More Door Elegance: 1963 Cadillac Fleetwood
Most of our Barn Finds posts begin with a feature shot of the whole car, and this is generally the best way to show them. But I broke the rule this time in order to highlight one of this car’s more interesting features: the color combination.
I don’t think too many people would argue that a silver body and black vinyl top look great on this 1963 Cadillac, but it stands out from the crowd with the bright red leather interior.
This is a six-window hardtop car, because it isn’t the standard Sedan deVille, this is a Fleetwood model.
Made near the end of the upright tail-fin era for Cadillac, and GM did it with style. Long, graceful lines, huge slab-sided panels. We’ll never undervalue the technology present in our modern cars, but can you imagine what it would cost to manufacture a car like this today? The acres of sheetmetal, thousands of dollars worth of chrome plated parts? The sheer weight and bulk of it!
If you believe that as much as I do, it makes so many old cars like this one seem like a bargain.
But this car is not without it’s troubles though. It’s had an engine fire, and is not in running condition. The body looks very solid, except for the typical GM vinyl top edge body rust. But if the floors and trunk are solid, the body would be an easy fix.
Not as easy or cheap to fix what’s wrong under the hood, but still very attainable. This car is here on craigslist and is located in Bloomington, Illinois. The asking price is $3,500. Does it look feasible to you?
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Comments
Nope…….not worth what it would take to get it going, even in Driver condition. Too, bad, a grand old gal………..
fun at about 1500.
Looks like a rat exploded under the hood…
Before or after taking a crap ?,
oohh, wait, scratch that.
I love the color combo. The silver and black make the red interior pop. However there is a lot of work to be done to make this car drivable.
silver paint , black top, red leather. doesnt get any better than this. just wish it wasnt all banged up.
Get a junk yard drive train and wiring harness out of a late model Chevy Tahoe/Pickup/Suburban and cruise, cruise, cruise.
Yeah, I know I’m being “simplistic” but it would be a lot easier and better running than the melted Cadillac components.
That could be really cool with that junk yard drivetrain and harness out of some late model something or other. To fix it to driver status, going to have to redo the engine compartment anyway, so short of full resto, you may as well have some fun with it.
Love this car.
The cadillac 390 was FAR superior to some late model chevrolet junk drivetrain.
In what way would you support that ridiculous claim?
If I have to explain then I know you’ve never had one of those cars.
Cadillac engines were machined to aircraft specifications in this
era. They were bulletproof.
Well if I have to explain why you are wrong, you obviously haven’t driven anything built in this century. Or simply have no use for more power, with greater efficiency, greater reliability and lower emissions.
To each their own but your comment is purely subjective, yet you’ve voiced it as an absolute which caught my attention.
NOW is exactly the right time to sell this. The burnt paint spots are going to rust like crazy. The engine compartment will attract dirt like a magnet and the rest of the car will rust some more….
By winter this will not even look like a $1500 car….
too bad.
to many cookies
Mat is correct. Had a few of these,
Finally a voice of reason! : )
I have always like that exterior/interior color combo