1948 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Imperial for sale, Barn Find!

[grdell10048!]

Selling a 1948 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 imperial.  Found it in a barn.  Car has been parked since 1974.  Vehicle has 41,000 miles.  No rust, no body damage.  Auto trans, V8 flathead 346 CID.  Only 382 of these cars produced.  Pretty amazing car.  I don't know if it runs or turns over.  Seats 7.  Has the divider glass between the front and rear of the car.  Frame and Engine number match.  Clean title.

[BJM]

How much are you asking for the car? How much did you pay for the car?  Where is the car located?  Does it roll and steer fairly easy or are brakes stuck? 

[abelove]

I don't care what you paid for the car, only its condition and location. I know what is may be worth to me. Please send that information to me, i.e. more photos and asking price would be extremely helpful. Thanks.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

No offence intended, but what is that all over the bumpers, grill, and much of the body? It sure looks like rust to me. And on a large auto, more of it has to come off than usual. Just because it's been inside the last forty four years means little. Even just "fixing it up" is going to cost way more than the car is worth. You have to find one of these cars with the interior intact and usable to make the outside worth painting and the innards worth fixing.

A true "barn find" is in time capsule condition. I.E, you wash it and get it running to enjoy it the way it is. Only if the item is truly rare and worth restoring do you go "the whole nine yards." Last year a person found a truly rare (one of 400) 1941 Cadillac convertible sedan in much the same condition as this car. Even selling it at a "reasonable" price was found to be difficult.

In any case, thanks for hauling it home.  Good luck in selling it.

[Bobby B]

Am I Blind (and/or Delusional) or does this car look like it needs a Full Restoration?     You'll be upside down with the Chrome work alone. Paperwork, History, Receipts? A little TLC and it's ready for Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach in April.....
                                                                                                         Bobby

[Steve Passmore]

Yes, it sure needs everything. Price and a lot more condition pictures would be helpful to buyers.

[z3skybolt]

Gents,

It will come as no surprise to those who have been involved in this "hobby" for a while. I have a friend who just spent well north of $100,000.00 to restore a 1939 LaSalle four door sedan that had been kept in a dry, heated/air conditioned garage since 1962 and was in very good original condition.  He might be able to get a bit over $30,000.00 for it. Unlike many of us... he is wealthy and doesn't care.

Bob

[BJM]

Gents,

It will come as no surprise to those who have been involved in this "hobby" for a while. I have a friend who just spent well north of $100,000.00 to restore a 1939 LaSalle four door sedan that had been kept in a dry, heated/air conditioned garage since 1962 and was in very good original condition.  He might be able to get a bit over $30,000.00 for it. Unlike many of us... he is wealthy and doesn't care.

Bob

Bob
Thank you for that real world example.  When we consider restorations of non convertibles, and even some convertibles now, this is what is so discouraging.  How does someone spend $100,000 on a 39 LaSalle?  By not doing anything themselves and requiring over-restoration. 

Of that $100,000, probably $50,000 to $60,000 is for labor.  Engine rebuild kits? $3500. Interior fabrics? $7000, body paint, you get the picture. 30 + years ago guys restored cars in their drive ways.

It's true this car, this 48 series 75 will likely never be restored.  No one I know is spending $100,000 on series 75's restorations.  Instead these GREAT cars sit and all the one's going to get restored, are restored now.  NO other 75's are going to get restored. 

Obviously, this is a provocative over statement but not by much.  I know that guy over in Newton, Iowa has 20 + series 75's and no one is bothering to buy them. 

BUT, how do you advise this seller to set a price?  $500?  $1000? He would laugh at us!  And please don't say (either him or us) "it's worth more than that in parts!"   It might be, if there was anyone restoring non convertible 1948 Cadillacs! 

$2500?  $5000?  At those prices, he would be looking for that 1-3 people somewhere in the world, including Europe, who might pay $2500 to $5000.  Now look, you and I both know he wants to make a nice profit.  So, his price is likely $10,000 to $15,000 for this car. 

But, this "member" who has 1 (one) post for the sole reason of selling a car he believes can fund his Caribbean cruise vacation, is unlikely to come back on and answer any questions.  That's why I ask for what he paid. The answer is always "it's nobody's business what I paid".  That means he got it for next to nothing and now wants to fund that vacation. 

Not an enthusiast, not a Cadillac lover, just a greedy individual looking for a lottery like turnaround.

[z3skybolt]

BJM,

My friend's 39 LaSalle is probably better than factory new. Perfect in every way. All was done professionally.  The chrome alone was over $12,000.00.  Money was no object. Perhaps someone took advantage.

On the other hand I have all the receipts for my 1940 LaSalle 52 series coupe which was restored to near show condition between 1995 and 2000. The gentleman did much of the work himself, including a partial engine rebuild. Having paid $6,000.00 for the car in 1995 he spent another $20,850.00 for a total of $26,850.00. And that was all between 18 and 23 years ago!

Being unskilled I have since spent a ton more $$ including a complete engine overhaul. At $100.00 per hour in labor it adds up fast.  In my next life I will learn mechanics and body work!!

Enjoy them while we can.

Bob

[Tom Boehm]

Gentleman, I hear a lot of negativity aimed at a guy who just wants to sell a car. He hasn't done anything wrong. All the speculation could very well be the case. But he has not posted a price so it is just speculation. If that car floats somebody's boat and they can do a lot of the restoration themselves then I think it is a good restoration candidate. Remember this is a hobby and not a business.

[Bobby B]

Remember this is a hobby and not a business.

Then maybe he should restore it himself......For me it's a Hobby, and that's why I think people get a little bent out of shape because a one time poster comes on here just looking to sell something. I would feel different if he offered a barn find to someone on the forum who really appreciates these cars and would tackle a restoration, for the price he got it for, or for free ( plus his towing/time expenses), if he was really concerned about "preserving" the car. I highly doubt that that's the case here. If I were lucky enough to find a collector car in someone's barn for next to nothing and selling was my main intent, it would be right on eBay or Craigslist, because I'm sure the other make Forums would feel the same way. It's no offense to the dude, just an opinion.......
                                                   Bobby

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Selling a 1948 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 imperial.  Found it in a barn.  Car has been parked since 1974.  Vehicle has 41,000 miles.  No rust, no body damage.  Auto trans, V8 flathead 346 CID.  Only 382 of these cars produced.  Pretty amazing car.  I don't know if it runs or turns over.  Seats 7.  Has the divider glass between the front and rear of the car.  Frame and Engine number match.  Clean title.

Suggest listing an asking price and item location for best response.

Additional photos also helpful. The more the better.

Good luck with the sale.

[BJM]

Mr. Boehm:

I have to agree with Bobby.  This seller is on this forum for one reason-to sell that car at a huge profit.  He probably found the forum by a google search.   If a CLC or regular forum member comes on here, posts this "ad" and asks what we know to be a very high price, then I make no comment.  The marketplace will determine the sale price.  This is occurring now with that 1970 Eldorado in Pennsylvania.  We have been very cordial to that seller. 

I have not said anything derogatory about this seller. I just quickly picked up that he was on here for greed only. 

[Bobby B]

Anyone on this forum who has (or has had) a Pre '49 Caddy with a Flathead/ Hydra-Matic, already knows what they might be in for, cost wise. If your skills are limited as far as rebuilding any of the drivetrain, you're in for at LEAST a $10-$12,000.00 expense right from the get-go, and that's if the Block is OK. On another note, Good Luck finding someone nowadays in your area that's willing to tackle it, AND work the bugs out. It's a dying Art and a Labor of Love....
            Bobby

[Chuck Swanson]

Mr. Boehm:

I have to agree with Bobby.  This seller is on this forum for one reason-to sell that car at a huge profit.  He probably found the forum by a google search.   If a CLC or regular forum member comes on here, posts this "ad" and asks what we know to be a very high price, then I make no comment.  The marketplace will determine the sale price.  This is occurring now with that 1970 Eldorado in Pennsylvania.  We have been very cordial to that seller. 

I have not said anything derogatory about this seller. I just quickly picked up that he was on here for greed only.

Sad that all these assumptions are made.  You have no idea.  It could be true, but how do some of you know??? My good friend, not this poster, just joined the forum last month.  What a "welcome" this would be if the was him (again it's not).  He has been an active CLC member for many years, owns around 40+ vehicles and many Cadillacs, and has attended GN.  Not all CLC members are on the forums all the time.  I have been suggesting to my friend to log on to forums as they are a great resource (He asks me a lot of technical questions). I recently was looking at a Caddy he was selling, and he let me take the car for the weekend to check it out...he is not greedy.  Good thing he didn't post in the for sale section as his first post, and maybe forget to add price as a newbie  Or maybe he made a mistake and meant "rust though" or " rust holes" Chuck

[Bobby B]

Sad that all these assumptions are made. 

Chuck,
Considering the circumstances of the Ad, I would be the first in line to apologize if we were all wrong regarding the intent of the poster. And if it were a friend of yours, I would buy the first round  .......
                                                                        Bobby

[piperman]

Yea, I wish the market on theses cars was better. I bought a 1949 Series 75 15 years ago for $800 all original, with unique star single lights. Can't see fixing it up. Will just drive it as a barn find. There are a lot of stories about barn finds out there. Sadly, most are not worth a whole lot. I can't even give away the old engine parts

[Chuck Swanson]

Chuck,
Considering the circumstances of the Ad, I would be the first in line to apologize if we were all wrong regarding the intent of the poster. And if it were a friend of yours, I would buy the first round  .......
                                                                        Bobby

Sounds good Bobby  

[Steve Passmore]

I think peoples general view about this ad is based on the fact it's been 6 days since it was posted with no further response from him. If it were me I would be checking in every day and responding to critics.

[Bobby B]

Yea, I wish the market on theses cars was better. I bought a 1949 Series 75 15 years ago for $800 all original, with unique star single lights. Can't see fixing it up. Will just drive it as a barn find. There are a lot of stories about barn finds out there. Sadly, most are not worth a whole lot. I can't even give away the old engine parts

Let me know when you want to cry together in the same River  .......
                                                                          Bobby