Lester Wax wrote to Grundy Worldwide and submitted some stories that he had wrote about his cherished 1931 LaSalle. Lester is a member of the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Classic Car Club of America, the Baystate Antique Auto Club and the VMCCA. He gave us permission to reprint his article from the March-April 1973 issue of the VMCCA's publication 'Bulb Horn.' We hope you enjoy this story as much as we do...

The Impossible Dream: Restoration of My 1931 LaSalle

The tale of this restoration began months before I purchased the LaSalle.

I was told about the LaSalle in the spring of 1969 by another old car enthusiast, but I gave it little thought.

Then in May of 1969, this same fellow enthusiast asked me about the LaSalle again and said it was a 1929 LaSalle Victoria Coupe.  Well, to say the least, my ears perked up a bit.  Hm, a ’29 LaSalle?  Well, my interest was aroused.  It was a LaSalle, and it was older than my present 1940-52 LaSalle sedan.

After some healthy thinking of about 30 minutes, I asked for the name of the owner.  Later on that week, a Thursday to be exact, I called the owner and it turned out he was another old car nut, working on Model T Fords.  He had had the LaSalle for about a year and had found the work too much for him so he wanted to be rid of it so he could work on his Model T’s.  I was told that the LaSalle was not a ’29 but a 1931 with wood wheels.  Now I was really interested.  The owner was asking a good price for it and with a spare engine.  I thought it over and suddenly the price started to drop.  (At this point I must say I had not even seen this LaSalle, but was thoroughly interested.)  By the time the price had dropped $50, I was interested enough to see it that evening.

I called a fellow enthusiast, John Lothrop of Westwood, Mass.  John owns the 1911 Corbin, winner of the Belcourt Trophy and a 1933 8-105 Auburn.  I asked John if he would like to take a look at this LaSalle I was interested in.  John said he would.  After picking up John at his home in Westwood, we then drove to Randolph, Mass., where the LaSalle was stored.

Upon arriving in Randolph and finding our destination, we were ushered into the garage where the LaSalle stood.  Well, it can be said, it was love at first sight and I really wanted the car.  This time the price again dropped and after looking the LaSalle over, I said yes and left a deposit.

Upon inspecting the LaSalle at this time, I found the engine was 75% disassembled, with a cracked block and a lot of leaves and rust.  The body appeared solid except for the wood.  The left side door was off the car completely, along with the metal covers for the door post.  I found that where there should have been a door post there was none in sight.  Well, it was the first real problem I had, but I felt confident that I could and would do it.  The seats were out of the car as was everything else.  The fenders were as solid as a rock and I could stand on them with confidence.  Another problem appeared during inspection of the car – the left rear fender had a gaping hole in it, where the tail lamp should be.  The hole size was about 12” x 10”.  John Lothrop said he would help me with any problems I might have with the repair of rust spots and any holes in the fenders.

After the inspection of the LaSalle and its other items, I told the owner I would be back the next evening to finalize the financial arrangements.

Upon arriving home that evening, I told my parents I had decided to purchase the LaSalle and asked my father (who is a mechanic of the old school) to come with me the next evening to see the LaSalle and see what he thought as it did need motor work in the worst way.

On Friday evening, my father and I went out to see the LaSalle.  My father looked it over and said he would help me with the engine.  Then he said, “Good luck.”  (By this time I needed it, but still wanted the LaSalle.)  I then made final plans with the owner as to turning ownership over to me and to wait until the following Saturday to remove it from his garage to mine.  During the week that followed, I made arrangements to have it towed home by another club member, and started looking for the missing parts.

The following Saturday arrived and armed with tools, air tank and tow bar, I proceeded to get my classic LaSalle.

After getting the LaSalle ready for its move to a new home, it was pushed out of the garage and we had luck on our side (the garage was on a hill) and the LaSalle rolled down the driveway with yours truly behind the wheel.  The brakes worked!  What a relief!  They worked very easily, too, which surprised me, after being told by many people that mechanical brakes could give trouble.  But this is a poor man’s Cadillac and they did work.

The trip home was uneventful, just getting the usual stares from passing tourists and pedestrians.  Upon arriving at the head of my street, we had to make a 90 degree turn and at that point BANG, the left front tire let go.  So it was decided to tow it the last 3/10 of a mile with a flat tire.  I was planning on throwing the tire and tube out anyhow, so nothing was lost.

While putting the LaSalle away, my mother came out, laughing, “You’re going to restore THAT?”  I confidently said, “YES, even if it is the last car I restore.”

During the first few weeks that followed, I sorted out the parts and made a list of missing items needed.  I found the car was 95% complete and just needed minor items.  The first minor item definitely needed was the distributor rotor.  I didn’t even know what it looked like.  Well, eight months later I found a junked 1930 LaSalle and found the rotor.  Since then, when I find new rotors for the LaSalle, I purchase them.

During the summer of ’69, I undertook the replacement of the so-called invisible door post and other wood members.  I used well aged and air dried, close grain oak and white ash.  The longest time was taken in forming the new post.  I found it came in three sections for strength and was easier to handle in its forming.  Another club member milled and sanded to form the stock I provided.  While doing this process we found that the wood was so hard the sanding belt was burning and this to me was more than satisfactory.  It would last.  I finally started fitting the new post to the car and it took about a month in my spare time.  While doing this I had to incorporate the windshield into the post, along with the vacuum line for the wipers.  Finally the door post was installed and along with a new wood sill for the roof for support (this was rotted away also, even on the right side).  The repaired door hinges were installed and finally the left door.  With no exaggeration, the door went on without using shims and no other means of alignment aids.  It lined up perfectly and the door closed with a thud, a mark of quality.

In September of ’69, it was decided to move the LaSalle again.  This time across the street, into my own garage for the restoration of the remainder of the car.  After moving the LaSalle and setting it on jack stands, the crankcase was drained.  And to say the least, I was surprised to find 9 quarts of water and 8 quarts of oil!  I then removed the front fenders wheels and splash pans.  Then on to Hershey, Pa., for missing parts.

During the winter of ’69-’70 the engine work was done and cleaning of the frame and brake work.  It took approximately 10 to 11 months to rebuild the engine.  During that time on the engine, two stuck pistons were found.  The bearings were checked and found to be in excellent condition.  The crankshaft, no problem.  The timing chain was replaced, two cylinder heads were found, plus many other items.  It should be pointed out that the speedometer read 31,304 miles, and I believe this to be original.  The reason I say this is because there was no need to rebone the blocks or replace the pistons.  The taper was only 3 to 4 thousandths.  Three connecting rods were replaced with others from the spare engine.  This was done because the wrist pin bushings were literally falling out.  After finally getting the engine rebuilt, brakes were relined, drums turned and new tires and tubes installed.

In November, or to be more precise, Thanksgiving Day, 1970, the LaSalle was taken off the jack stands and moved outdoors, under its own power!  This was the day I was really thankful for.  It had been 17 months since I had purchased the LaSalle and an untold number of years since the LaSalle had been running.  It was music to my ears.  I then proceeded to turn the LaSalle around and drive it back into the garage for work on the rear brakes, gas tank and further disassembly necessary.

In the Spring of 1971 I made arrangements with my next door neighbor, who just happened to be a professional auto body man and painter, to do the work on the roof.  You may be asking yourself, why the roof?  The roof just happened to have more dents and rust than any other part of the car.

The preliminary work on the roof was done by May, ’71, and ready for primer.  I then made further arrangements with my neighbor again, this time to do the whole car from body work to finish paint.  With my help and with me doing a healthy portion of the work, it took the two of us seven months to strip the old paint off, sand, prime and paint the car.  I should also point out that all of this work was being done in a one-car garage, just the right size for a Model T Ford.  By November of ’71, I was able to take the LaSalle for its first test run.  I was more than satisfied – it was a traffic stopper. 

Up to this time I hadn’t touched the interior of the LaSalle and it needed it from floor to roof.  I started checking on the cost of new interior and the cost was prohibitive.  So I thought the majority of the work had been done by me, so, why not do the interior too?  It can’t be that difficult.  But I found out otherwise.  With the aid of LeBaron-Bonney of Amesbury, Mass., they were able to supply me with all the materials I needed, and that was a big help. Then with the use of my mother’s two sewing machines and tips on using them, I set up a cutting table and proceeded to reupholster the LaSalle.  The whole job took approximately 4 months, with cutting out patterns from the original upholstery, to the fitting and installation.  The only items I could not handle were the door panels, as I needed an industrial machine to stitch with.

When you see the pictures of the interior before and after, you will see why I am very proud of the restoration.  It draws many comments, not only from the men, but from the ladies.  They ask who did the work and when I say I did, they just can’t believe it.  It looks professional.

January 2, 1972 I registered the LaSalle, not as an antique, but as a regular vehicle, with vanity plates.  I felt I should be able to use the car when I wanted and not be restricted in its use.  During 1972 I put on 700 miles and, to say the least, got used to driving the car.

During the restoration of the LaSalle, I had, as so many of us do, gone to swap meets looking for some missing parts or an accessory that might be needed.  Well, on one of these trips, which was the 1970 Dusters Meet, at the Museum of Transportation, I came across a much sought after accessory  - a Pilot Ray Driving Light, as supplied as an accessory to Cadillac and LaSalle motor cars.  Upon inspection of the light I found the logo which had the Cadillac-LaSalle emblem, as an approved accessory by the Cadillac Motor Car Co.  I bought it for well below the market price.  It cost me about $100 to restore it and replace the missing mounting and control items.  So I had a complete authentic accessory and the right one as it matched the general design of the head lamps.

Also during the course of the restoration I found I needed fender lamps.  As with so many of the original lamps they were made with white metal bases and thin brass shells.  One of our fellow club members, who owns a 1931 LaSalle Sport Coupe, decided to make new fender lamps for his car; he also tooled up to do ten sets.  These are exact reproductions and I couldn’t tell the originals from the reproductions, they’re that good.  So I purchased a set that were just polished and had them plated by South Shore Plating in Quincy, Mass.

Another item I had a little trouble with was the windshield riser assembly, which mounts on the headboard on the interior.  This unit was used for raising and lowering the windshield during the summer months for ventilation.  I found that my original unit was worn and one of the raising gears was broken off.  Another case of deteriorated white metal.  I then proceeded to locate another unit which was complete and completely frozen solid.  But, with a little luck I managed to free it up and completely disassemble the unit.  I found it in good condition.  I cleaned and thoroughly lubricated it, so with a little bit of luck it could be used again with no further problem.  With the repair and reinstallation of the unit, it became a pleasure to drive the LaSalle during the summer months.

During 1972, while I was showing the LaSalle at local meets, I came across several other old car nuts who had an opportunity to purchase the LaSalle before I did.  They felt the car was too far gone or just too rough to work on.  But the Impossible Dream came true for me.  The LaSalle has received four awards from local clubs, one of which included Best Restoration of 1972.

One item I know you may be asking yourself.  Where did the color combination come from?  Well, all I can say is that it took me two years to find this combination.  I managed to find information through another club member who owns a 1930 LaSalle Roadster which is painted the same.  The colors used are a combination of eight show colors used for the 1930-31 show season by Cadillac.

To date, five 1931 LaSalle r-passenger coupes have been located through the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc.

My Impossible Dream.  Be LaSalle-ing you.

Story by: Lester Wax, from The Blub Horn (VMCCA) March-April 1973 Issue.

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