This Fleetwood seems very nice, however the valve covers and undercarriage
seem a bit roasted for such a (claimed) low mileage car. Opinions?
Is this a nice 114K mile car?
Or was it driven 14K in snow and salt?
Or was the speedo/odometer replaced?
https://inventory.studiohotrods.com/vehicles/14/1965-cadillac-fleetwood-series-sixty
The valve covers on my '77 were missing a lot of paint when I bought it with 7000 miles. The oil pan and frame in front of it are quite rusty. That part seems odd.
Interior, trunk compartment, dash, controls and especially wood trim all appear exceptionally pristine to be member of the 100k club on a near-60 year old car. Cold, damp garages can murder an undercarriage in almost time. I've seen '76 Eldorado convertibles with under 100 miles that fared far worse than this. My verdict is the mileage is probably legit.
Another clue is the hood hinges and pins which show some cadmium plating still.
Hmmm....I wonder.
Who doesnt drive a nice Cadillac much for the last 58 years?
I dont understand super low mileage cars and their owners.
Im also worried that this car sat for long periods. The piston rings could have rusted away.
The vavles could be sticking from old gas too.
The R rear quarter panel appears to have a gotten a good whack at some point with sloppy bondo work. Skirt doesn't fit well either.
Quote from: jwwseville60 on September 04, 2023, 09:47:36 AMAnother clue is the hood hinges and pins which show some cadmium plating still.
Hmmm....I wonder.
Who doesnt drive a nice Cadillac much for the last 58 years?
I dont understand super low mileage cars and their owners.
Im also worried that this car sat for long periods. The piston rings could have rusted away.
Having owned a number of older vehicles driven very sparingly, I think a lot of the horror stories associated with very low mileage are greatly exaggerated. If the engine is quiet, doesn't smoke or leak oil excessively, chances are it'll be fine.
Im not a body man.
How can you tell is the right quarter has been hit, just by the ill fitting skirt?
Thanks!
Oddly equipped, no tilt, and appears to be manual seat adjustment.
The quarter panel is wavy, on top of the poor fitting skirt.
The power seat control 'toggle' was unique to 65, it does look like a manual control. But it is power as standard on a fleetwood
Looks like the gas tank was removed at some point. Has a different clamp in the wrong spot.
Heres the link to videos and photos.
The real question is, given the right quarter panel repair, what is
this car worth as a purchase price? He wants $32K
Id say it's worth $24K. Opinions?
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/102sg3BwET3n3WhcGm01I49mUHjJJsP7a?usp=drive_link
John, after a second look I'm 99% certain the R rear door was also refinished which was likely done in conjunction with the rear quarter to help match the paint. Even the rest of paint looks questionable as to originality but I'd have to see in person. The right rear bumper end also appears to have a good sized depression in the side of the chrome but again, it's difficult to say from pictures.
As much as the 1966 Fleetwood Brougham tends to steal the show with most early Sixty Special/Brougham fans, I like the '65 taillamps and grille much better. The only distinction between the Brougham and the base Sixty Special in 1965 was the vinyl roof, the lack of which I consider an advantage- both in terms of aesthetics as well as significantly reducing the potential for rust issues. The car wears the Inverness Green very well which, combined with the steel roof, gives the car a sedate, dignified appearance. Unfortunately the poor quality repairs will be difficult and expensive to correct, assuming it ends there.
* I was not able to access the images in the link posted directly above.
Thanks Eric, I agree with you. Conservative elegance and modern art tail booms and rear lights.
An interesting article on the 1965 Cadillacs:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1965-66-cadillac-sedan-deville-the-kings-last-stand/
I like the car because I love green. I would keep it as is. Pretty rare to have a low mile one like this.
Here is the right rear. I dont see a hit, but Im not a body man....Im just a man with a flabby body.
This is the item I was referring to. Again, I'm not certain whether the distortion in the vertical "blade" of the bumper end is just a reflection or as a result of damage.
(https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/studiohotrods/1/17/559/1920x1440/1965-cadillac-fleetwood-series-sixty.webp)
Looks like the real deal to me. T3 headlights and all. Would not take much to bring this cars undersides right to the top.
The car is on consignment.
The owner wants $30K. No discussion. Hes as crusty as the underside.
I like the car but Im worried the undercarriage rust repair and oil pan replacement
might make this a very bad deal, not to mention the right quarter hit.
Such a nice car with such a nasty underside. A bummer.
Opinions?
In general it's rare to find any car this well preserved. The climate that caused the under carriage concerns is the same one that preserved the interior, seat foam, wood and plastics.
As an example... a pristine desert undercarriage would likely have a toasted interior, crunchy foam, crumbling weatherstrip, and more cracks in the plastics than an Ariel map of the Grand Canyon.
For me, that undercarriage makes it hard pass even without the bad quarter panel/skirt/door. In its present state, I think the seller is in for a long hard climb at $30K.
This 1961 Sixty Special in far better condition sold under the hammer at Mecum last year for $31,000 with the same 14,000 miles. Plus it's black and a '61 should be worth more than a '65. Professed to be original with known history. In my opinion, fair market value of the '65 around half of what this car sold for -assuming the undercarriage of the '61 is as clean as the rest of the car.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/527674/1961-cadillac-series-60-fleetwood/
Pass.
It's all price based at this point. Would you pass at say, $16,000? Of course this is at a dealer (I think) so they doubled the real world price.
This car is on consignment.
The owner, shown in the videos, has it at home.
He says he doesnt care if it sells or not.
He wont budge on price. $30K.
That's a classic overpricing case of "he likes it more that you" 🤦🏻�♂️🤣😖
The owner can chip off some of that rust and make a sandwich of it for all I care.
It needs to go to someone who will save it.
The owners reaction is common in todays market. From my experience. I have seen Facebook marketplace ads there for well over a year at high prices with no sale.
Personally, the "I don't need to sell it" or "testing the waters" comments from sellers are a major turn off. This is what happens when a hobby (can) become profitable and incentivized.
Since the seller has the car on consignment, it's easy to sit with his hook in the water indefinitely. He hopes to achieve one of two things: Either catch a fish, or hope to wear the actual owner down to a price to make it worth buying outright. When a car is on consignment, it's often a sign the owner wants too much to begin with. Rarely are consigned cars put into top condition before sale as a caring owner would. Owners of truly excellent examples know what they have and don't the help of consignors.
It's one thing to sit there with your arms folded when you have the ultimate, zero-excuse car. Although this '65 Fleetwood has some strong points, it's a far cry from falling into that category.
how about my 3k mile 68 fleetwood on facebook?
49$ or else,and you have to do ALL the chrome due to coastal storage
they own it 54 years,could care less,these are impossible deals to do