RSS_Auto_Poster
Well-known member
1975 CADILLAC COUPE DEVILLE, <br />
<br />
VERY RARE 75th ANNIVERSARY MODEL.<br />
<br />
29,000 ORIGINAL MILES FROM NEW.<br />
<br />
ABSOLUTE MUSEUM QUALITY CAR.<br />
<br />
<br />
Ever promised yourself a beautiful vintage Cadillac? <br />
<br />
Then this could be the solution! Must be one of the best original examples this side of the US. Truly spectacular in every way.<br />
<br />
The 1975/1976 Cadillac Deville"s were the last of the proper full sized, rear drive Cadillac"s ever made. Built properly and traditionally, before Cadillac lost its way following the release of the Seville, and the subsequent dilution of the brand.<br />
<br />
This is a 1975 Coupe variant which came over to the UK in 2011 from Detroit Michigan where it had just one owner. I have some original ads for the car and a copy of the title which verifies the miles. It came over to a wealthy gent in Wales who used it very occasionally for trips backwards and forwards to the local golf club. He then fell ill at some point before finally passing away last year. The car eventually came to auction as part of an estate sale earlier this year, and was bought on a bit of a whim by a local trader. I then bought it a few months ago, as i was so utterly blown away by its condition.<br />
I"ve done some quite extensive re-commissioning works to bring it back up to the exceptional standard which it now sits.<br />
<br />
Bodywork<br />
Starting with the bodywork, its excellent. Paint gleams, and is in superb order throughout. Original hand painted pin striping is all present AND SIGNATURED FROM THE FACTORY. Body is super straight. No signs of rust bubbles or any other defects. Being critical, there are a couple of tiny little stone chips here and there, but you have to look hard. Looks pretty much like new.<br />
Chrome is perfect and shines brightly. No pitting or dull bits. All rubber inserts on bumpers are clean and tidy, no splits or cracks,<br />
Stainless parts and other external trims are also excellent.<br />
Rear plastic bumper filler panels were all cracked and perished from age, so these have been replaced with a reproduction kit from the states.<br />
All glass is excellent. Lights are all perfect, no cracked lenses.<br />
Vinyl roof looks like new. No splits, cracks or rips etc. <br />
Wheel trims are all like new. Not chewed up or dented.<br />
Car has been fully rust proofed fairly recently, including cavities, doors, and all other external surfaces. Spotless, no corrosion anywhere.<br />
Car does not leak anywhere, weather stripping and seals are all good. Trunk and interior are all nice and dry.<br />
<br />
Mechanical<br />
All mechanical aspects of the car are in excellent order and it runs beautifully. Where it had been standing, the carburetor was suffering with stale fuel. I bought a rebuild kit, but in the end i thought it would be better just to buy a new carb. I sourced and bought a proper rebuilt Quadrajet specifically for this car. Its also had a several new ignition parts, along with an oil and filter change. A NEW STEERING IDLER ARM HAS JUST BEEN FITTED 20 MILES AGO...THE CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED TO THE VERY HIGHEST STANDARDS...It starts on the button and runs very well. Vacuum hoses are correctly hooked up, and nothing has been bodged. Doesn"t leak oil or coolant, runs like a watch and doesn"t overheat.<br />
Some people think this era of car are gutless, but this 500 engine makes huge torque and runs very strong. More than enough. With a new carb, a bit of extra timing and other adjustments, it probably runs better than it did when new.<br />
The transmission has had new fluid, and shifts perfectly. No clunks or slipping.<br />
STEERING & Suspension is all in good order. Glides along with no wandering or clunkng. Handles surprisingly well for such a massive beast. No sports car, but also not a massive blancmange. Has a superb, smooth ride, better than most modern cars.<br />
Sits on four matching Uniroyal whiteband tyres of the correct size. They look like they"ve been replaced not that long ago, although i have no receipt for them. All have tons of tread. Like new.<br />
Brakes are excellent and pull the car up quickly with minimum fuss. Feel nice and progressive and strong. Big power discs on the front.<br />
Designed for unleaded fuel and doesn"t require additives. <br />
<br />
Interior<br />
Inside the car is a lovely place to be. Like the rest of the car, it is in fabulous condition. It has the velour seats, in a matching red, which i think are nicer than the equivalent vinyl. It is the most comfortable car i"ve ever sat in, and everyone who"s been out in it would agree! Everything is original and in place, with no damage. No cracked dash or split seats. No sagging headliner etc. Car is silent inside, no rattle on trim or squeaks from anywhere. Doors fit well, and seal out all the noise from outside. Electric windows operate nice and quick. Fit and finish is far superior to anything i"ve been used to on classic American cars.<br />
I"ll reel off a list of some of the equipment/options. And remember, this is a 1975 car.....<br />
<br />
Full automatic climate control, Cruise control.<br />
Guidematic headlight control (auto dipping headlights).<br />
Twilight sentinal (lights stay on for programmable period of time after ignition off)<br />
8 way power seats.<br />
Automatic electric aerial.<br />
Auto station search radio.<br />
Three speed wipers, with intermittent.<br />
optic fiber lamp monitoring system.<br />
Remote boot release with auto close function.<br />
Illuminated vanity mirrors.<br />
Detachable litter bin.<br />
Power windows.<br />
Remote driver and passenger mirrors.<br />
Power locks.<br />
Rear defogger.<br />
Tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel.<br />
Individual 12v lighters for each passenger.<br />
<br />
Theres more too, but you get the picture.......!<br />
Everything inside the car works. The only thing that doesn"t is the "digital" clock. Its actually mechanical and supposed to be reliable. Apparently the little components just seize with old grease over a period of time. Its quite straightforward to rebuild and clean it (see youtube), but i didn"t fancy taking the dash apart to get at it. That could be some entertainment for the new owner.<br />
<br />
<br />
History and paperwork...There is some interesting history with the car, the most important being all the original documents from when it was new. Purchase receipt, warranty card, 1st year insurance certificate, service schedule, consumer information booklet, and owners handbook. All pristine and original in the wallet.<br />
There is nothing else from the States, until the car was sold via a trader to its UK owner. US title, and a purchase receipt. There is all the appropriate DVLA stuff to go with it. <br />
All the old MOT"s since import are here. There is also all the DVLA paperwork to re register the car as historic vehicle, which has been sorted out now. Free tax!...AS OF 20TH MAY 2018...THIS CAR WILL ALSO BE MOT FREE...!!!<br />
Then there are the invoices for the things that i"ve bought for it.<br />
Current MOT is until 25th June 2018.<br />
<br />
<br />
Summary<br />
As mentioned, this must be one of the best Coupe Deville"s in the country, possibly Europe too. Its wonderful. It commands respect and has massive presence on the road.<br />
Performance is excellent. It will leap off the line and get up to speed in pretty short order. At the same time its low geared, so it"ll happily sit at 70 on the motorway without feeling like its working too hard or needing an extra gear. Brakes are excellent too, so you don"t have to worry and have your foot hovering over the pedal needing a runway to stop. Although its a BIG car, its not difficult to drive, and with a bit of care, fits our roads are no problem. Supermarket parking spaces can be a bit of a challenge though. Its a very easy classic to live with. I"d happily drive it anywhere, and i"ve put quite a few faultless miles on it over the summer. Its a serious head turner. Everybody says "Wow!"<br />
I think i"ve done the right thing by it, and not skimped on, or bodged anything. I"m of the opinion that stuff deserved to be done properly on such a clean original car. This car is the very definition of a cream puff survivor, You won"t come across something like this again I"m sure. Keep it nice, and it will be a superb investment.<br />
This is the very last of the traditional, full sized American cruisers. With the big industry wide downsizing in 76/77, nothing like this would ever be seen again.<br />
<br />
CALL TERRY ON.....07434 398404.<br />
<br />
Date written: 31-Dec-2017
Price: £18000 As stated
More about this vehicle on carandclassic.co.uk
ID: 10411
