Original California Cadillac: 1964 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
Based on the comments in my earlier story about a 1948 Cadillac Series 61 coupe, many Barn Finds readers are fans of Cadillacs from the division’s glory days. So, to keep our luxury car-loving fan base happy, here is another stunner from back when Cadillac was “The Standard of the World.” This 1964 Cadillac Coupe de Ville for sale on eBay in Brockport, New York is another classy example of how wonderful a Cadillac could be during the marque’s heyday. This luxury coupe was originally sold in California, lived nearly all of its life there, and is in excellent, original condition. Could you see yourself motoring down the road in this rust-free luxury car? With the bidding currently sitting at $18,200, what do you think this car will top out at when the auction ends in two days?
Before any of you start to panic about the current New York address of this regal Cadillac, the seller starts the ad by putting our fears of road salt and corrosion to rest. It seems that this Cadillac was an original California vehicle that never resided outside the Golden State until it was shipped to upstate New York two years ago. While there is no mention of a set of highly coveted California black plates being sold with the vehicle, we are assured that this car is “super solid and zero rust.”
We are also told that the car came fully loaded. Among the options are power windows, power trunk release, and power seats. To make the car more presentable the seller has installed new carpet from the floor to the door panels and topped the new floor covering with a set of matching floor mats. The car is also equipped with air conditioning. Sadly, the air conditioning system needs to be recharged. This is not a surprise, as the Harrison compressors from General Motors vehicles of this era are prone to losing freon through the front seal if not used regularly (ask me how I know…). A common, but somewhat sacrilegious, fix for this is to replace the huge Harrison compressor with a smaller, more efficient later model sold by many aftermarket air conditioning vendors.
Under the hood is a 429 cubic inch V-8 that was treated to a top-end rebuild before the seller acquired the car. Backing it up was a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. The seller tells us that this car’s carburetor, which will come with the car, has been switched out with an Edelbrock aftermarket carb and a transmission microswitch. Unfortunately, the seller didn’t elaborate on the micro switch. Edelbrock sells these as a safety device to prevent the driver from applying a shot of nitrous when the throttle is not open enough. While I doubt that this car is equipped with nitrous, the seller may have meant that a throttle solenoid has been installed on the carburetor. This device raises the idle speed when the air conditioning compressor is engaged and lugging the engine. If any reader is more literate than I am about such matters, which should be all of you, please elaborate on the owner’s statement about a micro switch in the comments.
Above is possibly the best news about this car so far. The picture above reveals that the undercarriage of this Cadillac is in excellent condition. As many of you will attest, many nice Cadillacs have gone to the crusher not because of mechanical failure but because of rust damage. Cadillacs were expensive cars to produce and were made of very good materials. Thus, they can be costly to restore, and having rust issues only adds to the price and hassle. Finding a Cadillac of this vintage with no rust is sort of like finding Bigfoot hanging out with an alien and a leprechaun, and all of them are sitting on the proverbial pot of gold.
So, if you don’t have the funds or the stomach to set out on a full house restoration on a Cadillac of this era, your best bet is to find a great original car and spend your money upfront. When you consider how little $18,100 buys in today’s used automobile market, this car is a steal. While the paint is described as being in great condition and the chrome is likewise graded as nice, a little more detailing would make this Cadillac shine. If it were mine, I would fix the air conditioning, add another couple of feet to the length of my garage to shoehorn this beast inside and enjoy owning one of the best luxury cars of the sixties. This car has all the signs of being a keeper. Hopefully whoever purchases this Cadillac enjoys it and shows it off at every opportunity.
Are you a vintage Cadillac fan? What is your favorite year and model? What do you think of this Coupe de Ville? Please share your opinions in the comments.
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Comments
I love this car, it’s awesome. But, once again, I’ll say how amazing it is that a car of this size can sit on the X-frame. My ’63 Riviera has the X-frame too, and it just seems like it would flex too much, especially on these large GM vehicles.
For 20k you can still get deals so I disagree with that statement. Its these circus auctions with tents and hotdogs driving up the price of these heaps. I actually witnessed a 69′ SS 396 going for 600k.. which is totally insane. Late 50s to 60s passenger American boats excluding muscle cars still can be got. As well as antique cars like an 36′ Ford V8 Coupe. Just stay away from Craiglist please. This Caddy looks clean but the thought of zero rust is overdoing it as a salespitch. I bet I could find a smidgen underneath the quarter panels. Growing up in California myself, yes these land sled boats were usually driven my Execs that got to park in the best parking spaces at the factory. Or little old ladies that couldn’t see over the widest wheelbase ever. I’m hesitant about the engine mods, sound crazy to me. Now to find a space in the Mall parking lot where I won’t be ticketed for using up 2 spaces? jv smashpalace
If that SS396 was really 69′ long, $600k isn’t really that insane.
😅 Bless you. One of my pet peeves.
Also wondering what “the widest wheelbase” that little old ladies can’t see over means. At least one of us is confused.
We had an 80 year old woman still driving her 58 Buick in early 80s. She peered between the dash and steering wheel while sitting on a Sears Catalog. Looked like that Buick was driving itself. 😃 Now Buick is advertising vehicles that park themselves. Say what you will, but that old gal had SPUNK! Ah, the Golden Years!?! 🤮
Not quite “fully loaded.”
I had a 1964 Coupe de Ville with, additionally, power vent windows, automatic headlight dimmer, and cruise control.
Ha, love the shot at the gas pump. Buyer will certainly spend a lot of time filling up.
Yes they will spend time at the gas pumps and a lot more time passing the Jap cars on the road. And holding 27 gallons and an average MPG of 12(barring racing little cars), you should get 324 miles per tank. I never got less than 12 MPG in any of my big Caddys and that was mostly in the city(Hbg) and jumping off the line at a green light.
I’m with Cadillac Kid! I don’t care HOW much gas these glorious Land YACHTS use! As God is my witness, I will NEVER drive a foreign POS, or any of today’s SUVS, crossovers or melted jelly beans! Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!
I totally agree with you in principle Rick W, but I differ in that all foreign cars are a POS. A friend runs a transportation company between Sedona AZ and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and he’s used Toyota almost exclusively since he started 15 years ago and his last Toyota Sienna went 437k with no significant repairs required before he traded it in for another one last year. I’ve personally owned seven Toyotas (my latest is a Lexus RX350) and they’ve all be stellar in terms of workmanship and reliability. If there’s one thing the Japanese are very good at it’s reverse engineering our cars and making them better.. which they have on numerous occasions.
To HHO… fortunately in America 🇺🇸 we can STILL have our own opinions! Not sure 😕 how much longer. My late father worked for INLAND STEEL for over 40 years. In the 50s, he frequently told us about Japanese visitors with cameras given complete information about steel production, remarking what a mistake it was. I’m sure the same thing happened with auto manufacturers. We gave them the ammunition to fire back. My late brother, a successful business man, went from Oldsmobile to Cadillac to ROLLS-ROYCE 👍.Then for some reason switched to Mercedes. Probably owning 6 of those. IMO, boxy, cramped interiors, stiff riding, and frequently in repair shop. Have to admit that now current American automobiles aren’t much better. As I’ve said in other posts, my current 2007 Town Car Signature Limited is the last gasp of traditional American Luxury sedans.
My friends mom had a 64 Coupe DeVille, only in black. Always loved that car. Question, is that AC compressor a Frigidaire as opposed to a Harrison? Looks like an A6 to me…
IMHO 1964 marked the last year of the beautiful Caddys unil the 69 Eldorado..and this one looks like a beauty that belongs in Palm Springs or cruising Sunset Blvd like my old 56 Coupe de Ville.One guarantee..the valet will put this outfront and the Benzs and even Bentleys and Rolls will be round the back..
Yes, Mr. DeMille this Cadillac is ready for it’s Closeup on SUNSET BOULEVARD 🏰 🌇! Where are you, NORMA DESMOND? 😉
The 1964 Cadillacs were the first to use GM’s TH400 transmission. The microswitch is for transmission kickdown, a function that’s lost with an aftermarket carb.
That is true but I can’t see how it was called a micro switch, it’s fairly large and it is actually a long travel button. I still have several spares.
It has more to do with precision than size. A microswitch is activated with a very small movement.
Yeah, I couldn’t even begin to explain that one! Wheelbase has nothing to do with height.
Maybe the comment was intended to imply that a short person might have difficulty seeing over the long hood, but width is also mentioned, which of course also has nothing to do with wheelbase. The comments never fail to entertain!
429 Single exhaust?
What a beautiful car
Grandfather had one in dark blue – friends always said it smelled of wine when he let me drive it… picked it up at the factory as he had done for over twenty years with his other Caddies, all power, even vent windows … he actually ordered his ’69 from a dealer (said he was too old at 65 to drive to Detroit from New Orleans) and gave the ’64 to a derelict cousin who promptly totaled it when a tree refused to get out of his way … loved that old car – huge back seat and many memories of dates and proms …
I always loved the 58,60,& 62 years! Sixty Special was my favorite!
A local business man had a black 58 Sixty Special 🏆. While I loved our black 55 DeSoto, that 58 Sixty Special was my first love affair with Cadillac. Have had numerous upscale vehicles (including 89 Fleetwood Brougham deElegance) BUT still salivate over that 58.