I must apologize as my first post on this board is not offering information, but asking. My grandmother has a 1957 Fleetwood that has been sitting in storage for over a year now. It has cranked, but it sounds like from her that we may have some rust/trash in the fuel tank. As I do not have the facilities to keep the car & she no longer can keep it, we're considering selling it. As I do not know much about these cars, I was wondering if anyone on this forum may offer any help on the following:
1. Do you think I should restore it to good running order prior to selling it, or sell it as-is?
2. Do you know of good outlets for selling it (ebay, Hemmings, etc) - is there much of a market for it now days?
3. Would it hurt to keep it under a cover at my house until it sells?
Thank you all for any help you can offer. I'm attaching a few images so you can see what general condition it is in...
Thanks,
JasonR
Hello Jason and welcome to the forum.
From what can be seen, your 1957 Fleetwood 60 Special appears to be in very presentable condition.
From a selling standpoint, I'd strongly advise putting the car in running condition at a bare minimum. Nobody wants to buy a pig in a poke - and if they do - will impose a significant penalty. It shouldn't be necessary to go through every mechanical system such as brakes, power accessories etc as most buyers will already be expecting the car will need some level of attention, as would be the case for almost any vintage car. However a known good driveline will alleviate a significant amount of worry.
Ebay is a good venue as well as publications like Hemmings. A well worded description and good photo presentation are also invaluable in maximizing your return. You may also want to consider posting in the "For Sale" section of this forum.
There should be no problem leaving the car parked for a while under cover until the sale is finalized and yes, there most definitely is a market for such cars. You should also peruse eBay listings for other 1957 Cadillacs to help give you an idea of where the market stands on these cars.
It looks like a very nice example of the 60 Special which as you probably know was Cadillac's premium sedan this side of the Series 75 LWB cars.
Good luck with the sale. I hope it finds a good home.
Hello Jason
Welcome to the CLC Forum!
No apologies necessary because we exist to assist. I would love to see you join our rank with your Fleetwood but I understand your space issue. An assessment by a professional is a suggestion.The best appraiser I know is Tim Pawl with AAG. Then you could post the vehicle here in For Sale.
Thanks guys,
I appreciate the input. I'm going to check the car over this weekend & I agree that I should bring it up to working condition, then have it evaluated. I'll update you guys soon. Thanks again for your help.
Where is the car located?
Hi Jon,
It's located in North Carolina. I'll try to post a few more pictures of it tomorrow evening.
Jason
Quote from: ericdev on September 26, 2013, 09:38:56 AM
It looks like a very nice example of the 60 Special which as you probably know was Cadillac's premium sedan this side of the Series 75 LWB cars.
Actually the Eldorado Brougham (series 70) was the ultimate sedan, but a 60 Special was the best volume luxury car.
David
Hey guys, as promised, although delayed.
We pulled the car out of the barn & on a rollback. Our mechanic (whom works on classics) was able to have it running in less than 1/2 day & drove it to our house. We had it professionally detailed & now know a bit more about the car. It does have A/C, although the belt is not on the compressor (maybe locked up?), it has power windows & seats. The radio even works. Real neat, that's all I can say. Here are a few pictures after the detailing. Thanks again for your help. We're working on having it appraised & will then try to sell, just because we do not have space & do not have the time now to appreciate this car the way it should be.
Any input is welcome. Once we have it appraised, I'll list it up. What do you guys think of consignment locations (such as Streetside in Charlotte)?
Thanks,
Jason
Here are a couple of more pictures:
Looks like a nice car! I'm curious about the engine bay however. Did it look like that previously or is that the result of the professional detailing??
Hi Jim,
Yes, that picture was after the detailing. I believe I have a picture I can upload of the bay prior to being detailed. I'll find it tonight.
-jason
Hi Jason,
Great car, and I wish you and your family good luck in making a good and fair transaction in selling it.
There are many so called elite or specialty or classic car vendors and I question the value of selling through them. I have purchased a couple of cars that way but their market is limited and even with the internet they have trouble reaching a larger market.
You made a good investment in getting the car running and having it detailed. Next I would suggest you produce a good series of photographs from several angles starting a walk around array of at least 8 pictures from 8 different angles. The first picture will feature in your advertisements so it should be from the most interesting or most attractive angle. After the walk around do more of specific features including the trunk, engine bay, interior and so forth. Be completely frank in your advertising including the good and the bad points of the car. eBay can be a great place to advertise as it reaches a world wide customer base and Hemmings can also be good.
Gary,
Thanks for the feedback. Well, we've decided to keep it & erect a building to store it in. So rather than trying to sell, I think I'll be looking for random parts as needed!
Thanks again for everyone's input,
Jason
Congratulations Jason! Its always nice when a car can stay in the family and become a cherished family heirloom. The folks I just bought my 58 Fleetwood from were having second thoughts as we loaded their Great Grandmothers car up on the trailer. That is a very beautiful and very special car.
Hi Jason,
I am happy the car is staying in the family, a great decision as far as I am concerned. I hope you will decide to join the club and enjoy the comrades and functions as well as the publications and your local club activities. You have a beautiful car there.
Gary Griffin
Beautiful Cadillac and all the more special because it's family. I am the Director of the Carolina Region in Western North Carolina and would love to have you attend one of our meetings to get to know you. Joining the national CLC and then becoming a part of the local region makes owning a classic Cadillac all the more enjoyable. There is also an Eastern North Carolina region if you reside in that part of the state. You can reach me at my email listed on the CLC website under regional directors and I will be glad to send you our newsletter and information about our future regional meetings. Enjoy the Cadillac experience, Greg Powers
You made a great decision, very seldom does a car stay in one family forever
Jason,
Great decision to keep the car. The 1957 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Series Special is a fantastic car although I may be a little bit biased.
Ken
Have a look at mine!
Beautiful car and I am happy you have deceided to keep it! It can always be sold in the future should you choose that. Good luck with and , but most of all, ENJOY IT!!!!
Take it to car cruises and shows and watch the attention it gets. You will have a smile on your face for a long time.
Regards, Richard
Thanks guys, sorry for the delay in responding. We're in the process of building a new home for it. Next is a rework of the brake system, I assume cylinders & a fluid flush. Down the road I'm considering bringing the AC back on line. What do you guys think about conversion to R134 system? Would this de-value the car? Perhaps I should just leave as-is (the belt is not running to the compressor currently).
It's a neat car. I'm glad we're keeping it.
Thanks!
Jason
I was hoping someone could help me with a couple of questions on our 57. There is a device located on top of the dashboard on the drivers side. Looks like a light or a sensor of some sort, near the front corner. Can someone tell me what this is? Also, embarrassed to ask, but how do you turn the windshield wipers on? Thanks for any help!
Jason
That's the Autronic-Eye sensor. It dims your headlights automatically. The wipers are activated by sliding the chrome switch on the driver's side dogleg forward. DO NOT FORCE IT! If it doesn't move, then the cable is sticking and you cold damage the cable or switch.
Get a copy of the Owner's Manual and Shop Manual.
Quote from: jasonr on November 22, 2013, 10:09:11 AM
I was hoping someone could help me with a couple of questions on our 57. There is a device located on top of the dashboard on the drivers side. Looks like a light or a sensor of some sort, near the front corner. Can someone tell me what this is? Also, embarrassed to ask, but how do you turn the windshield wipers on? Thanks for any help!
Jason
I think I've read on here that the engine must be running for the vacuum powered wipers to work. Check out eBay for a '57 owners manual, that may help you with where all the bells and whistles are located.
Good luck!
Brian
Yep, the car has to be running. If you're having trouble with your idle, this is one area you want to address. The motor AND WASHER TANK/PUMP can open up a vacuum leak.
Yes! That all makes sense. Thanks again guys!
Jason