September 2009

REMOVING AN OUTSIDE FRONT DOOR HANDLE
(The following resulted from an exchange of emails between David Mulvaney and Jay Friedman.)
A special tool is not needed to remove an outside door handle on a '49 Cadillac. The outside door handles
are attached to a 3 or 4 inch long square shaft that is perpendicular to the axis of the handle and which goes
into the door. Inside the door, the male shaft goes into a square female hole in the door latch mechanism.
This male shaft is held into the female hole by a lock screw that is, in turn, perpendicular to the axis of the
shaft. On early '49s the screw has an ordinary slotted head. On later cars the screw is really a small bolt
with a ¼ inch hex head.
Let's assume it is a front door. (Sedan rear doors should be the same. Can anyone enlighten?) To access
the screw/bolt, peel back the rubber weather-strip on the side of the door at a point slightly above the level
of the door latch. In doing so, you will uncover a small hole in the door about a ½ inch in diameter.
Shine a flashlight into the hole so you can see the screw head, which is 2 or 3 inches down inside the door.
This will reveal whether the screw head requires a screwdriver or a ¼ inch socket. If it requires a ¼ inch
socket, the hole is sometimes too narrow in diameter to admit the socket into the hole. If this is the case,
enlarge the hole with a file or use a ¼ inch nut driver which has a narrower head than a socket.
With one hand on the door handle, loosen the screw just enough to free the door handle and pull it out of its
place. Do not loosen the screw any further, as it may come out of the threads in the door latch and fall to
the bottom of the inside of the door. To retrieve it you would have to take apart the door or, if it is a slotted
screw, replace it using a magnetic screwdriver, both of which procedures you obviously want to avoid.
A SIXTY SPECIAL IN SYDNEY
Robert Mitchell, of that lovely Australian city, owns the 60S shown below (and perhaps the horse behind it,
too). Robert writes the car was owned by an elderly man who “lost interest in the car to the extent that it
just sat from 1975 to 2000, though I would occasionally start it for him. The car was not preserved very
well, with possums, cats and moths making a home for them-selves. Unfortunately, he passed away and I
bought it from his estate. It‟s a complete, original car except for seat covers. The motor runs well and it
has been converted to right hand drive. The window lifts are not working, it needs chrome work and there
is surface rust on the body. I have not done a lot to it since I‟m working on other Cadillacs.”