Medalliion base placement on 41 skirts

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Hi all. These 41s are always a mystery. Im going over several sets of skirts I have. Some of them have the holes drilled near the verticle support bar, while some have them drilled 1 to the rear of those holes. In some cases the foreward holes were factory punched & in some the rearward holes were factory punched. What gives? In the forward holes the medallion base is about 12 from the leading edge of the skirt. There are several skirts that have 2 sets of holes. Why would this have been done? Bob

[Doug Houston]

Several years ago, I bought a few pair of those skirts and indeed, they  had two sets of medallion holes in them. I used the holes that brought the medallion over the center of the wheel. While I dont know the exact reason for the multiple holes, it might have been that the series 61,63 and 67 had rear fenders that would make the medallions  fit on the skirts in a different location (with respect to the skirt edges) than on the 62 or 75 series. It happens that all of my skirts are on C body (62 series) cars. So, I can only speculate about it.

Incidentally, Ill ruin your day now. I bought probably 6 pair of skirts, medallion bases, medallions, attaching bracketry, gaskets and retaining wires for something like $35.00 per set....from Cadillac in Detroit, around 1959.

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Thanks, Doug. That makes sense. The odd part is that in some cases the front holes are are punched & the rear drilled & others its the opposite. What were they thinking? How come you didnt buy a dozen steering wheelsin 59 so you sell me one for $100? LOL Bob

[Doug Houston]

You need to consider that Cadillac, like any other mnufacturer, sends out for bids on replacement parts, and the replacement supplier may not have been the guy supplying the original pieces. So, while the replacement vendor may have had dies for the holes, Cadillac may have specified the additional holes to accomodate all series cars with one part. In other words, the original skirts could have been made with actually two different hole locations for differing cars. Thats something well never know.

So, indeed, when I was ordering parts willy-nilly from Cadillac in 1956-57, they DID have new steering wheels, but I regarded it as lower priority at the time. I was new in my career (27-28 years old), and money wasnt plentiful then (it isnt now!). BUT.. in 1960, when I first got the 38-60S, I was able to get a new steering wheel in the box for it. Even to this day, the original wheel is on the car, in almost unbelievable condition, and the new one awaits in its box, the day that Ill need it. Matter of fact, my 41-60S has new front fenders on it, installed in 1958. Boy oh boy, them wuz the days!

And on the 41 steering wheels, Ill be getting all four re-molded. Fortunately there are at least three spare wheels here, so only one car will have to be without a wheel during the re-mold.

[Bob Dziewit]

I have to agree with Doug on GMs lack of attention to authenticity on their replacement parts.  In 1980, I was delighted to be able to order a new shift lever knob for a 1960 Chevy from the local Dealer for a few dollars.  I would have probably gotten a more authentic part from J.C. Whitney.  It fit and thats where the authenticity stopped.  It made me realize that fit and function, and not form, was their only intent.  On another occasion, in March of 1973, I bought a 55 Chevy (which I still have).  My father worked at Chevrolet Engineering at the time and I prepared a three page list of parts, mostly all exterior and interior trim items, for him to check on parts availability.  It turned out that nearly every item on that list was discontinued in November of 1972.  So I could have restored it with GM parts in 72 but not in 73.  Wish I had known that sooner.