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wheel wells yes or no?

Started by chic gray, August 15, 2006, 07:45:05 PM

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chic gray

I would like to know if my My 1937 LaSalle 2dr. convertable with rumble seat originally came from the manufacturer with fender wheel wells.  How do you find out? and is there a way of determining if the car came with 2 wells? or only 1 well? or No wells!  My fenders are in need of major surgery, so any leads on replacements would be much appreciated.
Also, what is the correct side of the car the radio areal should be on?
I can be emailed at chicgray@shaw.ca    CLC member 22336
Thanks in advance for your help.

Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397

One thing is certain: it didnt come with ONE sidemount (wheel well). Cadillac/La Salle only offered dual sidemounts.

Doug Houston

If the car was built with fender mounted spares, there will be a notation: -6W in the lower right corner of the body name plate. If not, no notation.

Now, I know that any old car HAS to have side mounted spares,it HAS  to have fenders in contrastng colors (even after 1934), and it HAS to have a floor shift (You already have that).

If the car was a 6 wheel car, the front suspension was beefed slightly because of the 300+ extra pounds hanging on it.

Now, on the antenna. The year 1937 was about the first year for vertical rod antennae. They were far better for reception than the running board types. Until after WWII, they were alwys mounted on the drivers side. The appropriate type of antenna for a 37 car would be the side cowl 2 post type.

T.L. (Ty) Stinson

Only 300 pounds? I think one of my tires was about 300 pounds when I lifted it out. It was old and looked like a solid rubber truck tire. Well, it did look like an old jeep tread but it was not solid. Still, it almost broke my back ha, ha. If your car does not have wells I would not add them unless part of the original equipment. I have them, but the look of those long fenders without wells allows the side hood trim to be seen and gives the apperance of a much longer front end that I favor.
Ty - CLC #22330

Doug Houston

I feel sort of that way. In 1961, I bought my 39-90 coupe from a guy in California. He had owned a Cadillac 90 sedan, and played switcheroo with the front fenders, so that the coupe had welled fenders. It took a while for me to come to my senses, but if I were only able to swap back the fenders with the guy in California that has the car now, Id do it. Id really like the car as it originally was. But the cost of shipping those monsters would be staggering.

Barry M. Wheeler #2189

Rusty, sorry, but Cadillacs and LaSalles WERE available with only one (RH usually) sidemount spare. And that sometimes didnt have a cover.

Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397

Barry,
What years? I knew Buick (as well as lower-priced cars)offered only one, but Ive never seen a Cadillac or LaS with five wheels
and every price list Ive seen listed only six wheel equipment. Damn, I thought I was safe when Doug posted and didnt catch it.

Barry M. Wheeler #2189

I think Ive seen a picture of a hearse/flower car for 1937/1938. Not too many were done this way, as a 1938-40 Cadillac would look pretty scrungy with no cover and the lip around the well. I wondered why the guru didnt catch it, either. Best regards, Barry.

Harry Scott

I looked at a 37 LaSalle hearse in Elkins, WV about 5 years ago that had only one spare and it was on the right side. It was on Ebay and didnt sell, but eventually sold to one of the funeral car collectors  (I think).

Doug Houston

I neglected to mention that there were certain Cadillacs and LaSalles with the fastback body in 1938, and possibly 37. There was no space in the trunk for the spare tire, so the spare was in a right front fender well. Of course, the option was to order the left hand spare to balanced appearance. In commercial cars, as hearses and ambulances, there was no compartment for the spare, so again, in the RH front fender.

JIM CLC # 15000

08-17-06
CHIC, I almost didnt answer this post but had second throughts.
In the book " La Salle Cadillacs Companion Car" on page 267, it states, "2-pass.convertible coupe " Fisher Bodies 995 made, Rumble seat, spare under deck.  list price FOB Detroit $1175.00
Page 268 Acessory Groups. Basic Group "X" Equipment $55.00
Basic Group X consists of :0rnament,(?) Extra tire and tube, Bumpers, Guards,Electric Clock, Air Cleaner    With a note stating that"although Basic Group "X" is listed as an extra charge item, all vehicles were built with that equipment".
Accessory Groups A5,A6,B5 & B6 refer to the "wheel-well" spares, Each group containing difference Equipment. Chic, to find out about your car,  Send a $50.00 check or Money order to;
GM Heritage Center
Cadillac Archives
6400 Center Drive
Sterling Heights, MI 48312

Chic, beleive me, it will be the best buy for $50.00 that you will ever find. Enclude all of the numbers on the data plate, Located on the firewall, engine side, PLUS the S/N of the Vehicle. HTH
good Luck, you can join the CLC for $35.00, Also a good buy,JIM

John Tozer #7946

Doug,

Did that mean they only upgraded the suspension on one side? Or did they just have a preference for turning left all the time? As Ty said, all that gear in and under the well weighs a heap on my 75 series and I could understand it if two wells was mandatory on the bigger series with 16 inch wheels and truck tyres.

Regards,



John Tozer

Bill Edmunds - #5484

I had a 1935 LaSalle two door sedan (5011) with one right side side-mount.  the car is now owned by Dave Mikol in Detroit.  Researching the car, I found from the build sheet that it was initially delivered with two side-mounts but, when it was restored, a non-welled fender was used to replace the damaged left fender.  I was able to confirm that, although unusual, one left side side-mount was a factory option.

Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397

Theres an amazing amount of knowledge distributed among the members of this club. Rarely a day goes by that I dont learn something new about Cadillacs and La Salles.

chic gray

Thanks to all who responded to my question re wheel wells!  In reply, I am a member of the CLC #22336now and was a member back in 75-78 period.  The magazine at that time was a stapples in the corner b/w prublication...nothing like the current glossy glitzy and great magazine we currently have.  I guess I lost my mind back then and let my membership laps..thankfully I found it and rejoined.  I appreciate all the comments and help I have recieved from fellow clc members.
  If you have a spare 37 LaSalle fender hanging around let me know, as both my front ones are in need of a lot of body work.  I guess the original owner had too much horse power for the dirt, pot holed back country roads here in British Columbia.  Chicgray@shaw.ca

Doug Houston

Thats a good question. In those days, engineering was thorough, and Im gonna guess that the front suspension was compensated on a single side.

Im also going to go out on a limb and say that on the 75 and 60S, you might not have been able to order only one sidemounted spare. Youre right; a tire-wheel assembly, the wheel well and cover and the bracketry added up to a goodly weight.

And on the 6 wheel cars, thre was no shelf in the trunk. Thats how my 38-60S and 38-90 are. Part of the reason that people ordered fender welled spares was to get the extra trunk space.