Having spent a few hours of my own on the internet, I’m aware that there is a tendency to loathe “the flipper.” The signs are often obvious, one of them being pictures of a car for sale on a trailer. To be fair to the seller of this 1950 Cadillac, however, I must say that the price is a little too reasonable to be a quick flip, so the trailer might be circumstantial. Located in California, this is a dry Series 62 that has spent a little too much time forming flat spots on the tires, but there’s hope yet; a little cleaning up and the usual rehabilitation might get you on the road in a sinister old cruiser. This one’s on Marketplace and we have T.J. to thank for finding it.

That usual rehabilitation will certainly include a new fuel tank, rubber hoses, a fuel pump, and flushed out lines to start. Unfortunately, there’s no comment in the advertisement about the engine, whether it runs or cranks or turns. I would highly recommend a quick message to the seller asking about its status, because the reasonable asking price of $6000 becomes far less reasonable with an engine that’s rusted solid. Given the general condition of the sheetmetal, I’m optimistic that it’ll be OK. I like to think the best of cars until they give me a reason not to.

Here’s that engine, the classic Cadillac overhead-valve 331 in its second year of production, backed by a Hydra-Matic. I wonder how many of these sedans gave up their mills back in those heady days of hot rodding; this one’s still here (thankfully), and the seller says that it’s a 55,000-mile original. That’s always a tough claim to make, but 155,000 miles was a lot back in the ’50s. Who’s to say?

The upholstery and carpet are past their sell-by date and could use a freshening, but they’re not so bad that you couldn’t throw a blanket over the seat and make cosmetic improvements as you drive, assuming you can get the thing running in the first place. It will need brakes (they all do), and the seller is upfront about that.

As I said above, I think six grand is a fair starting point for this solid old sedan; it certainly doesn’t seem like a flipper price. As always, maybe you could take some cash to negotiate and come away with a viable old project, one that has a lot of presence compared to the numb, innocuous styling you’ll find on most cars on the road today. Let us here at Barn Finds know if you pick this one up.