1953 Cadillac 60-Special "The Muskogean Phoenix"

[cadman59]

Choke gets heat directly from the exhaust manifold, here Roger talks about blocking intake passages. So, no problem with that

Ah, my fault, must be different then compared to my '59 where it gets it's heat from the infamous heat tube in the intake manifold.

[kudims]

Correct hose clamps, NOS wiper blades, NOS washer jar, NOS molding

Here are some artefacts that were found, purchased. Some of the were installed, some of them went to the shelf.



New windshield washer kit, exactly what was installed in 1953



The sticker is not Cadillac-type, but this is not a problem











New correct wiper blades







New (top), and what was on the car (bottom)



Patents. patents...





Installed



New 1953 Fleetwood molding from Cadillac dealer stock, which was closed in 1954





Goes to the shelf







New set of stainless clamps



Installed











Finally for today, may be this is not "AACA correct", but believe me, now it is much more easier to check the transmission fluid level with the dipstick marked in red



And the same with the motor oil dipstick

Well, the very final photo for today is the set of magnets from the Rockauto.com



I still have a dozen of them. So, if someone reading this post will want to have one, please PM me with your name and address where to send.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Ah, my fault, must be different then compared to my '59 where it gets it's heat from the infamous heat tube in the intake manifold.

That's right. Till 1958, the heated air for the choke is coming from the RH exhaust manifold. As 1959 cars and younger are less prone to vapor lock, this special set is making less sense for those cars.

[kudims]

Toe-in adjustment

After repeatedly disconnecting the center steering link and replacing the steering gear, the steering wheel spokes ended up slightly off-center—about 5 degrees to the right when driving straight. I decided to fix this on an alignment rack...

But I couldn't find a local alignment rack that could clamp to my wheels—most clamps in my area hook onto the rim, whereas I needed a Hunter system that grabs the tire tread instead (the reason for that is the low wheel arch fender line both in front and rear, even with skirts removed). I checked everywhere within a 15-mile radius. Beyond that, I couldn't be bothered. So I pulled out the manual and did it the old-school way.



An excerpt from the manual with instructions for adjusting camber, caster, and toe-in.



First, jack up the front end and mark the high-spot points on each tire with chalk. For toe, these reference marks should be rotated to the 12 o'clock position.



Same process on the left wheel.



Then I built this little jig from a 2×4. The short vertical pieces need to align with the wheel centers when the car is on the ground. Thanks to my miter saw, they're perfectly 90° angles, but that's not crucial; the main thing is that it's sturdy and doesn't wobble.



I slide it in place at the front first, then at the rear.



On one side, the gauge just touches the tire...



...and on the other side, I measure. With this method, the front measurement should be larger than the rear measurement.

To correct the steering wheel spokes (they were slightly rotated to the right), I needed to turn both wheels to the right via the tie rods. I shortened the right rod and lengthened the left one by turning each sleeve 1/4 turn.

Afterward, I measured an overall toe-in of 1.3 mm (≈ 0.051 in).



For 1953 specs, toe should range from 0.0625 to 0.125 in.

So in my case, I needed to increase toe-in. I turned the left tie rod another 1/4 turn to make it longer. Tightened it and measured again. Toe-in became 2.6 mm (≈ 0.1 in), which is right within spec.

A test drive confirmed the wheel spokes are now perfectly level, and the car tracks steadily at any speed.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Dmitry,

I can relate to your troubles trying to locate an older style wheel alignment shop.

I found that anyone that works on trucks has the correct gear to work on vehicles that don't need the rears to align with the front.  I found this when working on Hot Rods with different front and rear suspensions (read as track measurements)

One question, are you running Radial or Cross-ply tyres?

Bruce.

[kudims]

/quote]

Hm, it's very interesting with trucks, though the problem was not in rear, but in front wheels... we tried to mount the targets, but you know you need to turn the wheels in order to measure caster, and fenders were the problem.

I use coker radials 235 75 r15

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Using radials calls for different specifications than what the Factory says.   Those figures are for Cross-ply tyres.

The amount of Toe-in for radials is a lot less than Cross-plies.   Usually at least half.

A good alignment shop should know the difference.

Bruce.

[kudims]

Using radials calls for different specifications than what the Factory says.   Those figures are for Cross-ply tyres.

The amount of Toe-in for radials is a lot less than Cross-plies.   Usually at least half.

A good alignment shop should know the difference.

Bruce.

Yes, this looks fair.
For the same wheel size, toe-in for 1980-1996 Fleetwoods should be 0.16 degrees total plus minus 0.2 degrees. If we recalculate it in distance, then the difference should be maximum 2.4mm (0.36 degrees). Mine is a bit beyond. Will fix it ASAP with guys, who have the correct equipment and hands

[kudims]

A/C Compressor Clutch Coil Repair and Adjustments

After a bolt-on replacement of the 1953 compressor with a constant drive for a 1954 compressor with an engagement clutch, it's been a year and a half. The compressor operates flawlessly, but the clutch started to "burn out" the activation relay fuse.

Using an ohmmeter, I found that there is a short circuit in the relay coil...

However, I should really start with a different point. In 1954, Frigidaire introduced a clutch for the air conditioning compressor with a dual-disc clutch. The compressors are the same, all the same, but now you did not have to dismount the belt from the compressor during winter time (this is what Manual said in 1953), and replace it with a shorter one, driving only the generator pulley.





Here's the clutch. Internally, it's a typical clutch. Balls serve as the locking agents within the clutch.



When the pin at the center of the clutch is pressed, it disengages. When released, the clutch automatically engages.



The trick is that you need to apply about 100-130 lb of force to disengage the clutch by pressing the pin in the center. Hence, a lever was designed for this purpose. But even with this lever, you still need to apply about 50 lb of force at the end of the lever to press the pin and disengage the clutch.

The designers selected a spring that coped well with this task. Next, a solenoid was incorporated to overcome the spring's resistance.

Below are photos of a new old stock (NOS) solenoid priced at $650 and a brief explanation of the designer's creative thought.



When 12V is supplied from the climate control unit's relay, the solenoid should eject its threaded shaft by about 5-7mm and remain in that state for as long as needed for the compressor to operate under specific conditions.



Given the significant effort required to overcome the spring's stiffness, the power of the "pull-in" coil is about 300W.



Naturally, this setup is unsuitable for long-term operation. The solenoid would simply overheat, and the coil would short-circuit (which happened to me, but more on that later).



To allow the solenoid to operate long-term without harming itself, a second coil, the "holding" coil, was introduced with a power of only 8W (the same design idea as for the starter relay).



After the shaft fully extends, the "pull-in" coil should disconnect (it should), and the 8W power of the holding coil is sufficient to magnetize the core and hold it against the spring's force.

I'm not the best physics teacher, but I tried my best to make the principle clear.



The repair began with disassembling and inspecting the unit. The external holding coil was OK and showed a resistance of 17.5 Ohms. The internal one was simply at zero.



On this repair occasion, I bought another very convenient multimeter that automatically sets the required range and has clamps for measuring DC and AC.



Old wiring



Purchased new wire on spools and in the required lengths to avoid additional measurements (total for $30 on Amazon).



In less than 5 minutes, I assembled a winder. First, 20m of thick wire is wound, then a layer of paper scotch tape, then 200m of thin wire on top, also sealed with paper scotch tape.



I cleaned a terminal plate with 1200-grit sandpaper that precisely disconnects the "pull-in" coil. I slightly enlarged the hole with a file so that this plate could hold more freely on the shaft, allowing some tilting. This is important for its free movement.



The coil is installed in the housing, wires soldered to the terminals. Copper discs must have excellent contact with the plate.



For easy adjustment and assembly, I made the shaft dismountable. A nut adjusts the moment when the plate will disconnect the contacts. Everything is secured with red anaerobic sealant.



Next, I attach the core inside, where there is a spring with considerable force. Using calipers, I set a travel of 5-7mm. If the travel is short, the clutch fork will not have enough movement. Conversely, if the travel is set too long, even the "pull-in" coil won't have enough force to magnetize the core.



Bench tests follow. I check the travel and the disconnection moment. In the shaft's extreme "rear" position, the resistance should be about 0.6-0.7 Ohms, no more, no less. Lower resistance indicates a short circuit; higher resistance indicates contact loss between the plate and copper discs. The latter scenario is bad because the "pull-in" coil will not receive the required 12-14V, and its force will be weaker than necessary, leading to the shaft not extending fully. Consequently, the "pull-in" coil will not disconnect, overheating and short-circuiting.



I install it on the car and test the activation first with the engine off.





During engagement, the current is approximately 25A. At the same time, a slow-blow fuse of 5A is used for the solenoid. In the closed working position, as expected, the current is around 1A.



Now my relay is disassemblable. If necessary, the cover can be removed, and the contacts cleaned. New relays are riveted, and I'm almost 100% sure that even the relay costing $650 absolutely needs to have its contact group drilled out and cleaned; otherwise, 650 dollars will flawlessly blow into the air.

In conclusion, here's a short video of how this solenoid works.

[kudims]

Today is fun. January 21, 2025
Sugar Land, TX, 60 miles from the Gulf of Mexico 

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

A man after my own heart.   Couldn't resist a little power slide eh?

Bruce.

[kudims]

A man after my own heart.  Couldn't resist a little power slide eh?

Bruce.

It was what it was ))) yeah
But surprisingly it steers, stops, and accelerates very good on this mud at 32-34F







Stopped in minor drift 



First path on the snow



Exhaust through the bumper looks especially beautiful in winter

[James Landi]

It's a GLORIUS look you've captured... the brilliant perfection of your ebony masterpiece against a snowy, winter suburban setting.  Certainly could have been a perfect image for marketing seven decades ago.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Fortunately, the streets had no salt during the drive...

[kudims]

Fortunately, the streets had no salt during the drive...

We are good: they used some salt on highways, but not in residential area

[35-709]

!One of those pictures would look good in the 2026 CLC calendar.

[PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192]

Today is fun. January 21, 2025
Sugar Land, TX, 60 miles from the Gulf of Mexico 

Great, I've driven through Sugarland a number of times but always had to have the AC on in the car because it was hot! I must admit it's hard for me to imagine the place covered in snow! Great video of a beautiful car.

[Lexi]

Beautiful car. One of my favorite Cadillacs of all time, a '53 Fleetwood. Clay/Lexi

[kudims]

Great, I've driven through Sugarland a number of times but always had to have the AC on in the car because it was hot! I must admit it's hard for me to imagine the place covered in snow! Great video of a beautiful car.

Today, just a 2-nd day after the snow storm, and A/C in my Escalade "on duty" again!

[kudims]

Air Conditioner: Factory vs. Dealer

A Rather Specific Topic — and possibly not all that interesting to the broader subset of my already narrow readership.

What's this about? Observed differences in factory vs. non-factory A/C installations for the 1953 model year.

According to the GM Build Sheet, my car spent a full week at the factory. Typically, a car would ship out to the customer no later than the day after its body and chassis reached the final assembly line. My guess is the Cadillac was held for off-line A/C installation. If that's correct, then the details of that process might have varied from one vehicle to another.





Below, using photos from various cars, we'll look at some differences between factory-installed air conditioners and those installed outside the factory (e.g., at a dealer or a specialized shop).

1. Air Intakes



Factory: All Fisher Body shells slated for A/C had those "ears" at the rear window line right from the start.



Here's how they looked.



Dealer: If A/C was installed at the customer's request at a dealership, no openings were cut into the body. Air intake was strictly recirculated cabin air. No switch between cabin/outside air intake.

2. Roof Vents and Ducting



Dealer: Cold air entered the cabin through vents on the rear package shelf—likely unpleasant for those hit by a blast of cold air to the back of the head. But routing lines to the overhead area wasn't part of the dealer's job. However, I saw several factory installed A/Cs for 1953 with no roof ducts... But in any case dealer would never make anything with the headliner...



Factory: Cold air travels up to the headliner via transparent ducts (this photo shows condensation on the duct). On the left is a switch to choose outside air or cabin recirculation.



Dealer: The headliner is the standard type with no ceiling vents.



Factory: There are four vents in the headliner, one above each door, providing cold airflow from overhead.



Factory: Nevertheless, some cars with "factory" A/C lacked the overhead ducts; cold air distribution was effectively the same as a dealer-installed system.

3. Under-Car Routing



Factory: There's a filter/dryer on the high-pressure line.



Dealer: The filter is relocated, and in its place is just a piece of tubing. The bracket holding the lines appears custom-made.

4. Control Unit



Dealer: The A/C control blocks for factory vs. non-factory installs are essentially the same.



Factory: Identical-style blocks were used through 1956.

5. Radiator "Mask," Horns, and Supports



No A/C: The horns are mounted low, attached to the radiator opening.



Dealer: The horns had to be relocated to fit the condenser.



Dealer: Horns are spaced out differently to accommodate the condenser.



Factory: Horns were positioned at the upper radiator bar - not to interfere with the condenser.



Dealer: To install the condenser, the vertical brace of the center support is cut. Someone even added (maybe much later) an auxiliary fan for the condenser.



Factory, No A/C: The central strip has a reinforcement rib.



Factory: The vertical support is trimmed slightly differently than the dealer's version, but for the same reason—to fit the condenser.

6. Different Compressor



Factory: Compressor model A1, with the high-pressure port at the rear face and the low-pressure port on the right side.



Dealer: Appears this car originally had a different, newer compressor. As a result, the lines for the ports differ completely from the A1. We can't rule out a later replacement compressor, but I suspect that if someone was adding A/C in, say, 1956–57 (or later), they wouldn't bother installing the huge, lower-efficiency 1953–54 compressor.



Dealer: Closer look at the port arrangement.



Dealer: The sight glass and filter/dryer are on the right fender splash shield.



Factory: No under-hood filter; it's located down on the frame. The sight glass and bypass solenoid are in the engine bay.

7. Carburetor with Load Compensation



Dealer: A Rochester carb with no built-in load compensator to boost idle speed under A/C load. That's another clue that this A/C was added off the assembly line. Next photo explains why.



Factory: A Carter carb with an electro-vacuum load compensation system. When the A/C is switched on, it energizes a vacuum-solenoid valve (mounted on the carb). Vacuum then pulls on a diaphragm, moving that linkage (pictured) to raise idle speed. In 1953–54, only Carter carbs had this feature, so every Cadillac with factory-installed A/C in those years came with a Carter carb.

Those are the main differences I've noticed.



VIN: 5360. The "53" stands for 1953, "60" for Series 60, then the production sequence number—80k+ out of roughly 100k total units. Likely, it had dealer-installed air conditioning, not from the earliest portion of the model run, so presumably not a factory job.

Thanks for reading! If anyone sees other telltale differences or has their own knowledge regarding these first-in-history automotive air-conditioning units and how they were installed, please share!

And, btw, I read 1950-53 Authenticity Manual, and I can notice several things that are not correct there, not only related to A/C