1965 Fleetwood 14,000 original miles?

[jwwseville60]

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

[J. Skelly]

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.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

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.

[jwwseville60]

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.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

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. 

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

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.

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.

[jwwseville60]

Im not a body man.
How can you tell is the right quarter has been hit, just by the ill fitting skirt?
Thanks!

[David King (kz78hy)]

Oddly equipped, no tilt, and appears to be manual seat adjustment.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

The quarter panel is wavy, on top of the poor fitting skirt.

[V63]

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

[badpoints]

Looks like the gas tank was removed at some point. Has a different clamp in the wrong spot.

[jwwseville60]

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

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

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.
 

[jwwseville60]

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.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

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.

[billyoung]

Looks like the  real deal to me. T3 headlights and all. Would not take much to bring this cars undersides right to the top.

[jwwseville60]

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?

[V63]

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.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

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.   

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

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/