Once an absolutely beautiful green on green Cadillac, this Series 62 convertible is still a magnificent jewel. In running and barely driving condition, this Caddy needs a lot of love. In need of sheet metal work, this Cadillac has possibilities as a restoration worthy machine, or perhaps a rat rod. This beauty is bid up to $5,300 so far. Find it here on eBay out of Port Rowan, Ontario, Canada.
Although in running condition, the current engine is not original to this Caddy. It does start up and idle well, but with the help of a small external fuel tank feeding the carb. Also the engine smokes according to the seller, but I can only imagine that the valve stem seals are dry as a bone from long term storage. Both the engine and transmission leak, but as the seller mentions, I am certain that everything needs to be cleaned and re-sealed from sitting. Also this car can be driven, but it has no brakes whatsoever.
Much of the original interior has survived minus the carpet and a portion of the floors. There are two rather large holes in the floors one on each side of the front floor section behind the wheel wells. If you had the intention to rat rod this machine, you could simply patch the floors and leave the interior as is I suppose. Otherwise this is a good start for a restoration as you can follow what the diligent workers at Cadillac did 66 years ago.
Wearing a lot of original paint, and still absolutely charming, this Cadillac needs to be revived one way or another. The current owner has kept this Cadillac since 1973, but others have left their mark on this car as well. Apparently the previous owners used body filler on some of the lower body areas that are rusty. The rockers and lower quarters need attention, but the passenger side quarter panel in general needs some work as well. Thankfully the body seems quite straight, but being a northern car I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more rust lurking in this Cadillac. There is more than enough there to work with, and being a runner and complete is a good start. Would you put the effort into this beautiful green on green Caddy convertible?
So, what, is this a beautiful Spring day in Canada, eh? Just kidding, apparently it gets hot enough to have a convertible. Like the Pontiac, these were such nice cars, it should, nay MUST be returned to it’s former glory. Heck, even an Earl Scheib job( yep, still have one in Denver) is better than this. Believe it or not, I’ve seen some pretty nice paint jobs come out of Earl Scheib, you just gotta pay for it. With this patina baloney, you’d think after market auto paint was unavailable. Btw, that gizmo on the dash is an automatic high beam dimmer, and I think there’s a place in purgatory where all the vintage air cleaners must go,,,
I’ve actually had decent luck with Earl Schieb, Maaco too. The key is to stick to light colors, do the the prep yourself and be prepared to spend a weekend color sanding and buffing. You won’t get show car results of course, but for drivers it can be surprisingly passable.
Howard, there were no Earl Scheib’s where I lived in FL as a teen in the 70’s, but we did have “Fact-O-Bake”. Not having much cash, my standard procedure was to remove bumpers and trim, sand the car myself and take it there for a $200 (not the cheapest) paint job. I was pretty happy with what I got.
This Caddy is one cool machine and deserves the full treatment, not rat rodding.
Ahh, Fact-O-Bake… I’m a Fla boy too and I remember well. Thanks for the memory-reminder!
The good ‘ol “Autoronic Eye” headlight dimmer. This car was very well optioned.
What a great car. She needs someone to love her.
😲👍i have a 69 cdv that mom bought
new, i bought it from her 1979
rebuilt everything in 1982, installed air bag’s, been sitting on
hoist 4 25 yrs due to injuries👎😎
Daavid, is your car a convertible?
If you can’t brake, it ain’t drivable. Fine looking ride, though.
Elvis says Save it.
As does Hank Williams Sr
Johnny cash says build your own 1 piece at a time.
Save this beauty at all costs!
(easy for a non-bidder to say)
I like it! Got enough here to make a portrait of it, just wish I had the time and cash to buy and restore it. We had a ’55 ragtop painted the same color combo as this one. Ours had factory wire wheels and those big gangsta Whitewall tires too. We had a blast on Sunday nights after church let out. Dad would drop the top, turn up the tunes, and have a great ride on the way home! Some of the folks at our church frowned on folks that had owned convertibles. Said they were tools of the devil and told my folks to trade it off for something more sensible. That made Dad drive it that much more. Man, what a stink they raised when we pulled up for Sunday morning services with the top down! You shoulda seen what happened when one of the deacons bought a brand new Ford 7 litre 2-door HT! Almost threw him out on his ear! They backed off when I fixed Mrs. Griffin’s Buick. We kept the ragtop a year or so more ’till Dad got a good deal on a ’59 2-door HT instead. Think I’ll put the Super 88 on hold and paint this one instead.
King of the Gypsies with Sterling Hayden has a bunch of these in the film. Nice cars. Were they still stuffing the upholstery with horse hair in those days, Howard?
Bob
horse hair? Howard? LOL !……
Gonna take a hundred k to do it correctly but absolutely worth it imho. Looking in couch cushions as I type. I love those Fifties simple leather patterns, elegant and not flashy. Says Cadillac.
That cvt. top just might be original, or very close; I see it has the tiny rear window, like cvt. tops had in those years. About `54-`55 is when the industry shifted to the larger plastic rear windows we all know.
Hey Howard A:
Once the snow cover on our Igloos up here in Canader goes away we enjoy several months of warmish weather – – – at times in the high 80’s to mid 90’s.
With Global Warming changing meteorologists predictions on weather patterns we will soon be able to build real house and use the melted igloos for bath and drinking water – – – in that order to eh.
Just a slight dig in the ribs – – –
Anyway – – Canadian Convertibles – – – yes I had a couple- – one a 1956 Pontiac Laurentian Red on White 265 V* PS/PB/Automatic power top(the only way full size GM converts. were manufactured. There were only 431 produced Small numbers in 1956 Chevy, Pontiacs etc. due to the strike at GM. I did meet the original owner at a local swap meet back in the 80’s.
Come March, on cooler days top down, windows up, heater on full and a good jacket and away you went to the blank stares and head scratching of the amazed onlookers thinking I’d lost my marbles.
Anyway – – a car I should have never sold. Last I knew my 56 is in the Edmonton area and my 57 ended up as a slightly modified (RestoMod) raffle car for the Draggins Car Club in Saskatoon at one of their car shows. Last I heard it is in the US somewhere.i
The 57 Laurentian Conv. production #s were just over 1200 and of course Chevy was a lot more.
BOTTOM LINE:
We do get Convertible Weather up here and no Igloos in my area eh. (Sold Mine)
Oh yea – – someone can take me to task about the Canadian Convertible production figures – – I’ve long since given all my car library to the person who now owns the appraisal business I started back in 1980 Collectors Auto Appraisals.
The Pontiac no so much but this car I agree should be painted and brought back to its glory days!!!
Nope. Find one with a solid body.
Sounds like a mint in body work.
I had a white 1952 with a 1953 grill, green interior. Was my second car in high school. I drove the hell out of it. The Auto Wrecker said that I was the only one to destroy a rear end. I also live in Canada & we put the top down in the winter——— the one car everyone remembers.
Back about 1963 my brother Pat ( victim of Vietnam) who was one year older than me, bought a 1950 Cadillac two door hardtop with a 55 engine in it. It was a really nice car, but he was a temperamental person and it didn’t take a lot to make him blow his stack. So one day he went to go somewhere but the car wouldn’t start so he smashed the windshield out and never drove the car again. It sat on our dads farm until sometime in the 70’s (after he died) it was sold to a scrap dealer. Pat may God rest your soul.
God bless America