just thought i would post up some pics of my 1940 cadillac fleetwood limo... i know nothing about these cars so if anyone has anyplace i can get some info on them please let me know... this one has been sitting since 67. the only real weird thing i noticed about the car is the whole B pillar is removable on the passanger side?
and i did get the hood sides and lights the dude was affraid they would get stolen so he took them off.... but its i would say 90 % rust free.... and the E brake works...lol....
Cool score, solid is good. Saw a sharpe Black 41 at the drive in, he was told it came out of the John Deere Estate
With the price of solid old limos, it suprises me we don't see more of em shortened and turned into kustoms and street rods. Shortening a solid car is probably a lot less work than replacing the bottom 6" of a rusty car
Who the heck would want to ruin a great limo by shortening it. Take a look at the money being made by guys with limos of any vintage earlier than the 70s doing weddings and receptions and 75th brithday parties and other limosine-style events. There is a guy here in Houston who made his own limos out of Model A and Essex's and Buicks and other stuff and he's been making a nice living now for at least 20 years or so.
May not be a funeral car, but we've had Cad hearses a little newer that were the same way - the B-post was part of the middle door. Probably means the same coachbuilder did this car - Someone intimidated by the challenge of fixing a rotty car who would rather do all the same hacking up and welding on a nice one. Cutting and welding is cutting and welding, it makes little difference if you have to do it for customizing purposes or rot repair purposes.
Limos are made to be ridden in. Rods and Kustoms are made to be driven. Builders tend to be drivers, and I can't be alone in finding old limos neat, but not personally appealing as a project. Starting with solid limo tin to build a full on chopped kustom seems somewhat logical.
Sometimes these cars were used to transport people on gurneys, saw one like that at the portland fall swapmeet/car show. Check the floor for tie downs.
Sometimes these were refered to as Ambulettes. They weren't emergency vehicles but rather for thr transport of bed ridden patients between hospitals, and or other "institutions". The seats wer foldable and or removeable to allow the placement of a stretcher or geurney bound patient. Look up sanitoriums, sanitariums and or convolescent homes.
A good friend of mine used to have a 41 Caddy limo. He stretched it 18 inches, and powered it with a 460 Ford. Fun car. Good luck with it and I hope you post more pics as work progresses. I always like to see rare and unusual cars.
I have ruined plenty of old stuff for my own projects. I don't know that I could do that to a Caddy limo from 1940. I can't help but think about the history that car may possess. If it was not a funeral car, think about who may have owned it when new. Those are not cars for everybody on the block. In 1940 the economy was still struggling to get back on it's feet. A guy would have to flip a big coin to take that from the dealership. It was a car built for captains of industries...
Man that's cool, i was looking at a late 30's Packard Limo the other day, it was pretty sweet. What are your plans for it?
well we got it out of the small ass barn it was in and into our shop almost have the crap all cleaned out and i will look for tie downs.... i did discover that a bar folds out of the back of the front seat though... and there are spots for tie downs.... as far as plans im not sure yet .... might just sell it to someone that has more time than i do....
Check out the website http://www.professionalcar.org/ I am sure you will find an expert to answer your questions. (I wish I had my grandfather's '38 Caddy limo, but it was sold a long, long time ago.)
The divider glass between driver and passenger compartments IS the piece that makes a limosine a limosine rather than a 7-8 passenger sedan.
Fabulous car!! wish I had more room/$$$/time/understanding wife...then I would gladly take it off your hands. Seriously, great find. Give us more pics when you get a chance. These were super cars & would make a real nice cruiser. You may also check www.cadillaclasalleclub.org Lots of info there. Good luck, Al
time to do some serious backround checking on origin of it. i was offered a 40' caddy limo for dirt and turned it down, found out later the guy that did end up with it checked it out and it had been the govenor's car. fucked up that time!
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