General MacArthur... our 1940 Cadillac 60 Special

 

The wedding limousine business has unexpectedly taken off and keeps me busy most every weekend.  The primary wedding vehicle is "Nigel" our 1959 Jaguar Mark IX.  With so many weddings on the schedule, I started looking for a second vehicle that could serve as an alternate, or backup classic wedding limousine.

Last spring (2011), Dorothee and I took a nice little road trip through Southwest US.. New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado.  One day, during the trip, as I was checking my email on the old iPhone, the "General" popped up for sale on one of the classic auto online sites I follow.  It just seemed like the perfect vehicle for our collection. 

I called the owner, in Syracuse, NY, and we came to a price agreement, pending my onsite inspection.  Soon as we returned from our road trip, I hopped on a plane to Syracuse, and came back with the title for "General MacArthur" in my hand.

The early Cadillacs were truly THE cars to own, with many many features that distinguished them from the ordinary Fords and Chevys of the era.  The General is equipped with the standard 345 cubic inch flathead V8, which always starts on the first push of the button, and idles so smoothly sometimes I think the engine has died when I pull up to a traffic signal!

The car has the standard 3-on-the-tree manual transmission, which shifts like butter.  The old cruiser just floats down the road, in opulent silence, skipping all the bumps!

The General has undergone the standard Auldridge treatment... conversion of all the electrical systems from 6V to 12V, and installation of air conditioning for those Texas summers.  All of the interior has been outfitted with a complete, period-correct makeover... seats, door panels, headliner, and carpeting, and will then once again be fit for royalty!

 

CLICK HERE to view Notes on 6 volt to 12 volt conversion

CLICK HERE to see revised wiring diagram for 12V system

CLICK HERE to view documentation on Air Conditioning Installation