NEW PRICE! New WWW radials just installed. Fantastic
fully-sorted tour car, new interior and paint, runs and drives
extremely well. Ready to show and tour.
This 1941 Cadillac 60 Special has a known ownership history dating
back to the 1970s. It was repainted in the early 1990s, but never
used, as the owner passed away and his family was not interested in
the car. So it sat wearing its fresh gloss black paint in heated,
protected storage for nearly 20 years. As a result, the shiny
finish is in excellent condition with a brilliant gloss and very
few signs of use. It has never been a rusty car and perhaps most
importantly on a 60 Special, the solid wood rocker reinforcements
are in superb condition. All four doors open and close with that
wonderful kerCHUNK sound that's endemic to these cars and makes it
feel as if it will last forever. At the same time, much of the
rubber weather-stripping was replaced, so the car has a very solid
feel that's devoid of squeaks and rattles inside, something that is
also likely due to the fact that the body has never been off the
frame. The chrome and stainless trim is probably original
throughout, so there's the usual very light pitting on the cast
parts, but certainly nothing that needs immediate attention and in
its current condition, the car attracts a great deal of
attention.
The interior was tired, so it was replaced with a correct
combination of blue Bedford cord and gray broadcloth, a combination
that looks absolutely spectacular in person. It's actually nicer
than it appears in photos, which are a bit dark, and with new
stuffing underneath, it remains all-day comfortable. We also
serviced the electrical system and got all the gauges working
properly, including the speedometer and fuel level gauge, so it's
ideal for touring. Both heater motors turn, the defroster works,
and all the various courtesy lights and turn signals are
functional. Only the clock and radio are not working, which is
common in cars of this vintage and we have not pursued any repairs
there. The trunk has also been reupholstered using correct checked
fabric and there's a full-sized spare of indeterminate age stashed
back there, too.
But the real reason you want to own a 1941 Cadillac is simply
because they're flat-out the best-driving cars of the era,
particularly when equipped with the Hydra-Matic transmission. The
346 cubic inch flathead V8 may have modest specifications on paper,
but they're incredibly reliable, make magnificent torque to move
these big cars, and purr along in near silence at modern highway
speeds. We spent several thousand dollars servicing the
mechanicals, including cleaning the fuel tank, rebuilding the
carburetor and fuel pump, rebuilding the distributor, new ignition
components, flushing and cleaning the cooling system, and a full
rebuild of the brake system, including master cylinder, hoses,
wheel cylinders, and shoes. The car has repeatedly proven itself
over the past 18 months we've owned it, with numerous long-distance
tours and serving as my personal daily driver on sunny days. It
always starts quickly, idles smoothly, and cuts through traffic
with authority, all without getting hot or cranky even on the
warmest days.
A big part of that performance advantage comes from the 4-speed
Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. Don't let anyone tell you that
these are trouble-prone or difficult to service, because both are
false. This one idles in gear at about 350 RPM in almost total
silence and steps off the line with authority, using the engine's
considerable torque plus a very low first gear to launch all 4000
pounds of Cadillac with ease. Hydra-Matic Cadillacs also received
3.36 rear gears (manual transmission cars received 3.90s) which is
another component in its outstanding highway manners—at 65 MPH,
it's just loafing along at about 2000 RPM, barely audible.
The chassis on this car is original, so it's not perfect, clean,
and shiny. If you want perfection you'll have to spend more, but I
can almost guarantee it will not ride or drive any better than this
car. Bumps are a distant and well-damped thump, steering is
accurate and it tracks straight, and the freshly rebuilt brakes are
as good as you're going to get for 1941. There's some surface scale
on the heavy iron parts, so be ready for that, but the floors are
in excellent condition, as are the aforementioned wooden door
sills. It currently sits on 15-inch steel wheels with attractive
hubcaps and trim rings, as well as a set of new wide whitewall
radials with less than 100 miles on them.
We intended to keep it in our own collection, that's how good it
is. Circumstances have changed, so it is only with great reluctance
that this car is for sale. It runs and drives better than almost
anything else we've owned and it's simply gorgeous to look at. If
you want a completely sorted Full Classic Cadillac that's welcome
at any event, one that you can drive without reservation and that
you can show with pride, few offer a better combination of beauty
and practicality than this.
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
