The words “standard” or “stock” don’t have much meaning with a car such as this 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Castilian Wagon. This one is listed on Cars-Trade with a $4,000 asking price and it’s in Daytona Beach, Florida, where I should be right now. This car is only 19.5-feet long, it sure looks longer than that to me. It would still wreak havoc in most average-sized garages.
By far, my favorite Cadillac wagon is the CTS-V, but I’d have more of a chance at this Castilian wagon than at a CTS-V anything, let alone a 6-speed blue wagon. Traditional Coach Works LTD out of Chatsworth, California made the Castilion wagons for Cadillac in 1975 and 1976. Maybe one of the first volume custom Cadillac wagons was the View Master of 1955/56. Yeah, I want one, too!
This car will need work but it’s not every day that you own a car with a padded tailgate so it’ll be worth it. There’ll be a lot of room in the back for the trip to the Grand Canyon or for hauling your dogs to the dog show (I just basically wanted to show some puppies to get our minds off of other things).
The interior will need work as much as the exterior will, as you can tell. Parts of the interior do look good, however. And, this is one big interior so to have to redo the whole thing would be a budget buzzkill. This seems like a good price to me and the seller says that the “interior as new full soft button leather.. full electrics inc original working 8 track stereo.. this car simply cruises amazingly silently.” I wouldn’t quite say “as new”, but it does look pretty nice. It’ll need at the very least an agonizing and deep-detailing and conditioning of every square inch, and possibly re-dying portions of it. There are no engine photos, but this one should have Cadillac’s 500 cubic-inch V8 with about 215 hp. That isn’t a ton of power for such a heavy car but it’s not like you’re going to be stoplight racing with this thing. Have you ever seen a Cadillac Castilian Wagon in person?
How can you get the name wrong twice when it’s written on the tailgate in chrome? It’s a CASTILIAN. Had one years back, they’re quite nicely done. I especially like how the tailgate reflects the original deck lid styling.
Thanks for the correction, Jeff!
“Not likely to going to be doing stoplight racing…”. I don’t care if it’s a shopping cart, we’re racing! Go big(and this Caddy is huge) or go home.
Many moons ago in the early seventies, a Caddy wagon in Trump Gold sat in someones yard at the intersection of Broadway and Claiborne near Tulane University in New Orleans. Maybe this is it. Never got a close look at the tailgate though. Talk about excess! I’m guessing the humidity has done a job on the carpet etc.Plus when you go broke fueling it you can always live in it!
Hi All
I have a friend that live not to far from there ” Broadway and Claiborne ” I remember the car being last year. I will look to see if it is still there next time I pass there. It Was a nice looking car as I remember.
I worked for Traditional Coach Works, while I was a senior high school student. I work part time until graduation, then I went full time. I was there at the beginning of the station wagons. I have a lot of great memories working at TCW with some great craftsmen, both known and unknown, like Gene Winfield and Andre De Stefanis.You can read about TCW, Gene Winfield and Andre De Stefanis in my book, The Legendary Custom Cars and Hot Rods of Gene Winfield 2008, MBI.
Thank you,
David Grant
Whoever buys this will be in a unique situation. It’s not often you can own a car that’s so big that the front and back bumpers are in different time zones! It is actually bigger than my house!
Elvis had a 1972 and a 1974 model Cadillac Wagon. I guess if the man had to have a wagon, it had to be a Cadillac
I think the name is longer than the wagon!
That rig is epic!
Did you guys know that the same company made a 2 door wagon like this but based on the front drive Eldorado? It looks like the driver’s side front marker light is from a 75. The 76 light has two lines in it.
Wow-first time I’ve ever seen one of these! Never even knew they existed. As a former owner (sniff!) of a Volkswagen Quantum Syncro Wagon this really does speak to me! Now, if I could only afford a way to find and then set this body onto a 2500 4WD chassis I could perhaps once again attain my Zen…
Give me a 12 pack, cutting torch, and a welder…I’ll help find your Zen!
Snuffy, the best car I have owned was an 88′ QSW….Lock both the diffs and go anywhere. I even auto-crossed it. People would laugh before we hit the track, but I always ended up top of the pack by end of the day……Great car, loved the VW HVAC, heater blasting the cabin and A/C freezing your face at the same time….I’ve also had a few Audi 5000 TQ Avants……just more electrical problems, but a bit faster for sure….
I still miss mine more than my first car-a 68 Mustang notch! One of, if not THE best snow car ever made! I was third or fourth owner of this ’87 and it was one of only two sold in FLA (now just who @VW thought an AWD wagon would be a big seller in Jacksonville FL?) which meant it was likely the most rust-free example still left on the road.
The plan was to yank original engine out and throw in a one from a TQ… …but fuel pump issues kept cropping up and I think I bought the very last VW rubber FP ‘grommet mount’ that was available. Alas, 6 months later it too, dissolved due to the &^%$ing ethanol gas and ruined yet another brand new FP and I stupidly gave up on it and practically gave it away for $500… A fella bought 5 minutes after I posted it on VWVortex and took it to Knoxville TN. Last I heard it was somewhere in IA or KS and that owner was crazy about it. Yes, I’m still kicking myself for it 8 years later!
I bet if we really tried we could get that VW Quantum Syncro Wagon, (what ever that is ) inside this big old Castilian caddy wagon.Lol.
Ck, a VW Quantum Syncro Wagon was a late 80’s VW Passat, 5cly gas, with a 1st generation Audi Quattro AWD system…….Very rare, and a total sleeper on the twisty road in the rain
I would be very careful with the Cars-Trade Site.
Some of the photos do not correlate with the stated locations and most if not all license plates are covered. There are many desirable cars for sale at very Low (underpriced) values. An example is a 1970 Z28 Camaro with matching numbers for $17,500. This should be a $30,000 +/- vehicle.
Has anybody purchased a vehicle from them?
too cheap, sum ting wong.
Same thing I said, at 4 G’s and located in Florida, I’d be all over this. Just seems like a scam to me.
Missing the plastic body bits that crumbled with UV exposure. (between the body and the rear bumper) I guess there are fiberglass repros available…
And yes, the site gives me pause. So many cars listed there seem to be significantly under the market. I responded to an ad on a similar site and got the bit: “My husband is overseas and we are moving, I need to sell, so we can use eBay’s seller protection program…..” Can you say SCAM?
actually, does the back open, looks fixed
Are those bumper guards stock? Sure are ugly in the back. I would remove those. My uncle had a 76 coupe de Ville. Yellow.I don’t remember those things on the front or rear.
I contacted the seller and offered to buy it subject to a mechanical inspection – this is a total con – here was the reply – if you pay, you never see your money nor the car –
The car, the title, two sets of keys, manuals and some service history records is what you will get from the Fast & Easy Transport- Courier Services and Delivery Company. The car belonged to my uncle who recently passed away. I arranged for the sale right before I left the country. I propose to close the deal through http://www.fe-trans.com, in the most safe and easiest way possible for both of us. Basically, it’s similar to buying a car locally, the money will be sent to their holding account, and they will keep the money until you will receive the car. After the car is delivered, you will have a 7 days inspection period before you decide if you wish to keep it or not. If you are serious about buying the car, I will ship it anywhere you want with no extra cost
To be able to start this transaction you need to register on the shipping
company website:
Run away from any of these “deals” that’s why the price is so low
There just “Must” be people who fall for these scams. Otherwise, why would they continue?
I have seen it with a pickup (“I’m in the military, going overseas”), a three-wheel Honda Gold Wing conversion (“My dad passed away, and I am in another state”) and others. Most recently on a motor home.
Gee. The scams are all so much alike, and so easy to identify, how can they continue without suckers actually losing money, and just how stupid would you have to be?