1953 Cadillac Coupe de Ville Cold Start.MP4

Now, after moving the '77 and '62, I get to start the '53 after it's sat for over two weeks due to cold, damp weather! If it goes more than two weeks without being started, one of the lifters on the right side collapses and taps upon start-up--after driving about two milesIt pumps back up and quitens down. Took it for a nice highway drive afterward.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• 1953
• Cadillac
• Coupe
• de
• Ville
• Cold
• Start

[rattfink17]

gas gas gas gas gas gas gas lol awesome car

[NDrLoR]

@rattfink17 Thanks! You've got that right! Actually, it will get 18 MPG on the highway!

[Mrtriumphchopper]

Cadillac also had A/C in 1940.In either case,it was NOT factory installed,but a custom accessory.Two problems:1.There was no compressor clutch,it was "ON" all the time.You had to remove the drive belt to shut it down.2.It used industrial R-22 (Freon) refrigerent with no means of temperature control and would throw ice cubes at you! Not really,but almost. I have a friend who has a '53 Olds 98 w/ working Frigidaire A/C.

[NDrLoR]

@Mrtriumphchopper I have seen illustrations I think in Dykes Encyclopedia of those pre-war Cadillacs with AC--a fastback I believe, but I thought it was a '41 in the picture. I always wondered if any of them made in into existence. The 53's also have no clutch, but do have a means of temp control via sensor bulb under the dash connected to a solenoid that regulated freon flow. Airtemp AC in '53 and '54 Chryslers also used Freon 22 and was clutchless.

[auaiao9]

I wouldn't really expect a '53 to have a/c but that one does. It probably was an option back then.

[NDrLoR]

Factory AC became available as an option for the first time in Buick/Olds/Cadillac in '53--a very expensive one in relation to the price. $750 against a base price of the car of $3,500, almost 20%. Even greater in Oldses and Buicks which could be had for around $2,500 base price. Packard had the first factory AC in 1940. The plans were for GM and Chrysler to have it in '41 and '42 respectively, but the war changed all that.

[NDrLoR]

Thanks! Buick/Olds/Cadillac adopted 12 volt electrical systems in '53, Pontiac/Chevrolet in '55 with the advent of their V-8s. Ford and Chrysler went to 12 volts in '56--those were times of almost continual change every year.

[lp1330]

Neat! Is that a 6 volt? For a long time I was under the impression that all GM went to 12 volt in 55, but I seem to remember seeing something a few years ago that said some switched sooner.