Recently purchased a LaSalle sedan (37-5011). Really enjoying the car. Of course it was in parts and missing a few that will be needed to get it back on the road. Any assistance, leads, or help is greatly appreciated!
Front fender support brace
Radiator to Cowl rods
Cowl Hood props
Horn bracket
Firewall harness elbow
Fender mount spare cover spider
Fender mount spare rod & clamp
LaSalle hood lettering (both sides)
Hood center chrome strip
Hello Roy, I responded to your Master Parts List question. I don't have parts for 1937. Do you have prior experience restoring a prewar car? Post some pictures of your car. What needs to be done? Prewar cars are a whole different experience than it was as recently as 10 years ago. The generation who grew up with these cars and knew them inside and out are gone. There are fewer participants on this forum with prewar cars. There are probably under 5 guys who are regulars on this forum now who have 39/40 Cadillac or Lasalles. Like me, these guys either learned from the old guys or did a lot of research on their own. There are a lot fewer vendors in recent year selling prewar parts. Just about a week or so ago I learned that Hirsch is not going to sell upholstery fabric anymore appropriate for prewar cars.
That was the bad news. Here is the good news. These are some suggestions for learning about your car in 2024. Find out which guys on the forum have 1937 Lasalles and keep in touch. Your best resource is the Cadillac and Lasalle Club roster. Members are listed by cars and years. Contact and network with other 1937 Lasalle owners. Also, the club has volunteer technicians to help members listed in the roster for various years and cars. They are a valuable source of experience and knowledge. These guys are probably not on the forum.
Congratulations on you newly acquired LaSalle. I checked your list and don't have any of those items. I have very few parts for '37. On the encouraging side I have run into 3 or 4 new LaSalle owners from '37 to '40. Harry
Thanks for the encouragement. I have restored a couple of pre-war cars and more post-war cars. Learned over the years to tackle many projects myself (lately with the help of my two sons). This LaSalle I purchased is a cautionary tale for many of us that enjoy our vintage steel. This 37-5011 had a high point restoration in the late '80s sold to a man that loved the vehicle, sold to his son in the early 2000's, engine caught fire, repair shop disassembled, son passes suddenly and grandson inherits, grandson donates vehicle, repair shop buys the car in pieces from auction house, and parts got lost along the way. Some of these parts I can fabricate, others probably not. Engine is now out and being rebuilt by a shop I trust. I will post pictures before long, it has many options and besides the engine and missing parts is in truly remarkable condition.
If you have restored a prewar car then you already know what I talked about in my long answer. How old are your sons? What are your other prewar cars? If you are taking on a basket case then I'm glad you have experience.
Some more hints for finding parts. GM made a small number of body shells that they shared among all their divisions. The body shell on your car was also used on some Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac models and maybe a lower priced Cadillac. There is a good chance parts like body hardware, door locks, window risers, maybe doors, etc. used on your car would be the same on some other GM cars. That opens up a bigger pool of cars to look for parts. I know for 1939 and 1940 which models are the same but not for 1937.
1937 and 1938 Lasalles were very similar so many parts will share. That's where the parts book comes in handy.
Be sure to check out other GM parts vendors for parts identical to Lasalles. I have found the right part at Bob's Automobilia (wide selection of reproduction Buick parts). And The Filling Station (wide variety of reproduction Chevrolet parts.) You have to know what you need because they won't know anything about Lasalle.
Tom, My sons are in their mid-thirties and car geeks like myself. My oldest has a new large shop with a lift (much better for my back!). Right now I only have a couple of T's in the pre-war category and I continue to work on a '48 Custom Desoto Conv. (Mostly pre-war technology). As well as a few other newer cars. I was attracted to this LaSalle because a number of years ago I had a '37 Pontiac and always enjoyed driving and working on it. This LaSalle I would not consider a basket case (have had a couple of those and now steer away from them). Basically it needs the engine reconditioned (cylinders and couple of new valve seats) due to water (rust) damage and the front clip reassembled after the engine work is done. The rest of the car still looks great. If I can figure out how to post pictures from my IPad, I will send them along. It's possible some long-term members will recall this car as it won AACA awards in the early '90s and participated in a number of tours. Previously an east coast car now in Oregon.