Desert Find: 1959 Cadillac Coupe De Ville
If you ever needed a demonstration of how a dry environment is conducive to preserving classic metal, you need to look no further than this 1959 Cadillac Coupe De Ville. The seller located this luxury vehicle languishing in a desert. When you look at its overall solid state, it is impressive for a car that has been sitting exposed to the elements for forty years. He has decided that the Cadillac needs to go to a new home, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in Perris, California, and while spirited bidding has pushed the price to $17,100, this figure remains short of the reserve.
There is probably no car that better defines the American styling trends of the late 1950s than a 1959 Cadillac. Those enormous fins and bullet taillights are instantly recognizable across the globe and earmark this as a car that commands respect. It makes a bold statement that the owner is a success and isn’t afraid for the world to know it. Our feature car rolled off the production line wearing Pinehurst Green paint, but a previous owner has performed a color change to a shade of red. Most of the red paint has worn or baked away from the exposed surfacs over the years, exposing that attractive original green. There is also plenty of surface corrosion for the buyer to deal with but surprisingly little penetrating rust. There are a couple of small sections above the rear wheel arches and tiny spots in the rockers, but that appears to be about it. The owner says that the Caddy’s underside is clean and structurally sound. The panels wear a few minor blemishes, but these appear repairable. Some of the external trim is damaged, but most of it will sparkle again with a bit of polish or respond positively to a trip to the platers. The driver’s door glass is cracked, but the remaining tinted glass is free from major defects. The overall impression is that this should be a fairly straightforward restoration.
While a dry desert climate is kind to classic steel, the associated harsh UV rays can exact a high toll on trim and upholstery. That is the case with this Cadillac. Its interior is badly trashed and will need nothing less than a total retrim. This is part of the restoration that could consume some cash. However, it may not be as bad as you first think. While complete kits are hard to find, individual parts pose no such challenge. A set of front and rear seat covers in the correct color and pattern of leather can be found for $700.00, while a dash pad sells for under $300. A headliner adds a further $270 to the tally, but items like door trims proved elusive. I admit that my search was relatively brief, so a more intense search may produce better results. It appears that this interior is essentially complete, and apart from a factory radio, this Caddy features air conditioning and power windows. Once restored, this interior would be a pleasant place to spend plenty of time as the miles roll under the wheels.
At 4,890lbs, the 1959 Coupe De Ville is a hefty beast. Therefore, Cadillac needed to slot something reasonably potent under the hood to get this classic up and moving. They chose the 390ci V8 that churns out 304hp. That power finds its way to the rear wheels via a four-speed Hydramatic transmission. It may not be a muscle car, but a ¼ mile ET of 18 seconds neat looks pretty impressive for a vehicle of this size and weight. It appears that our feature car has not run since it was parked four decades ago. The owner says that the motor turns freely but slowly. He suspects that the starter may be on the way out and doesn’t intend to try coaxing the engine back to life. He indicates that it may benefit from a rebuild, and after such an extended hibernation, that seems like a sensible approach. Once again, this will add to the restoration cost. It’s worth remembering that these are not sophisticated motors, and a rebuild would cost no more than any other V8 from this era.
Returning this 1959 Cadillac coupe De Ville to a factory-fresh state is not going to be for the faint-hearted. However, they will be commencing the process with a car that is structurally sound and essentially complete. There is a question mark hanging over its financial viability with the bidding at its current level, but if the buyer can complete many of the more mundane tasks themselves, that shouldn’t be a problem. Returned it to a tidy state, it should be capable of commanding a value of $30,000 any day of the week. If the new owner completes the restoration to a high standard, that figure can climb beyond $40,000 with ease. I hope that somebody does put the time and effort into returning this classic to its former glory. After sitting for four decades, it deserves nothing less.
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Comments
Good lord. Nice metal and glass, but that inside looks micro-waved.
Probably be cheaper to buy a restored on.
Your right on that. Knew a guy who restored one of these cars and it took just shy of ten years. Not for the average back yard mechanic. Hard to find parts not to mention the cost. Do yourself a favor and buy a clean restored caddy.
Does one get the free diamond backs and other desert 🌵treats?
The metal looks great 👍
Good luck sale and hope it gets restored 🤞
I hope the new owner that gets it takes the time money and patience to bring it back exactly the way it was in 1959 cause as the article states,it deserves nothing less than the best. They haven’t made ones like this in a very long time and never will again. It’s also becoming near impossible to find ones like this to restore, I hope the new owner keeps that in mind.
I lived about 10 miles from Perris in Menifee, escaped the “Peoples Republik of Kalifornia” in May of ’19.
I think I’ve seen this ride before too, not positive though.
just dragged it in from Vegas last month
Mom lived in Perris. We did the movie, Calender Girl there.
I had 4 cars in the movie. A few Cads showed up, but don’t rremember if any
were in it.
Perris is a higher, cold desert.
Cads possibly came from Palm Springs. Much hotter climate where we live in
Palm Desert.
You have a choice between rust areas for cars or well baked cars.
I prefer baked over rust. No torch needed to remove bolts from desert cars.
No loss of frame-body strength.
I lived in So Cal for 33 years.
Only place I EVER saw rust on cars was at the beach from the Salt air and vehicles up in like Big Bear.
Menifee and Perris is like 1,500 ft elevation. Really High Desert is like Victorville, Hesperia at about 3,000 ft. elevation.
I lived in MENIFEE from 94 to 19 and we saw a few inches of snow maybe 4 times.
just dragged it in from Vegas last month
The Swedes come through the South-west buying Cadillacs and parts about this time each year. And this seller looks as though he specializes in the Caddy niche so there is a possibility this car could end up in Sweden. Something about their import tax laws favoring old cars and their affection for Americana. Nice people and beautiful women.
I had a friend about thirty years ago who made quite a bit of extra cash and paid for a couple of trips by selling nice original 60s GM cars to Scandanavia.
off to New Zealand
Maybe I should update the article when I get it running 😂😂
How many ’59 Cadillacs does this guy have? There is a shiny black one and a God awful yellow one next to this one in a couple of the pictures.
have a few
all out of one collection most been sitting 30-50 years
This is the most patina I’ve ever seen on a car.
Not sure where the author gets his interior prices, but they’re WAY shy of reality. There is only ONE source for the correct seat material, SMS Auto Fabrics. The $700 quoted for seat covers MIGHT buy enough of the original CLOTH for the seats and DP, but not the color matched leather or vinyl or any sewing. Dash pad $300? Last one I had done was nearly $2000. Perhaps the $300 was a cap only? The interiors for these cars do not come “off the shelf” like they do for common cars like Chevys or Mustangs.
Yes, Adam Clarke, please tell us the names and contact info for the sources of $300 dash pads and $700 leather seat kits for 1959 Cadillacs.
I just did a 59 interior. The seats door panels and headliner were $7,000. The horn ring was $1,200. The dash pad was $2500.
Looks like the seller may have a few of these – why is he selling ‘this’ one?
cuz this is the one I choose to start with
one at a time
now there’s a tudor for ya: 2’n a half ton, 130 inch WB & truck motor (needs it). Here’s hopin for a full rest0 (with out too much ‘mod’).
Not for me tho (heavy wrk load). I WILL takea ride tho!
The body and bumpers are decent, but agree with others comments about the cost for the interior. It will be very costly. Engine, trans and brakes will eat thru a budget quickly too. Not for the faint of heart but a Caddy lover may see some light at the end of a costly tunnel.
I bought this car , I’ll keep you all updated on the progress , the paint is staying the way it is 😎it will be a few months before I see in the flesh still awaiting to be shipped