillac cars and alot of those guys are CLC members....It's an ATT group or Yahoo group....They may be able to help you with questions, check out this link to them....

https://groups.io/g/EarlyV8Cadillac

Good Luck and keep us posted...

Mike
Mike
Baillargeon
#15848

Kevin M. Parkinson

What a great find! I'm glad to see another V-63 getting some careful attention.
1925 V-63B Custom Suburban
1941 Series 6719
1956 Fleetwood 75 Imperial Sedan
1967 Sedan deVille
1968 Sedan deVille
1972 Fleetwood 75 Sedan
1972 S&S Cadillac Victoria Hearse Senior #779
1980 Fleetwood Limousine
1996 Sedan deVille
2006 DTS 1SD
2018 CT6 3.0TT Platinum
2018 Escalade ESV

DRNOBEL

Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it.  I'm fairly confident I can get it running again.  I've restored to running condition a number of old engines including a 1917 Overland I found in the same barn as the caddy. The engine was stuck and the generator and distributor was rusted solid but I managed to get it running.

I will need some help with the combination starter motor/generator, I have never worked on anything like this.  Does somebody know where I can send this motor/generator and get it rebuilt?

Also, what's the deal with the key? The car had an uncut key in the ignition. I pulled the lock cylinder from the front passenger door and took it to the locksmith I use for old cars and he managed to cut me a key that tuned the door lock but will not turn anything else.  I then read where the key to the storage compartment on the passenger side is not suppose to turn but just needs to be inserted to work. Is the ignition lock the same way and this is why the old key was never cut?  Of course the door key must turn to operate the door lock.  How about the lock at the base of the gear shift
or in the back on the spare tire rack. Are these keys different from the ignition or should they all work with the same key.

Thanks again for your time.

Kevin M. Parkinson

Our 1925 has one key for all of the following:

The key hole on the dashboard rotates one revolution to lock the ignition switch (above and right from the key). Rotate the opposite direction one revolution to unlock. As long as the ignition switch is unlocked, you do not need the key at all to start the car.

The same key unlocks the right front door.

You are correct about the storage compartment. The key is not intended to turn in this lock. The latch is unlocked by, and will only operate so long as the key remains inserted.

The transmission lock at the base of the gearshift prevents the car from being put into gear when locked. The unlocked position is when the top of the key slot is left of center about 25 degrees. The transmission must be in neutral to lock and when locked the top of the key slot is about 25 degrees to the right of center and the gearshift will not move into any gear.

Our dual spare setup does not have a lock.
1925 V-63B Custom Suburban
1941 Series 6719
1956 Fleetwood 75 Imperial Sedan
1967 Sedan deVille
1968 Sedan deVille
1972 Fleetwood 75 Sedan
1972 S&S Cadillac Victoria Hearse Senior #779
1980 Fleetwood Limousine
1996 Sedan deVille
2006 DTS 1SD
2018 CT6 3.0TT Platinum
2018 Escalade ESV

DRNOBEL

Thanks for the info on the keys, Kevin.  The key I had made that will turn the door lock will not turn anything else so it must need some more work. At least I know what it's suppose to do.

Do you have any idea where I can send the starter motor / generator to get it rebuilt?

Michael Petti

This looks like an amazing find and it appears you intend to bring it back to it's full glory. With a car this old that has been sitting this long, the non cranking situation could be a oxidized connection, a broken or deteriorated wire, a bad switch or just a dirty or oxidized contact inside the  starter motor.  Maybe pulling it out and seeing if it works with current applied to it directly before sending parts off the be rebuilt would be worthwhile unless you are planning to rebuild the parts anyway.

Cadillac Jack 82

Tim

CLC Member #30850

1959 Cadillac CDV "Shelley"
1964 Cadillac SDV "Rosalie"
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado "Sienna"

Past Cars

1937 LaSalle Cpe
1940 Chevrolet Cpe
1941 Ford 11Y
1954 Buick 48D
1955 Cadillac CDV
1955 Packard Clipper
1957 Cadillac Series 62
1962 VW Bug
1962 Dodge 880
1966 Mercury Montclair
1967 Buick Wildcat Convertible
1968 Chevy Chevelle SS
1968 Plymouth Barracuda
1977 Lincoln MKV

LaSalle5019

Quote from: DRNOBEL on March 29, 2021, 08:31:04 PM
I will need some help with the combination starter motor/generator, I have never worked on anything like this.  Does somebody know where I can send this motor/generator and get it rebuilt?

You could try Advanced Electrical Rebuilders in Grand Ledge, MI - excellent quality of workmanship but sometimes has a bit of a backlog (good places usually do).
http://www.aerrebuild.com/

DRNOBEL

Thanks for the advice on the starter/generator.  I will super clean it up after I take it off and see if I can get it to work with direct current applied.

Thanks again, I will be providing updates along with a bunch of other questions, I'm sure.

DRNOBEL

UPDATE.

Thanks to all for the advice so far.

I'm getting ready to start the work on the old 1925 V63 but first I need to move it from my tractor shed to my house garage and I need some tires to do this.  The tires that were on it when I found it crumbled to pieces by the time I got it moved from the old barn to my tractor shed at home.  I need to find any old used 33 x 5 tires I can to put on this car so I can roll it around. I'll put new tires on it before I ever drive it around, but for right now any old used tires will work.

Thanks for your time