Michael J. Barnes

Gee, Alberta, you wouldn’t think it would take a British Columbian to start your own forum thread! I have a selfish reason: my second old car is a 1915 Dodge touring that was apparently lying around in a field outside Calgary. It was brought to Vancouver Island and patiently restored. Pictures and story later. Go ahead, Albertans, tell your stories! And by the way, you onlooker-easterners, how about starting a thread like this for each and every province and territory?

Sadly for the print industry — where I once worked — the really interesting stories have moved online, to forums like these. I expect readers from all over are taking note. The thread being expanded here with such great stories could and she be repeated for every province, state, country. Well done, Peter Findlay, for giving this snowball its first push.

Eldovert: Do you have other photos of Begg Motors. I am especially interested because the “61” behind the Caddy on the left, means Type 61. My car is a V-63 — the model produced right after. Very similar looking carts. The 61s shown here are the last model with rear-wheel brakes only. Thanks! Mike in Coquitlam

moved WEST I should have written.

Peter Findlay and his brother Ken know my car: a 1924 Cadillac touring that was purchased new by West Kootenay Power and Light, Rossland, B.C. Company manager Lorne Campbell signed for it; he was later a provincial minister of mines. I have not found any old photos of my car, but it is interesting the company used at least one older Cadillac before mine as a company car, and pictures of it are in the Rossland archives. Until another participant in this thread posted an excellent photo of Begg Motors (showing Cadillacs of the model just before my V-63) I did not know the significance of that. T

I have no connection to this car, don’t know it or the seller or the late owner. But the Totem Ford A & T Club is local, and I am sure numerous members could be easily located to speak honestly about the condition of the car. These are Canadian dollars! https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rds/cto/d/white-rock-1929-model-roadster/7175534763.html

I passed a semi on a narrow bridge that had hubcap spikes. Those look sinister, and there was not a lot of laneway leeway. But reading about them, I learn they are usually plastic.

Another reason for the decline of hobby restoration is staring in front of everybody participating here — computers and tablets. They did not exist when I was growing up, and likewise I suspect for many participants in this conversation. They are great for sharing chats like this, and for sharing knowledge. But they are a HUGE distraction from reading a book or going into the garage to take something apart or doing the hobby you like to do. I teach 10 year olds. Their minds may be broadened by building worlds in MineCraft, and coding is a real intellectual activity available to them. I ALSO kn

Overdrive options: If I decided to install an overdrive in my 1924 Cadillac — not to drive fast but to slow the engine down at near highway speeds — what are all the options? Gear Vendors. Borg Warner (are those still made)? Mitchell (did or do they build heavy-enough duty for a Cadillac)? Are there others? What did people do in the day if they wanted an overdrive? I mean either in the 20s, or the 30s, or, as the cars were aging, in the 40s?

They are valuable to their owners; they are valuable as artefacts; just, for the moment, they are not valuable on the car-selling markets. If you want to belong to the group that appreciates the Cadillacs from 1915 till the end of the nickel-era, join here: https://groups.io/g/EarlyV8Cadillac. All are welcome, whether you own one of these cars or not. I have a 1924 V-63 touring which started life as a company car for West Kootenay Power and Light in the south-east of my province of British Columbia. Important mining country a century ago. The region made a lot of money for the American mine ow

Mike Burch : I have sent you a private message regarding cowl light for 1924 Cadillac.

How far back do the Fisher body manuals go? Was there one for the cars of 1924?

By the way, I would still welcome you back in the EarlyV8Cadillac forum. The member who said unkind things was subsequently expelled from the group. Other members were very interested in your car, and you were kind enough to upload photos of it. Cheers, Mike Barnes, Vancouver

Jo Bo: Check the owner’s manual or service manual. My 1924 Cad has a special screw at the base of the pumps that needs to be turned to a certain position. It has an arrow on it. That actuates a cam which raises the accordeon-style thermostats and permits complete drainage. It does not matter in my case as the thermostats are absent. And I can’t speak for your car: whether the pumps were configured that way.

On other AACA forums people sometimes post pictures from Fisher body catalogues from the late 1920s, showing how the wood bodies were assembled. Does a manual like that exist for the Cadillac cars of 1924? Thanks, Mike in Canada