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cadillac 1938

Started by zuzana willis, September 08, 2005, 01:52:30 PM

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zuzana willis

we have a 1938 wreck of a cadillac, and i have been trying to research some of the personal history of this particular car -with no luck so far.  do you have any suggestions who i can contact to find out more info e.g. who was the original owner, what the car looked like, technical manual, anything that would help us restore the car to its original glory and learn more about its history...
any help is greatly appreciated
thank you

style no 39-6167
body no 242
trim no 39
paint no 54
body by fischer

Doug Houston

Heres what we can get from your body plate as you have quoted.

39-6167 is a 1939 Cadillac convertible coupe (rather nioce car, by the way).

Paint no. 54 = Marblehead gray (probably a gunmetal gray); non-metallic. Wheels are Corsican red baked enamel. This will be a bright red, but not real orangy.

The interior will surely be leather, but my book only goes back to 1941. Since the car is a gray, the interior could have been one of  typically six colors. Antiqued red was very popular in convertibles, but actually, with a neutral color like gray, any color interior would look good.

(I have a 41 Cadillac convertible coupe in metallic blue with a red interior, and it looks good to me).

Rhino 21150

try Crank En Hope Publications in Blairsville, PA 15717 (call 412-459-8853). They reprint original GM shop manuals. I cant help trace previous owners, but I know a good book when I see one!

Doug Houston

Insofar as tracing previous ownership, every case is a case of its own. The likelihood of tracing previous owners is very thin. The club offers a copy of the invoice to the distributor where the car was originally billed.This invoice does not carry the name of the dealer who actually delivered the car, though the distributor could have been the selling dealer.  The data on it is usually interesting, but almost never is the original owners name on the invoice. I have them for almost all of my cars and its often surprising to learn where the car was shipped from the factory.

If you know the previous owner, possibly, he/she can step you back   to another owner, and perhaps that party is the original owner. But, dont be too optimistic, as so many years have passed since 1939!

zuzana willis

thank you so much for that information.  where could i get the manual you got it from?

zuzana willis

you are a well of information!  i am a cadillac "virgin" though, and have no clue where to find the invoice... i tried calling gm headquarters, they were not very helpful, referred me to the heritage museum and i got no response from them.  you are right, so many years have passed, and people dont find history as relevant as they should!!!
how would i go about finding the dealer that sold the car?  there couldnt have been that many dealers back then. any of them still operating?
thank you so much for taking the time to respond.  i really appreciate it!
luv
zuz

baxter culver #17189

Keep digging.
My 1939 60S, according to Cadillac Historical Services records, was delivered to the R.R. Hall dealership in Denver, Co in Feb of 1939.  The Factory "Service" Card, which was still with the car, identified the Buyer as Samual Magoffin.  The registration certificates have the car variously in Denver, St. Paul, Minn., and Vancouver, BC.  I bought the car from a collector in Vancouver, BC.  I know it was kept in the Magoffin family until the late 1960s.  It was essentially unrestored when I purchased it.  

The point being; start with the Cadillac Historical Services, 5501 Enterprise Court, Suite B, Warren, MI  48089 (include $50, and the serial # from the data plate). By all means, go back to the previous owner(s).  Look for registration certificates, service records, anything that can help document its life.  At the least, you will know when it was built, what the optional original factory equipment was, and to whom it was shipped.

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

Baxter, there is no serial # on the data plate! They need to get the VIN off the frame. Compare it to the # on the title as it might not match. The frame # is the only true #. Bob

JIM CLC # 15000

09-13-05
ZUNANA, you will find the information needed to "authenticate" your car on the CLC home page. It will cost you $50.00 US. While you wait for the info package, you can start restoreing your car. They require the S/N of the car, plus the numbers that are on the data plate. (located on the engine side of the fire-wall drivers side ) You will find the S/N stamped into the top of the frame, near the steering sector. (steering box) Dont be discouraged if you have a hard time finding the number. The number on my 38 was hard to find as it was not stamped very deep into the frame.
The Cadillac CO. will send you a lot if information, with the "build-sheet". The build sheet will show which Cadillac Distriburator the car was origional shipped to, they may or may not have sold it to an individual, but to a "dealer".