16k Mile Survivor: 1978 Cadillac Seville
It’s not unusual at Barn Finds for us to run across decades-old autos that appear to still be in amazing condition, yet some of the sellers frequently provide little or no background information as to why their offering remains in such fine shape. Fortunately, that’s not the case here, as the owner gives us a pretty good timeline along with a sequence of events that seems to explain how this 1978 Cadillac Seville is one of the nicest all-original examples in the country, as he states it. No doubt, this one’s a beauty, and we’d like to thank reader T.J. for the excellent tip here!
First-generation Seville production peaked in 1978, with nearly 57,000 finding buyers who appreciated the car’s luxurious styling in smaller packaging than a traditional Cadillac. The original owner is said to have been a real estate mogul in Oregon, but due to the size, he used it sparingly for transporting business clients. The sedan then spent some 35 years stored inside a hangar before being purchased by a friend, who subsequently moved it into his hangar before being acquired by seller and owner #3. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but according to paint chart samples, I believe that’s an Emberglow Firemist Poly finish, which has held up quite nicely over the years.
The seller tells us the Seville has only racked up a total of 16,000 original miles since it was new, with the interior’s condition reflecting how I’d hope a car with such little travel and so many years of careful storage would look like. The red leather seats may not be perfect, but they remain far better than most with this kind of age, and this one’s just loaded inside with all sorts of power accessories.
The 350 V8 engine puts out around 170 horsepower, with things under the hood appearing neat and orderly, just as I’d expect for such limited usage. This beauty is presently located in Mesa, Arizona, and can be seen here on Craigslist, with the seller posting a non-negotiable price tag of $21,500. That’s approaching the high-end value, based on Concept Carz auction-sale data of 48 cars showing excellent condition examples ranging from $6k to $8.8k, followed by perfect at $8.8k up to $23,650. However, with the low mileage and such exceptional overall shape, this 1978 Cadillac Seville may demand a premium. Is the asking price reasonable for what you’re seeing here?
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Comments
That’s a lot for an upgraded Nova.
Those were beautiful cars and far beyond just a “Nova”. Quit repeating things you repeatedly saw on Facebook. Sorry you could afford one….then or now.
I agree! Not even close to a Nova. I worked on these back in the day, and I don’t think you could find 5% of the parts interchangeable.
I really like this, but then again I liked them when new. SUCH a refreshing ‘improvement’ over the canoes Cadillac was paddling (peddling) in 1978.
Be sure to check the date code on the tires. With only 1,000 miles on them, they could have been installed YEARS ago.
Always was a fan and still am. Price is probably justified. A set of the wire caps would really set it off nicely.
Looks like a Caprice then and looks like a Caprice now..nice overall shape and might be one of the nicest ones left but Cadillac should be ashamed they ever put their logo on this. Only the Cimmaron was worse GLWTA
TommyT-Tops. I respectfully disagree. Back in 1983, we couldn’t afford a Deville or Seville, so we bought a Cimarron d’Oro. We realized it was an upgrade to the Cavalier, but it had a leather interior and we loved its looks.
It has the gold air cleaner cover, which means it has the fuel injection system. Rare and so much better than a carburetor. Only odd thing on a car this loaded was no 6 way power seat on the passenger side. Just the 2 way adjustment, front/back…but those were the days you truly could order your car the way YOU wanted it!
I wanted a TWO door Seville back in ’76 with no a/c or p/w & Caddy said i couldn’t get one like that – so i got a 2 door Nova instead – equipped just the way i wanted it.
This Caddy, BTW, was the American car that started 4 door only – & look what we have today. I’d rather it be 2 door only today!
Singles & childless couples should not be/have to be driving 4 doors today.
All of these Sevilles were fuel injected.
Maybe the amazing condition is due to the color. Who’d want to drive it? This old man’s car has its niche that doesn’t include many of us. I recall the bright yellow our family owned that did get driven.
Way better looking than the weird “humpback” version. Just my opinion, of course.
It’s a beauty, but with our economy collapsing, good luck on finding a buyer for over $20,000.
Economy collapsing? It looks fine from where I’m at and I’m retired.
Loved them! I had two of the “love them or hate them bustle back” models.
Horrible photos!
In the late 80’s in Ottawa Canada, my dad (a car guy) traded a 350 SBC 4 bolt main, and a Powerglide transmission for one of these (non running). It had all the paperwork to show it was actually Margeret Trudeau’s car. She is the former First Lady of Canada and the current PM’s mother. Never did anything with the car and he traded it for something else.
Pics in the garage have the vinyl roof but is it my eyes or is it a steel roof in the outdoor shot?
I remember when these were seemingly everywhere in the late-70’s and early-80’s, then in the mid-80’s to early-90’s the filled every Pick n Pull. Me and friends took an interest in them due to the availability of rear brakes until we checked the bolt pattern and found out it 5 x 5 rather than 5 x 4 3/4.
No matter how nice this particular car is, there are a lot of really nice 4 doors from that era available for a fraction of the price. Unless it’s someone’s dream car they would be better off to keep looking.
Steve R
Any machine shop could have re-drilled the axles to 5×4 3/4, or just run two rims sizes on the car and a universal bolt pattern spare.
We were interested in them because the late-70’s to early-80’s Firebird/Trans Am WS6 rear ends were highly sought after and valued. To garner any interest, the Seville rear would have needed to be a Posi, which we never found, once we found out they had a different bolt pattern it wasn’t worth the hassle.
As for running rim with multiple bolt pattern wheels, that wasn’t an option. We were looking to buy and resell parts to pay for our own projects, buying a Seville rear would have been a losing proposition. The fact that they were still in the cars shows that was the prevailing line of thinking, during that same time frame we never saw a Versailles that still had its rear end, even on a row of cars that dropped that day or the day before.
Steve R
NOT a steel roof, in some of the pictures it is obviously a vinyl top just about the same color of the body!
A client of my late wife had a blue one that belonged to her late husband. It was low mileage and well optioned. She sold it to us for a thousand U.S. dollars in 1996. We bought it for my step son for his first car. He loved it and spent a lot of time cleaning and polishing it. Unfortunately a small rubber fuel line beneath engine compartment burst and caught the car on fire. To much damage was done for the insurance company to save it. That’s when I found out the computer for those cars with electronic fuel injection cost over $550.00 in 1996 money.
God Bless America
If you don’t have documentation don’t claim it!!!
We had one that was left in the outside service lot for getting service work. We had a very large snow storm overnight and the Seville was the only car that would pull out of the deep snow, nice it had front wheel drive
I think the color is gonna hurt the # here, if it was Triple White, Triple black, or maybe 2 tone blue with the Spokes and Vogues and a grill, 30,000, it this color combo, plain Jane wheel covers and skinny whitewalls probably not
This immaculate 78 fuel injection Sevelle did have it’s problems. There were problems with the fuel injection on these cars.l had to go with a carbonated 350 Olds engine to solve this. After that swap it ran like a champ. So no l wouldn’t consider 20 nothing for this car because you will eventually run into this problem.
Why the olds engine? I remember my father saying about the one I mentioned earlier that he had sourced an Olds motor to drop in. He never ended up doing it but I clearly remember him saying he had got one to go in it. Just coincidence or was it known they bolted up easier?
These all have Oldsmobile engines, either gas and diesel, for the gas engines Cadillac purchased the long block from Oldsmobile and finished assembly of the engines and installed the fuel injection.
Yes the 350 Old’s drop right in. Performance also benefited from the TH 400 transmission l put in it. That combination gave that Sevelle a whole new personality.
Well, I could be wrong, but that engine that is in this one looks like an Olds engine. The oil filler tube and the valve cover color is what I’m looking at. And I believe I remember hearing that this generation came with the Olds 350 engine from the factory. I always wanted one when I was younger. Out of my reach then, and seems they’re still out of my reach now.
I had a 79 Olds 98 back in 86 with the Olds 350 engine. Triple blue. Wasnt quite a Cadillac but was still a nice car from that time period.
Yes it was indeed. I had one 79 Regency and it benefited from having the 5.7 L Olds four barrel engine. The same engine l put in my Sevelle. GM was in the early stages of fuel injection production and they had problems.l could name them from cold starts carbon buildup stalling and and electrical issues. After awhile it gets old. I love the 76-79 Sevelle.
My father, who was in the car business at the time always wanted the one of these and finally found one at Tri stomach. Did a little paint work, etc., etc. to it and he drove the hell out of it. So he had to get it from Indiana to Florida and number one son was the designated driver. I will tell you that was such a fine ride and not a ball of fire. It got down the road very nicely, nice road cars very comfortable with lots of room