1935 Cadillac - GM Heritage Center

37
BODY
Service Information
1. Insulating Against Heat in LaSalle Front
and Rear Compartments
Excessive heat in the front compartment of
LaSalle 350 cars may be generally traced to two
sources, the opening between the front body
bracket and the toe-board riser, and the metal
pan under the front seat.
The opening at the toe board riser may be
plugged with blue wadding approximately 12 in.
x 14 in. rolled tightly on the 14 in. dimension.
This gives a roll about 2 in. in diameter and 12 in.
long. To install the wadding, remove the cowl
side trim pads, place the wadding roll in the openings
between the toe board riser and the cowl metal
panel, and force it in place with a screw driver and
mallet until the opening is well sealed but not
enough to bulge the cowl panel on the outside
surface.
Heat entering from the metal pan under the
front seat may be overcome by placing a sheet of
thin asbestos or jute padding over the entire pan.
In case of heat entering the rear compartment,
the exhaust pipe should be inspected to make sure
that there is at least one inch clearance between
the exhaust pipe and the rear seat pan. If it is
less than this amount, loosen the exhaust tail pipe
bracket located slightly to the rear of the kick-up
of the frame over the axle, move the tail pipe into
position to provide the proper clearance, and
tighten the bracket.
If there is sufficient clearance and the heat is
still apparent, it is advisable to install a sheet of
asbestos on the upper side of the seat pan. The
asbestos sheet should be at least 8 in. square and
•j 3^ in. thick to effectively insulate against heat.
2. Care of Top Coverings
The only attention required by top coverings,
aside from periodic inspection for checks and
possible leaks, is an occasional cleaning with clear
water.
The use of top dressings on the top is not
recommended, either to restore the lustre or to
prevent leaks. Neither is a top dressing recommended
as a preventive of deterioration, as most
dressings contain some sort of solvent that causes
the top covering to deteriorate.
Grease and oil will also damage top material.
It is important therefore to avoid the use of oils
of any nature, including kerosine, mineral oils,
vegetable oils, animal oils or waxes. For this
reason also, avoid the use of oil in eliminating
squeaks in the roof construction.
3. Cleaning Khaki Top Materials
Top dressing of any kind and cleaning fluids
containing oil, naptha, gasoline, energine, Strong
chemicals, or any other liquid which will dissolve
rubber, should never be used on the khaki top
material of convertible and open models. As these
tops are made of double texture material, impregnated
with rubber, such preparations would disintegrate
the rubber content and ruin the fabric.
The safest cleaning method is to use warm
water and a sponge or brush; if necessary, Ivory
soap may be applied sparingly, but care must be
taken that all the soap is washed off. Most of the
soiled spots can be cleaned up by using only a
piece of clean art gum or pure gum rubber.
It is also important to see that the top material
is thoroughly dry before the top is lowered.
4. Installing Colored Tops
When replacing or installing colored roof
material on closed bodies, it is important that a
neutral shade of top material and a special lacquer
mixture be used to assure a satisfactory job. The
top material may be obtained from the factory
Parts Division under Part No. 4024867, and the
plasterizer for the special mixture may be obtained
under Part No. F-127 in pint and gallon cans.
The special lacquer mixture can be made up by
mixing one part of plasterizer with two parts of
raw lacquer to which, when thoroughly agitated,
four parts of thinner should be added. The complete
mixture should be thoroughly agitated just
before it is sprayed on the top material.
The color of any top material other than the
neutral shade will show through the lacquer, and
if the plasterizer mixture is not used, the lacquer
may crack and peel. If the correct procedure is
followed, however, an entirely satisfactory job
can be done.
• Four coats of the mixture should be applied to
the top material, the first a light or mist coat. In
cases where the color is to be "Classic Blue" or a
similar transparent color, a ground coat of black
should be applied first.
5. Cleaning Car Upholstery
Care must be exercised in cleaning upholstery
material and floor carpets used in car interiors.
Some of the fabrics are impregnated with a rubber
backing, originally applied as a solution, which
binds the nap securely. Use of too much cleaning
fluid tends to dissolve this backing, thus
loosening the nap.
To avoid this, cleaning fluids should be used
sparingly on any upholstery, especially pile. An
additional safeguard is the use of factory-approved
fluids which are selected for their factor of safety
as well as for efficiency in cleaning.
Water stains on upholstery material can easily
be removed by brushing off the material thor-