1950s 1950 Cadillac Coupe Deville questions

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Also thank you to Yellow Brick for a good driver.  Enclosed and safely brought.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

As the Shop Manual calls for changing the oil every 1000 Miles, using modern oils, the oil isn't going to get dirty enough to require a Filter, if you are to maintain the service regimen.

The trouble with oils these days, is that with the use of modern Full-flow Filters, the Service intervals have been stretched out to huge mileages when compared with the past.

Bruce.

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Thanks good to know I change every 1500 miles or after 8 mo.

[Cadillac Jack 82]

She arrived today and she's just as nice if not nicer than the pictures.  Leather key holder says she was new from Chesapeake Cadillac Company in Baltimore.  NEAT!

[J. Skelly]

I'm glad it worked out!

[59-in-pieces]

Observation.
When I first looked at the picture of the car in the enclosed truck, I thought even in my youngest skinniest days could I have fit between the car and the side of the truck wall, and even if I could have, how do you open the car door to get in.

You see, I have never received or sent a car in an enclosed truck.

Then the old bifocals kicked in, and I noticed a door on the side of the truck.
Clever little designer devils.
Mystery solved.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Observation.
When I first looked at the picture of the car in the enclosed truck, I thought even in my youngest skinniest days could I have fit between the car and the side of the truck wall, and even if I could have, how do you open the car door to get in.

You see, I have never received or sent a car in an enclosed truck.

Then the old bifocals kicked in, and I noticed a door on the side of the truck.

Clever little designer devils.
Mystery solved.

Have fun,
Steve B.

No sadly the 300 lbs Russian guy climbed in through the passenger door open window.  He did it with caution though so I'm not that upset about it.

I do have a new series of questions.  They are:

1. The vacuum antenna will retract, but won't go up.  All I get is hissing indicating vacuum but no action.  Rebuild time?

2. Radio seems non-op. I haven't checked fuses yet but I assume it too might need a rebuild.

3. Sluggish windows.  They'll go up, they'll go down, but they move slow.

4. Discharge when headlights come on, but not with anything else.  I have one of those repro DELCO batteries under the hood so perhaps its not fully charged?  Everything else seems fine and doesn't cause a discharge.

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Bet a few of you haven't seen these in a few decades...Perfect match for the 59 who still has her original Firestone spare.

[Lexi]

Hey Tim, that is gorgeous. Congratulations on your new "baby". Wish I had her in my garage, but still on my bucket list. You can park her in my driveway anytime! Clay/Lexi

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Hey Tim, that is gorgeous. Congratulations on your new "baby". Wish I had her in my garage, but still on my bucket list. You can park her in my driveway anytime! Clay/Lexi

Thank you Clay/Lexi.  The 50 certainly feels smaller than later models, but they're very comfortable and well thought out.

[Lexi]

Nice to see the original grey "dog dish" wheel cap with thumb hole on the spare as well. Often they are missing. Clay/Lexi

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Nice to see the original grey "dog dish" wheel cap with thumb hole on the spare as well. Often they are missing. Clay/Lexi

So that's original?  Good to know I thought someone added it as a cap.

[Lexi]

So that's original?  Good to know I thought someone added it as a cap.

I stand to be corrected, but these dog dish caps came with new cars from 1941 to 1949, then from 1950 with some model exceptions, until 1954. This topic came up in the old Mid-Century Cadillac Forum years ago, and I seem to recall that it was reported that midway during 1954 these items ceased to be put into any new cars. The fact that they remained in the MPL at least for a while after, tells me that they could still be purchased; but guessing that GM no longer wanted to include them in their new cars as a "give away". So 1953 would be the last FULL year that they were put in select Cadillac models. I thought I had something official from Cadillac here on them, paper wise, but so far I have not been able to locate it. If it turns up I will update this post. The caps that I have seen in the past were always grey in color and I assume these were in OEM condition, like apparently yours is. If anyone can add to this or make a correction, please let us know! They also were said to come; "w/retainer", whatever that is. Any thoughts anyone? Clay/Lexi

[Lexi]

So that's original?  Good to know I thought someone added it as a cap.

Bugging me that I can't find the above noted reference, of which I think there is more than one. So I checked what I should have first, the Authenticity Manual, for 1954 - 1956 Cadillac. It says, (sic):

"A spare tire is mounted vertically in the right side of the trunk and held in place by a folding arm
with a single nut, A plain metal hubcap was furnished on early l954 cars, but was discontinued
beginning with engine number 58988, according to the August 1954 Serviceman. Apparently cars
with wire or sabre wheels continued with hubcaps until engine number 40089 in l955. This from
the March, 1955 Serviceman."

Given time, I might pull those Serviceman issues and have a look.

A little more information is always good. I would encourage all to purchase the Authenticity Manual for their car from the CLC. Clay/Lexi

[tluke]

I do have a new series of questions.  They are:

1. The vacuum antenna will retract, but won't go up.  All I get is hissing indicating vacuum but no action.  Rebuild time?

2. Radio seems non-op. I haven't checked fuses yet but I assume it too might need a rebuild.

3. Sluggish windows.  They'll go up, they'll go down, but they move slow.

4. Discharge when headlights come on, but not with anything else.  I have one of those repro DELCO batteries under the hood so perhaps its not fully charged?

Here's my 2 cents worth (based on my 1955 experience)

1. The vacuum antenna has vacuum hoses from the back of the radio to the antenna up and down ports on the antenna cylinder. If it comes down but won't go up, check that hose from the up port going on the radio to the top of the antenna cylinder. If it is broken, disconnected or leaking that could be the problem. Where do you hear the hissing, under the dash or outside by the antenna? It's easier to check the hose at the back of the radio than it is inside the fender at the antenna. Either way you have to get inside the fender to replace it. Also inside the antenna cylinder is a check valve washer, a black, plastic, flexible washer. In the pic it fits inside the indentation covering the four holes of the 'piston" piece below it. When air is sucked in one direction it is pulled up and covers the four holes on the the piston and pulls the piston and mast up. The bottom half of the piston (left side in pic) also has holes so when the bottom hose sucks it pulls the check valve and covers those hose and pulls the mast down. A defective (warped) washer will prevent a good seal. It could be warped such that it only works in one direction and will just suck air (hiss) in the other. Either way, you're looking at a rebuild of the antenna unless you can find someone to provide you the parts. Some of the old antennas had a separate check valve washer for up and down.



2. Radio seems non-op. Back in the day I would take out my radio, go to the corner Rexall Drug Store who had a tube tester and test all the tubes, then buy one to replace the defective one (usually the vibrator) and put all the tubes back in. Of course I'm assuming you checked the wiring and fuse to the radio first.

3. Sluggish windows I addressed in an early reply to this thread. Originally you mentioned only sluggish going up but since you received the car you say also going down. As mentioned in that reply lubrication of the rollers and regulator would help both the up and down sluggishness. My car also needed the channels re-aligned to prevent binding. As mentioned in 59-in-Pieces post after mine, down is handled by opening the hydraulic valve and a spring pushing the window down making the problem less likely the pump and more likely to be helped by lubrication.

4. With the old generators, the engine has to be in at least at fast idle to not discharge when headlights are on. Try it with the heater fans at full speed and you may see the same thing. It's not necessarily a bad generator, it just a feature of those old generators. I even had my battery go dead one time on a long trip in the snow (going slow) with the headlights on and the heater/defroster at full on.

[bcroe]

2. Radio seems non-op. I haven't checked fuses yet but I assume
it too might need a rebuild.
Tim CLC Member #30850
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lots have been said about radios before.  Of course you must have
good power, working antenna and speaker(s).  I see it as 2 choices. 

 1. Send it to a specialist who will remove the guts and convert it
to AM, FM and/or any other mode you want, without changing its
external appearance;

2. Restore the radio to its original working state.  At this age it most
certainly needs to come out and be totally recapped, probably the
vibrator must be replaced with an available solid state unit.  Chances
are most of the tubes are OK, 0Z4 has a high failure rate, otherwise
they are available.  Realign it. 

On playing you may find the original internal speaker also needs
replacement.  There is a jack for another speaker.  Fortunately just
about any part needed to fix a quality old time radio is economically
available.  For a 1950 Cadillac radio model 7258755 service info is
in SAMS AUTO RADIO AR-2, folder 2.  It appears the 51 used the
same radio, though the part number changed. 

good luck, Bruce Roe 14630

[Cadillac Jack 82]

So good news.

The windows are fine.  The repro battery was almost dead and died on my way to get a backup.  They work well.  Radio is inop and appears to be a Bluetooth rebuild from an original (they eventually fail).  The rest is history.  Doris made her first tour of the East Valley in true form.  Impressive how this 331 is almost silent.  Enjoy!

[Cadillac Jack 82]

If anyone has a nice restored or clean core for the radio...please let me know. 

[Jon S]

I change my oil and filter every 2,000 miles on my 1958. Been doing so since it was new.

[Lexi]

I do mine around 500 - 700 miles. Think the manual says every 2,000. Clay/Lexi