1930 CADILLAC 353 V-8

The story of the 1930 Cadillac has to be divided into two sections: the 1930 series 353 eight cylinder model and the 1930-31 series 452 and 452-A V-16.

The Cadillac series 353 eight cylinder was an extension of the series 341-B of 1929 with a few changes. The Fisher body (called "Fisher Custom") was reduced to seven closed bodies including the Convertible Coupe. The Fleetwood body (called "Fleetwood Special Custom") consolidated its offerings into eleven basic bodies with many variations.

The louvers carried well into the front of the hood. The Fleetwood Roadster had louvers in the sides of the cowl. There was a wider radiator and larger headlights (12 inch lens and 13 inches overall). The windshield sloped a few degrees instead of being upright. The visor was a short cadet type. A valance was featured across the rear of the car which covered the fuel tank and frame and joined with the rear fenders. The rear tread was wider and the rear cushions were made 4 inches wider. Except for a few bodies, all were prewired for a radio with an aerial built into the top.

The chassis no longer had ball and socket spring shackles. The front tread increased from 56 inches to 59 inches. The rear tread increased from 58 inches to 59.5 inches. The third rear shoe for emergency was dropped. Instead, a lever operated the rear service brake shoes. The exhaust tail pipe end was fan shaped. Demountable wood wheels were offered as an extra cost option. All cars had a 3/4 floating rear axle.

The bore of the engine was increased 1/16 inch. A reduction type starter was also used. The fan was lubricated by the engine oil return pressure. A cover was installed over the spark plugs. A new distributor had wires coming out the rear into a single conduit.

There were no serial numbers on the 1930 Cadillac Series 353. Engine numbers were stamped on the crankcase just below the water inlet on the right hand side. The starting number was 500001 and ended 511005.