March 2011

Newsletter Of The
Forty-Niners Chapter Of
The Cadillac & LaSalle Club
Joe Cutler – President
E-mail: 49caddyman@gmail.com
Art Gardner – Editor
E-mail: agardner@gardnergroff.com
Jay Friedman – Membership / Treasurer
E-mail: jaysfriedman@yahoo.com
Frank Lindauer – Editor Emeritus
From the (New) Prez— Vol. 11, No. 1, March 2011
GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS, MY FELLOW ‘49ERS!
As my dear friend, founder, and past-Prez Jay Friedman takes a well-deserved respite from his sundry duties, I‟d like to thank
him, on behalf of the Chapter, for his tireless work and dedication to our “cause”. Jay‟s journalistic expertise and contributions
over the past 10 years have produced an outstanding newsletter, the ’49 Times. I sure have some big shoes to fill and hope that
I can live up to the task! From its humble beginnings in 2001 with a mere 10 members, our Chapter has blossomed into an
organization with over 240 members from across the US and abroad, all due to Jay‟s tireless efforts. Kudos also go out to
Frank Lindauer and Art Gardner for their hard work and contributions over the years!
When Jay divulged his intent to retire, and proposed I take over as Prez, I found it impossible to decline. I couldn‟t, in good
conscience, face the prospect of all his hard work withering on the vine and the possibility of our Chapter fading into oblivion.
When I accepted, Jay suggested an Inauguration. However, upon my insisting that Harley Earl be procured as guest speaker,
he quickly abandoned the plan! I guess that I eat, breathe and sleep 1949 Cadillacs, and that 1949 was the year of my birth also
helped clinch the deal.
A bit about myself. I‟ve been addicted to old cars since I was a 17-year old high school Senior in 1967, and since then have
owned and restored numerous makes and models, ranging from a Model T Speedster to a 1952 Crosley Roadster. In 1987,
while searching for a 1949 Cadillac Club Coupe like my late Dad owned when I was a kid, I acquired a nice, solid, original ‟48
Coupe instead, and became hooked on ‟48-‟49 Cadillacs forever. In the interim I‟ve restored a ‟48 and ‟49 convertible, two
‟49 Club Coupes and, most recently, finished a ‟49 sedan. In the process, I‟ve become quite familiar with the beasts. Though I
don‟t consider myself an expert, I currently serve as a ‟48-‟49 Technician, along with Jay, and always enjoy meeting, talking
with, and fielding questions from other owners of these magnificent automobiles.
With that said, I welcome, and urge all of you to submit tech tips, stories and photos of your Pride and Joy, and anything else
relevant to ‟48 and ‟49 Cadillacs (and ‘50s, too. –Ed.) Don‟t let concerns over lack of literary ability, punctuation, spelling,
etc. prevent you from submitting material. Art, Jay and I will be happy to “polish” your contributions prior to publication.
You may submit items for consideration to me at: 102 Monroe Street, Douglas, Massachusetts 01516 USA or email me at:
49caddyman@gmail.com. I may also be reached by phone at 508-476-3490. If you submit photos, please indicate if you wish
them to be returned to you.
I look forward to serving you as the new Prez, and meeting you in person at the CLC Grand National this August in Ohio. I
plan to conduct a Chapter meeting late in the afternoon on the day of the show. If you would like to volunteer to give a brief
presentation, “show and tell”, tech session, etc. at the meeting, please contact me. Details will be forthcoming in the June issue
of the ’49 Times. “Keep „Em Rolling”.
Joe

INSTALLING UNIVERSAL JOINTS ON YOUR ‘49
By Art Gardner
If you start getting a “clanking” noise under your car, particularly when you step on or release the gas pedal, your universal
joints may be worn and in need of replacement. I recently installed a set of U-joints on my car‟s driveshaft. It took about 30
minutes to drive out the old ones and install the new ones. All you need to replace them is a screwdriver, a hammer, a large
socket to support the end of the driveshaft and receive the "cups" and a 17 mm impact socket (I think 11/16) to use with the
hammer to drive out the cups.
You remove the clips and drive one cup in (part at top left in the illustration below), which forces the opposite cup out. Then
grab the cup that is jutting out with a pair of pliers and twist it until it is removed. Then tap the cross piece (part at lower left)
back in to drive the other cup out the other way, then grab and remove the second cup with pair of pliers. Now just position the
new cross in the yoke (part at lower right) and tap in the new cups, being careful to make sure that the needle bearings all stay
in place. Once you have the cups tapped into position, lock them in place by installing the new C-clips (2.1440).
EXPLODED VIEW OF A TYPICAL UNIVERSAL JOINT
TECH TIP: IF YOUR REAR AXLE IS NOISY
By Jay Friedman
The first thing to do is check the gear oil level in the differential. Lack of oil can cause a noise in the differential gears. It
should be within a ½ inch of the upper hole and should be 80/90 weight oil. If oil is low, check your pinion seal as well as the
large, round gasket where the differential meets the axle housing and the outside of your rear brake backing plates for leaks. If
your pinion seal is leaking, unless you have the necessary tools and equipment it is best replaced by a professional, as the
bearing and pinion nut need to be specially dealt with. The shop manual has details. The large gasket, sold by Olson‟s
Gaskets, can be replaced without special equipment by removing the differential, though be careful as it is very heavy.
If there is a leak on the rear brake backing plates, (4.0010 in the diagram below.) ascertain whether it's brake fluid or gear oil.
If gear oil, there are oil seals on the outer ends of the axles (2.0093 in the diagram.), which when faulty will permit leaks of
gear oil into the wheel area which will then drain out a hole where the axle meets the outside of the backing plate. To replace
the seal, you must remove the axle, pull out the seal with a seal removing tool (or pry it out with the end of the axle) and drive
the new seal all the way in with a large socket wrench or similar tool. (I can lend members my home-made tool if need be.)
When you re-install the axle, spread some chassis grease on the rubber part of the seal so the axle doesn‟t scrape and damage it.
Such a leak can also be caused by a faulty gasket between the backing plate and the axle housing (4.0018). To replace this
gasket, remove the axle, unscrew the hydraulic brake line from the wheel cylinder and remove the backing plate.
Check the axle bearings by driving the car when the noise is present. One way to tell if an axle bearing is causing the noise is
to turn the car sharply in one direction and then the other. If the noise varies in intensity while doing this, it could signify a bad
bearing. To replace an axle bearing (22.0240), you must remove the axle. It is not essential to remove and replace the seal at
the same time, but it would be prudent to do so. The bearing must be pressed on the axle by a machine shop, being careful not
to score the surface on the end of the axle that the seal rides on. (Now that cars are mostly front wheel drive, there are fewer
auto machine shops that press on rear axle bearings.) These bearings and seals are sold by Olcar Bearings, Southern Pines NC
for a reasonable cost, though you may find them at a modern auto parts supplier as they are standard for many cars. .

If you eliminate an axle bearing as the cause of the noise, the remaining possibility, of course, is that the noise is in the
differential assembly. Assuming you've fixed any leak, if the noise is just a hum the differential can go for years without
failing or causing any further problems, other than being annoying. (My own has been making such a noise for 20 years.) If
you feel you must fix a noisy '49 Cadillac differential, besides replacing the pinion bearing the shop manual recommends you
not try to work on it and, in any case, does not tell you how to do so. Apparently, the problem is that some of the internal parts
are held together by special pins that can only be removed by destroying them and some other parts nearby. The only possible
fix is to replace it. Prez Joe Cutler has several '49 parts cars and can probably sell you a good (quiet) used one.
JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE
By Joe Cutler
The day dawned bright and clear, the sweet smell of old (and new) money wafting in the gentle breeze, and a forecast of
plentiful sunshine and temps in the „80s. As I left the hotel lobby I was greeted by a row of stately Rolls Royce and Bentley
automobiles parked just outside the entrance. As you may have surmised by now, I wasn‟t in New England, nor was I
attending a local show. This event was the prestigious 5 th annual Boca Raton Concours d‟Elegance held on the beautiful
grounds of the Boca Raton Club and Resort in the Florida city of that name on February 27 th . As luck would have it, the date
coincided perfectly with my annual February vacation and week-long stay with my sister, Cheryl, who resides in St. Cloud,
Florida. I invited her and her fiancé to go with me, and we proceeded to book a night at the magnificent Waldorf Astoria, built
in 1926, and adjacent to the plush golf course where the show is held.
This year‟s show had special significance for me, as I learned that a 1949 Cadillac convertible, named The Contessa, which I
finished a ground-up restoration on in 2008, had been invited by the Concours Selection Committee to participate. (See photo
next page.) This car is owned by „49ers Randy and Susan Denchfield from Chevy Chase, Maryland. Though the car didn‟t
win and award, it was an honor simply to be invited to a show of this caliber, and The Contessa certainly garnered her fair
share of admirers and compliments!
Also in attendance was Jay Leno, comedian and host of the Tonight Show. Jay happens to be an aficionado of old cars and
motorcycles, and possesses an impressive collection of Duesenbergs and Stanley Steamers, amongst other things. He was
spotted throughout the day traversing the grounds in his own golf cart complete with chauffeur, followed by his entourage,
viewing the 200+ vehicles on display. At the awards ceremony that afternoon, Jay presented his own award, “The Big Dog
Garage Award” to the vehicle he most liked personally. Fittingly, the award went to a stunning 1957 Eldorado Brougham, the
nut-and-bolt restoration of which was completely done by the owner.
There was something for everyone at this show, including a separate display of over 40 vintage motorcycles. The European
makes were well represented by several Rolls Royce, Bentleys, MGs, Triumphs, Maseratis, Aston Martins an extremely rare
and unusual 1930 Minerva with custom coachwork, made in Belgium and one of only seven known to exist. In addition, there
were classes for Muscle Cars, Model Ts and As, classics such as Auburn, Cord Duesenberg, Packard and, of course, Cadillac.
We all had an absolutely wonderful time, and I highly recommend this event to anyone who can attend it. As we reluctantly
left the premises and boarded our Honda Pilot for the 3-hour drive back to St. Cloud, we were abruptly and harshly jolted back
to reality, but appreciative of our opportunity to hob-nob with the “rich and famous”.

RANDY DENCHFIELD & HIS „49 CONVERTIBLE, "THE CONTESSA"
AT THE RECENT BOCA RATON CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE.
PREZ JOE CUTLER DID ITS 1999-2008 GROUND-UP RESTORATION
TECH TIP: IF YOUR DOME LIGHT DOESN’T WORK…
By Jay Friedman
.., don‟t lose your cool, but do open your ‟49 shop manual to page 201, which shows the “Circuit Diagram” of the electrical
system. The dome light is powered by a "hot" (always has current in it) wire, labeled 14RXT, going to it from Terminal 5 of
the headlight switch. The wire passes through a large multi-pronged male/female connection under the dash that connects to
most wires going to the back of the car. In a '49, this large plug is held to the inner firewall (under the dash) by a clip at the
upper left of the inner firewall (directly in back of the hand brake mechanism). From the connecting plug, the dome light wire
runs up the driver's door post and under the headliner to the light, which is not grounded, and then to the dome light switch.
When you turn on the dome light switch it grounds itself, completing the circuit and the dome light goes on.
The dome light circuit can be checked by removing the 2 screws holding on the dome light switch and its chrome bezel. Then,
pull the switch with its male connection off the wire behind it which has a female connection plug. Then, attach a test light's
alligator connection to any metal ground point and poke the needle end of the test light into the female connection on the wire.
The test light should illuminate; if not, that means current isn't getting to that point and the dome light won't work. This could
be due to a problem with the large connecting plug under the dash, or the wire is broken somewhere along its length or it has
become disconnected from the headlight switch.
Note that the front door opening switches do NOT operated the dome light switch on any 2 or 4-door ‟49 Cadillac. An
exception is that the front door switches will operate the “corner lamps” at the corner of the rear of the roof and the body on a
Coupe De Ville. On the other hand, the rear doors on a 4-door sedan will operate the dome light switch
SERIES 61 AND 62 COUPE AND SEDAN DOME LIGHT
(SERIES 75, SERIES 60, AND CONVERTIBLE DOME LIGHTS ARE DIFFERENTLY SHAPED)

TECH TIP: IF YOU HAVE 6 VOLT STARTING PROBLEMS
By Jay Friedman
When I first got my ‟49, after running for a while on hot days, if I turned off the engine for 15-30 minutes it would frequently
refuse to re-start. The starter would turn ever so slowly and the only way I could get the car going again would be to jump start
it or let it to cool off. This is a common problem with 6 volt cars and, of course, always happens when admiring onlookers are
standing around. I took the advice of the proprietor of an auto electric and improved my 6 volt system. This involved:
1. Installing a 6 volt battery with at least 600 cold cranking amps, which are readily available. 6 volt lead-acid batteries are
sold by several manufacturers for less than $100, though authentic looking Delco batteries are more expensive. Mine is an
"Optima", which are now available at www.amazon.com for about $125. Optimas use a different technology than lead-acid
batteries and have more than 800 cold cranking amps. An Optima‟s downside is that it is much smaller in size than an ordinary
6 volt battery, so I had to fabricate a rectangular piece of plywood to go over its top and hold it down in the car's battery box;
2. Having my starter re-built by an auto electric shop with heavy duty field coils and, to assure a good ground, removing all
paint from the areas where the starter, its bolts and the flywheel housing meet;
3. Installing a custom-made extra-thick positive battery cable made up from 600 volt welding cable. Similar thick cables can
be bought ready-made from McVey‟s, The Brillman Company and Cole's Ignition and Electric, Rochester NY;
4. Installing a brand new negative battery cable, after scraping clean the negative battery post, as well as the place on the frame
and the starter bolt it is attached to. These can be bought from McVey's and, I think, from Cole's;
5. Making sure that the small ground straps from the back of the cylinder heads to bolts on the nearby firewall are in good
shape. If not, new ones can be bought from McVey's in Kansas and, I think, from Cole's. As with the starter, scrape any paint
off the cylinder head and firewall where these small straps mount.
After doing the above, when I press its button the starter jumps to attention and says "yes sir", while onlookers, if any, applaud.
TWO 6 VOLT 6107s AT A RECENT OUTING: BACKGROUND - JAY FRIEDMAN‟S “GREEN QUEEN”
FOREGROUND - ART GARDNER‟S NEWLY PURCHASED “JUNIOR”

1949 CADILLAC DEALER-INSTALLED ACCESSORIES
By Jay Friedman
If you bought your new ‟49 without many options and decided later that you just had to have one or more of these goodies, all
was not lost. On December 2, 1948, in the “Parts and Accessories Bulletin” below, the Cadillac factory informed distributors
and dealers that many of these were available for sale. The “net” price in the bulletin is what the dealer paid for the item, while
the car owner paid the “list” price.
CADILLAC MOTOR CAR DIVISION
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
DETROIT 32, MICHIGAN
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES BULLETIN, No. 494, December 2, 1948
TO ALL DISTRIBUTORS AND DEALERS:
Subject: 1949 Accessories Prices
Accessory Name Part # Net List Installation
Radio, Front Compartment 49-60S,61 ,62,75 7258155 62.80 81.00 4.50
Antenna; Fender Mtg. 49-60s,61,62 1455342 8.65 12.00 1.60
Antenna, Fender Mtg. 49-75 1455343 8.65 12.00 1.60
Radio, Rear Compartment 49-75 7241938 93.50 115.00
Installation Kit, Rear Radio (Without E1ec. Div. Lift) 1453217 16.50 20.00
Installation Kit, Rear Radio (With E1ec. Div. Lift) 1453218 16.50 20.00
Radio & Kit, Rear Compt. 49-75 --- 110.00 135.00 12.00
Antenna, Trunk Mtg. 49-75 1444172 10.00 13.50 3.50
Auxiliary Radio Speaker 7258495 12.35 18.85 6.00
Automatic Heating System 49-605.61,62 3122353 79.00 98.50 8.50
Automatic Heating System 49-75 3122354 110.00 132.00 8.50
Standard Heating System 49-60s,61.62 3122931 40.00 50.00 5.00
Fog Lamps (Pair) 49-605,61,62 929089 32.00 40.00 0
Fog Lamps (Pair) 49-75 929122 32.00 40.00 0
Back-Up Lights (Dual) 49-60S, 61, 62 929151 11.50 15.00 3.50
Back-Up Lights (Single) 49-75 929150 7.20 9.50 2.50
Spotlight with Mirror (Left) 49-60S, 61, 62 929117 18.25 25.95 3.25
Spotlight with Mirror (Right) 49-60S, 61, 62 929106 18.25 25.95 3.25
Glareproof Mirror 145416 5.20 6.50 0
Outside Rear View Mirror 1454905-6 3.85 6.00 0.50
Special Steering Wheel 3630079 18.00 22.50 0
Sun Visor 1455598-99 7.50 12.50 2.50
Chrome Wheel Disc (Sombrero Hub Cap) 3508244-821 6.80 8.00 0
Chrome Trim Ring (With Small Hub Cap) 1097728 1.52 1.90 0
Windshield Washer 1455132 5.75 8.25 2.75
There seems to be a 35% mark-up between the two prices. Of even more interest is the relative difference between what these
items cost when our cars were new and what you might pay for them today, either NOS or second-hand. For example, a front
compartment radio listed for $81 in December 1948, while its vacuum antenna cost only $12. A working ‟49 Cadillac radio
usually can be bought today for between $50 and $200 depending on your luck or bargaining skills, but a vacuum antenna with
a good mast and which works well is at least that much, if not hundreds of dollars more. Also, while a non-working radio can
probably be repaired for no more than a couple of hundred bucks, to have your antenna restored is equally expensive.
Similarly, a windshield washer set up is $8.25 on the list. While a windshield washer pump is inexpensive today, an authentic

square bottle is hard to find and can cost hundreds of dollars.
Another item of interest is the Automatic Heating System, which lists for $132 on a Series 75 limo and $98.50 on lesser cars.
Installation of either was only $8.50 back then, but it is very telling that this is the second most expensive installation job on
the list; the first being the $12 cost of installing the rear radio on a Series 75. Though I‟ve never worked on a Series 75 rear
radio, as anyone who has worked on the complicated Automatic Heating System can tell you, 8½ bucks to install it is probably
the biggest bargain on the list.
Another item that seems relatively expensive is the Auxiliary Radio Speaker which mounts on the rear package shelf. At
$18.85 it cost more than a vacuum antenna back then, yet today these can be purchased relatively cheaply; for example, I
bought one for $10 several years ago. However, the installation of a rear speaker is the third most expensive installation job on
the list at $6. This is understandable, since it is time consuming to cut a hole for the speaker in the rear package shelf, then run
a wire from its dash switch up inside the windshield post and then between the headliner and the roof of the car into the trunk
area, somehow without harming the headliner.
The same is true of back up lights, a pair of which for Series 60, 61 and 62 listed for $11.50, also more than an antenna. Yet
today a pair of back up lights are not expensive to buy. At $3.50 their installation in 1948 cost less than installing a speaker,
since their wire simply runs out in the open from the coil, then down the firewall to a fuse, then under the car to the
transmission switch and back to the trunk.
An item that seems about right in relative terms is sombrero hub caps. At 8 bucks each, a set of them would set you back $32,
which was lots of money back then. A set of new sombreros today costs hundreds of dollars, making it about the same cost in
terms of 2011 dollars.
Conspicuous by their absence on this Dec. ‟48 list are fuel filters and oil filters. However, later in the model year they were
both offered as a dealer option. As an option, , the list price of the fuel filter was $3.20, but from about VIN number
49xx33500, which would be cars built in May 1949 and later, fuel filters became standard factory equipment. Oil filters, on
the other hand, only became standard factory equipment in 1954, though research by „49er Fred Hammerle has shown that a
few ‟49 Cads did have factory installed oil filters.
‟49 4-DOOR (OR LATE CONVERTIBLE) TRUNK COMPARTMENT WITH SOME ORIGINAL TOOLS
NOTE WEDGE SHAPED WOODEN “CHOCK” TO PREVENT THE CAR FROM ROLLING WHEN ON A JACK
IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY DONE SO, PLEASE SEND YOUR 2011 $8 DUES TO:
JAY FRIEDMAN, 1530 SEPTEMBER CHASE, DECATUR, GEORGIA 30033
OR THIS WILL BE THE LAST ISSUE OF THE ’49 TIMES YOU’LL GET