CHRISTOPHER W.CUMMINGS
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1. Beginnings 7
2. 1941 Cadillac Series 7523 Seven-Passenger Touring Sedan 18
3. Please Dont Call Them Junkyards 25
4. Comings and Goings 30
5. Some 41 Cadillac Adventures 37
6. 1931 Cadillac Series 355A Fleetwood Cabriolet 42
7. The 41s, Neglected and Recovered 58
8. Getting the Limousine Running 65
9. The Interconnectedness of Things 87
10. Getting Serious About the Fastback 94
11. Freeing Up the Engine 103
12. I Finally Got Around to... 114
13. A Sleepy Engine Wakes Up 137
14. A New Wiring Harnessand By the Way, the Dashboard 147
15. Windshields, Weatherstrip and Worn Gears 168
16. The Fastback Lives! 184
17. Still Smitten by the 31s 191
18. A Dream Comes Within Reach 195
19. Acquiring the Car of My Dreams 201
20. Musing About the Meaning of Things 228
Index 231
Description
The Cadillac V-16 was conceived in secrecy in the middle of the Roaring Twenties, when incomes were rising, prosperity seemed endless and the car business was beginning to break from a traditional emphasis on function over form. But by the time the Cadillac V-16 reached showrooms in 1930, the nation was falling headlong into the Great Depression, and it soon became a rare relic of the boom before the crash.
That is why in the mid1960s, when Christopher Cummings was an adolescent car enthusiast, the oldest Cadillac V-16s were a dream just out of reach. This memoir tells the story of a boy who grew up loving cars, learned everything he could about them, and acquired quite a few impressive models for himself, while always looking forward to the day he would, by surprising circumstance, find the automobile of his dreams. Early chapters reveal the adventure Cummings underwent renovating his first car at age 13. Over the course of his teenage years he would work to acquire three classic Cadillacs: a 1941 Cadillac Series 7523 seven-passenger touring sedan, a 1941 Cadillac Series 61 coupe, and a 1931 Cadillac Series 355A Fleetwood Cabriolet. Later chapters recount the painstaking effort he put into renovating and maintaining those coveted vehicles. The story culminates with Cummings unexpected acquisition of the car that earned the motto Standard of the World, the 1930 V-16 Imperial Sedan limousine. In all, this memoir bears witness to an elegant sample of the best that the Classic era of automotive history had to offer.
About the Author
Classic automobile lover Christopher W. Cummings is an attorney. He lives in Manassas, Virginia.
Reviews
Worthwhile...the most inspirational book on classic car restoration ever publishedHemmings Classic Car
Interesting, enjoyable and easy to readClassic Car Club of America Bulletin.
worthwhile...the most inspirational book on classic car restoration ever publishedHemmings Classic Car; interesting, enjoyable and easy to readClassic Car Club of America Bulletin
