I am 69 years old now. My first car was a 1961 Series 62 Convertible for $49.00 and $3.00 tax in 1970 when I was 16.I remember each one well if for any reason someone should ask any detail about any one of them, so this is a list of all of them to date by how many of each model year.
3 - 1955's
6 - 1961's
1 - 1962
1 - 1963
1 - 1964
4 - 1967's
7 - 1968's
2 - 1969's
1 - 1972
1 - 1977
1 - 1978
1 - 1980
3 - 1990's
1 - 1992 Total 33 Cadillac's over a 54 year period.
Bill,
You've good taste in Cadillacs --- similar to my list, so I won't post mine (would be boring!), but hope others will post lists. I also owned a '61 convertible, and being 10 years older than you are, mine cost used around 1,500 in 1965, but by 1971, I probably could have gotten $50 for it... I gave it to my mechanic, as it had lost reverse gear and suffered from chassis rust! James
Do not know if that love is related to how much
you drive them. But the cars on the property
today have over 2 million miles on them, most
of that done by the current 2 owners. The
average is around 300,000. Bruce Roe
I drove them all, 5 of the 1961's were Series 62 Convertibles. That first one was a rot box but it was Code 48 Fontana Rose with a white top and black and white interior. It was a Basic Group A car with no extra options.
Great list of cars!
My first ever Cadillac was a 1972 Sedan Deville. Butterscotch yellow, I picked it up for around $1500 way back in 2004 or so. Thats what made me fall in love with these big ole Caddy's. Not to mention all of the old Mafia movies. And the rest is history.
1. '72 SDV
2. '68 CDV
3. '94 Fleetwood Brougham.
4 '64 SDV
5. '87 Brougham D'Elegance
6. '54 Fleetwood 60 Special
I think the Cadillac bug is over for now for me as I am content with the cars that I own currently. Unless in the future a nice '53, '59 or a '58 Fleetwood/CDV comes along then I will be very interested, but that would mean I would most likely have to sell one of my Cads in the process.
The only Cadillac I've ever had is a 1949 Series 61 Club Coupe. In September I will have owned it 40 years.
Only 12 for me so far:
1968 DVC - still own
1969 DVC
1970 FWB
1973 SDV
1995 FWB
1996 FWB - still own
2000 El Conv (CB Ltd)
2005 CTS
2008 CTS
2009 STS Plat Ed V8 N*
2011 CTS Prem Ed (two) - still own both
The first Cadillacs I owned were two 1946 convertibles. I was 13 years old (1955) and owing to them each having a bad water pump I bought them for $20.00 each. One was a red one with red leather and the other was black (I don't remember the interior). Both were really in good shape other than the pumps, but what I did was drive one until it started to overheat, park it and then drive the other one until it too overheated. I parked them a block or two from my house to "hide" them from my parents, and had fun for a couple of weeks until the were towed away.
Oh well!
Greg Surfas
Currently at 4 with 1 Lasalle:
1937 LaSalle Series 50 Opera Coupe
1955 Cadillac Coupe Deville
1957 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe
1959 Cadillac Coupe Deville
1964 Cadillac Sedan Deville
Eyeballing a 37 or a 47 at the moment if I can make it work.
My first Cadillac was a triple Gold '69 Convertible I bought a year after college in 1989. It was a bit rusty but great fun for a Summer before I decided to do a frame off. Sheet metal work was done and frame replaced before I sold it in 2021 as my parents sold their home (storage gone).
My second was a 1956 Eldorado Seville (Bernadette) with A/C bought in 1990. Mandan red, White top and Red cloth interior. It is still unrestored but in need of it. Will provide more details in a separate thread in the future.
My third I bought from the then curator of the Cadillac Museum as a Winter beater in 1991, a 1975 Coupe Deville Landau. Originally Silver with a red top, I have restored that to Red metallic with a white top and the original leather interior and still enjoy it today.
My fourth was a 1956 60 Special with A/C and the K2 (roof A/C vents) option. Bought cheap, too nice to take apart, was sold to someone in the 90s that wanted it more than me.
Still enjoying the '75 monthly, still miss having a convertible Cadillac and looking forward to restoring my Seville. Just need to not work so many hours and find a place to wrench on things in the Bay area. Also need a reputable '56 Hydramatic rebuilder on the West Coast.
59 finally made it out. Gotta love working on these gals.
Beer and Grocery Getters
1968 CDV Plum with black vinyl top
1982 Eldorado
1985 Seville
1996 Fleetwood Brougham
2001 DeVille Pearl White with beige(ish) coach top currently owned
2002 Eldorado with black coach top currently owned.
Classics
1941 6227 Coupe Hydro. Frame on restoration
1940 60 Special. Cosmetic restoration
1937 65 series sedan. Sold while still unfinished
1937 LaSalle Convertible coupe Was Ed Gunthers' car. A few cosmetic
and mechanical touch ups.
1937 LaSalle 50 coupe. Just acquired. Awaiting delivery.
Brand Xes
1947 Chrysler six passenger coupe owned since 1989
1947 Packard Custom super. Frame off restoration.
Two I wish I had never sold
1941 Coupe.
1937 Lasalle
I still remember the last four numbers of the 41s'ABCMHV; VIN-1396. Paint code sixty. Firemist gray over dusty gray. If anyone here knows of it or owns it and wants to know a little of the acquisition and restoration please contact me.
tony
I have owned seven. Still have the 67 convertible which I restored with no floor and locked up motor. Was a labor of love, but have owned it for 26 years now.
My first was the 75 sedan. It was a rust bucket, but I drove it about three years before the engine went bad.
The 76 coupe was a nice car, pastel yellow with a white top. Next to the 67, my favorite.
Had a 95 Brougham. Car would fly, but did not compare to the 67. Too much plastic, cheap looking interior compared to the 67.
The 82 motor locked up on the way back from a trip. 😡
Purchased the 85 Seville at an auction. Tore the motor apart and rebuilt it. Ran fine afterwards, but once I saw the thin o rings during the rebuild I could never trust it. Ended up trading it in for a minivan.
1967 convertible
1975 sedan
1976 coupe
1982 coupe
1983 coupe
1985 seville
1995 brougham
Tim
Too often on these posts, I read comments around buying Cadillacs of whatever age each circles around the monetary.
Oh, this car will cost more than it will be worth - that's number one.
However today, those who have posted have been reminiscent of enjoyment of owning and driving their Cadillacs of varying ages, over the past many years.
I can say, For pure kick in the butt excitement, I love my XLR - it's even my avatar.
My view of the Cads I own and drive is expressed every time I sign off on a post.
Have fun,
Steve B.
Heart breaking.... is there any way it's worth fixing? I too learned the hard way about insurance coverage. You have to specifically ASK what's covered and what isn't. Just purchasing a policy that says ''comprehensive'' does not cover property damage comprehensively. Insurance companies build in all kinds of ''loop holes'' into their marketing language. Keep us in the loop if the damage is not the end of your narrative. James
Quote from: 64\/54Cadillacking on March 16, 2024, 01:33:32 AMI know it's not a Cadillac, but everyone thinks it is one every time I drive it. So I would go along with it.
I received horrible news from a neighbor of mine that my 78 Lincoln Continental got rear ended in a hit n run crash this last Sunday on the street. 😭😭
Never did find the effin A-hole that smashed into it...
"Effin A-hole" is right. So many people these days are irresponsible. Sorry to hear this news. Might be time for a thread on the hazards of where one parks their classic car; city street to rural barn. Each has their own downside. Clay/Lexi
Quote from: Lexi on March 16, 2024, 08:40:25 AM"Effin A-hole" is right. So many people these days are irresponsible. Sorry to hear this news. Might be time for a thread on the hazards of where one parks their classic car; city street to rural barn. Each has their own downside. Clay/Lexi
That actually sounds like a great idea Clay. You never think about these things until it's too late.
My Cadillacs are safe from street parking as they are at a house thankfully. But where I live, parking is very hard to come by and sometimes I need to park many blocks away.
I was asked by the moderators to remove the post in case you guys noticed that my post is not there anymore.
Luckily just last night of all times, I found the car that hit my car. I took pictures of it, got the license plate down and called the police right away. The investigator officer that's on my case will be updated with the news tomorrow, so hopefully now I can get compensated for the loss of the car. It's not worth much as the Lincoln did have a lot of rust and needed a new vinyl top, a paint job.
Lesson learned for sure.
Quote from: James Landi on March 16, 2024, 07:15:30 AMHeart breaking.... is there any way it's worth fixing? I too learned the hard way about insurance coverage. You have to specifically ASK what's covered and what isn't. Just purchasing a policy that says ''comprehensive'' does not cover property damage comprehensively. Insurance companies build in all kinds of ''loop holes'' into their marketing language. Keep us in the loop if the damage is not the end of your narrative.
James, my jaw literally hit the floor when I saw the damage to the car. The amount of work that would need to repair that entire quarter panel would far exceed what the cars worth to be honest. Finding parts for these Lincoln's are much harder to come by than 70's Cadillacs. You're right about insurance coverage, I always thought I had collision for my Lincolns, but I guess I didn't, after looking at my policy the other day.
Since I now know who hit my car, I am going to go after them and or their insurance company so I can be compensated somehow for the car as my insurance company won't cover anything. I have collision and theft on my Cadillacs as those cars are much more valuable. But only have liability on the Lincoln's.
Will do.
I noticed that you had a complete car cover on the car at the time, so be prepared for the response from the bloke that hit your car saying that he didn't see it. He might try to convince the Police that as the reflectors in the rear couldn't be seen, he didn't see the car, and therefore shouldn't be held responsible.
Plus, the Insurance Assessors will also try anything to get out of paying.
Bruce. >:D
Quote from: billyoung on February 26, 2024, 06:30:05 AMI am 69 years old now. My first car was a 1961 Series 62 Convertible for $49.00 and $3.00 tax in 1970 when I was 16.
I got my 1961 Series 62 Convertible in 1975 for my 14th birthday. The bill of sale shows my dad paid $45.00 for it. I ran it on my father's dealer plates until he died in 1984. A few years later, when I went to get antique plates on it, the RMV wanted to ding me for sales tax going back to the original price. When I was able to show them the bill of sale from 1975, a guy from the Department of Revenue told the RMV people that the sales tax on the vehicle was to be based on the $45.00.
I still have the car.
I agree that a subject posting on classic car insurance would be EXCELLANT.
It certainly would help to know how any given member was treated after placing a claim - either because the member caused the accident, or some BOZO who tries to duck out or has his own kind of insurance.
I do hope that the Lord Overseers stay out of the mix when we are sharing our Personal Experiences with this or that insurance company.
This open discussion of such a critically important aspect of classic Cadillac ownership is invaluable.
I do have a comment about the lowball offers or out the gate decisions of it's a "TOTAL LOSS" responses from insurance companies.
There are firms that will represent you after the first insurance company offer is made, for a fixed fee, often after they review the ins. offer, and conclude they can get "X" more than their fee - so no out of pocket to pay them, until the bargaining is concluded.
I hope someone who has had a recent experience will begin the new thread.
I would guess it will start a dog pile of added posts - me included.
Have fun,
Steve B.