For a vehicle to end up being left and just completely abandoned at a storage facility makes me think that its owner must see little to no value in it, but I guess there are some other circumstances that could bring about the desertion of a car. Maybe an owner gets ill or passes away, or perhaps the person loses a job and has to forfeit what’s inside since they can’t pay. It may be that they got on the wrong side of the law and ended up in the big house. Whatever the reason, that’s exactly what happened to this 1990 Cadillac Seville, and the storage unit owner is auctioning it off to try and recoup some of his back fees. The car is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and can be spotted here on eBay with a current bid of one dollar! There’s no reserve, so the high bidder has bought themselves a Caddy.
Barn Finds would like to give a big thank you to reader T.J. for sending us the tip on this one! We get almost no information about the car, other than it’s white with a red interior. My first thought was that’s an awful lot of soot on the finish to have been inside a storage facility, and it looks surprisingly similar to barn dirt dust, but I guess technically a barn-type building can be considered a storage facility. In any event, where it is sitting now looks like it’s been home to the car for quite some time. Fortunately, the seller does include a photo of the VIN which I hope he has already checked out, but I’d probably run it myself just to be sure there are no surprises before I got too serious about trying to buy the Cadillac.
Under all that grime actually looks like a complete car with a rather decent body, and I’m wondering if just airing up the tires and giving it a thorough washing might reveal a pretty nice-looking Seville. The car also seems fairly well-equipped and has the optional simulated convertible top, a non-functional but somewhat popular item from a few years ago. These cars have a digital dashboard, and there’s no key, so the seller doesn’t know how many miles are on the car. No mention either of whether or not it was running when parked, or if it will still run and drive.
There’s a lot of powdery stuff inside as well, which I thought was odd since the power windows are up and there’s not a key. Maybe it was stored for a while with the doors opened, but it actually looks like there may be a decent-looking interior under there if it was all cleaned up. The seller says the vehicle will include a bill of sale and an affidavit to satisfy the storage facility lien holder, which he thinks will be sufficient to get a clean and clear title in your name. If that’s true and you happen to know a good locksmith, this one could possibly end up being a real bargain for somebody. What are your thoughts on this 1990 Cadillac Seville?
Leave it abandoned.
Junk , junk engine , front wheel drive caddy’s should only be Eldorado’s with 500 cubic inch engines.
Jacking up the FWD assembly just to change the firewall side plugs, replace valve cover gaskets and engine mounts explains why these otherwise nice looking vehicles would leave a trail of oil. ‘90 vintage vehicles from S. Texas were submerged in flood waters and often hosted more problems than surface mold.
Don’t forget the oil filter on the FWD V8 that you can’t change without making a mess. Mechanics just love Seville engineering.
I worry about flood damage. Can you ever get that mold off?
It corrodes electrical connections. shorts out electronics, ruins bearings & seals and upholstery, padding and insulation. If not stripped and replaced and accessory drive bearings aren’t cleaned & re-lubricated, the vehicle will suffer from gremlins & odors.
The micro relays w/in the fusebox will fail and all the low current steering column controls, as well as starting resistor, headlights, cruise control will go intermittent before failing. Even cigarette lighters rust & short out & kill batteries or set the car on fire; not an entirely bad outcome.
When they’re bad, they’re very, very bad.
It’s been flooded. Not worth much more than a dollar.
You don’t get that kind of mold coverage in a dry barn without staring out with a very, very wet car. Years ago, I worked with a gentleman who bought one of these new. It was totaled a couple years later when it fell victim to a lightning strike. The car looked flawless inside and out, but every electronic system was fried beyond repair. I can only imagine what being submerged would do to one of these.
The mold will kill you. Stay away!
send to the crusher for 10 cents a pound.
Was Junk when it was new.
Goodbye 👋 Cedar Falls
I may be in the minority, but I always liked the styling of this vintage of Seville. It’s too bad the aluminum block engine was so troublesome. In 1994, these 1990’s had depreciated enough for me to be able to contemplate buying one, but when I asked the owner of the repair shop I always dealt with his opinion of the car, his answer put an end to my aspirations for owning one. “You don’t need those kinds of problems, believe me!”. So I took his advice, and wound up coming home with a brand new 94 Regal Custom coupe, with the 3.8 V6. A much more trouble free choice, for similar money that a 1990 used Seville would have set me back. And undoubtedly much less aggravation.
I still have my Regal till this day. 85,000 miles, looks brand new. Glad I didn’t get a used Seville!
One of the worst things GM ever put on the road.
Along with all of the facts mentioned here, it’s sitting on a dirt floor…RUST! RUST! RUST! Corroded frame. Run!
I see better cars at the junkyard.
13 bids and over $1000 so far!?! Is there valuable parts here or what’s going on? No title, no keys, and in pretty abandoned condition.
What is the attraction?
Someone is running the bidding up its well above scrap value now two more months we will see it on bring a trailer or cars and bids someone trying to flip it as a clean title grandma car.
If this car was in a flood it ain’t worth the cost to haul it off. Too many cars totaled by insurance companies because they were submerged in a flood sell them to unscrupulous dealers who scrub the title by sending the title to states that don’t list them as salvage, and then resell them to unsuspecting buyers who get stuck with a piece of junk car.
$1,025 now with 13 bids, seller also has 3 boats and a camper listed. Sellers feedback (1).
Not a key or title for any of it.
With the VIN, paperwork and a driver’s license, you should be able to obtain a key, but that would probably coat more than the car is worth,
These were worthless the day the factory warranty ended, I can’t imagine how much the storage locker cost
One of Cadillac’s worst times.
Can you imagine how many cars are going to end up on the market from hurricane Ian? Buyer beware.
Maybe good for a part’s car then off to the crusher it’s not worth the effort to sink any money into it.
I would be very wary of an ebay seller with only one transaction on his record. Plus he has only been a member since August 31st of 2022. Don’t walk, RUN!
Uhh…never mind, No comment.
I owned a ’89 FL time capsule w/ 71K miles from ’06 to ’14. Very clean garaged car which blew the heater core on the way home to MD. Painful to work on the engine; glad I had a lift. White paint was extremely durable but plagued by oil leaks. Heater hose replacement required a giraffe neck routed through the hood hinge ;)
SOLD for $1,725.
As they say, there’s a butt for every seat. In this case, let’s hope it’s encased in a hazmat suit.