This 1958 Cadillac has been with the same owner for the last 40 years, and it apparently has seen little or no use in that time. It is now time for it to move on to a new owner. It is listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Dade City, Florida, it is offered with a clear title. Interest in this car has been really strong. From an opening bid of $200 the bidding has soared to $12,100.
Although this Cadillac looks really nice at first glance, there are enough of those irritating little rust issues to keep the new owner busy. The car appears to have rust appearing from under a number of the external trims such as the side moldings. There is also rust apparent in the bottoms of the doors and around the rear window. Some of the external trim such as the rear bumper will require a trip to the chrome plater, and the passenger side door glass is also cracked. The underside of the car appears to be fairly solid, so hopefully there will be no surprises there.
The interior is going to need a bit of work, but overall things look pretty fair. The worst thing that I can see is that the upholstery on the dash pad is really badly wrinkled. I think that it has become unglued from its base, so a good upholsterer may be able to rectify this. There is also some creasing of the lower door trim on the passenger side and noticeable wear on the driver’s door trim, but these should both be able to be fixed. The carpet is badly discolored and the front seat will require a new cover as it has a number of splits and tears in the material. The headliner looks to be good, and the remainder of the dash should look good after a good clean. The seller also provides this YouTube clip of a walk-around of the car which demonstrates that the power windows and the power seat are fully functioning.
The great news is that this Cadillac runs and drives. The seller provides this YouTube clip of the demonstrate this, although it does sound like it may need a tune-up and a new exhaust as it is a bit louder than I would have expected. It has been treated to new tires, a refreshed and recoated fuel tank with a new sending unit, a new radiator and a new carburetor.
This 1958 Cadillac has the potential to be a really nice car, but just how nice is really going to depend on the size of the wallet of the new owner. It doesn’t appear as though it requires any major work, but it is going to require a lot of little jobs that are all going to add up. The reality is that the rust issues in the body will require all of the body moldings and the rear window to be removed to address them properly. With prices ranging between $25,000 and $50,000 depending on condition, is this one going to be worth the money, or are those little jobs just going to push it too far? Given how frantic bidding has been, there are obviously some people out there who are keen to take it on.
Like the green and white combo, 🐸🐊🐢
There was nothing with more presence on the showroom floor than a Caddy back then. The dealership in KC had a turntable the featured car sat on with special lighting to accent the features.
The car turning on the table at night after closing was an event back then. Christmastime for car buyers. My dad’s ’58 DeSoto Fireflight company car was no slouch either when he would park in front of the Caddy dealership to look at the Caddy. It always drew a crowd.
Once an automotive engineer, always an engineer. Firebird III fins anyone?
My Uncle always got the first new Cadillac in his town; a Coupe Deville in off white with alternating brown or green cloth interior and no AC. He died at 86 just before the 1959’s came out. The new styling would have given him a heart attack.
My Aunt never drove and kept the 1958 until 1965, when she asked my mother to teach her to drive. First, she ordered a new car, a 1965 Calais Coupe in off white whith a green cloth interior and no AC. She was 5′ 1″ or so and needed at least 2 pillows to reach the wheel. She passed the test including the parallel parking on the first try. She died in 1986 and the Cadillac had 11.000 miles on it.
The mismatched tail lights are an interesting choice.
Looking online, the inside taillights on both sides should be clear backup lights.
Correct. The only model that should have four red lenses is the Fleetwood 60-Special, because it’s back-up lamps were in the deck lid.
Certainly one of the most striking Cadillac designs. Looks like a little bit of work an it’s easily an epic driver.
Love the green interior! Everytime I see a ’58, I’m reminded of Paul Newman’s car in “Hud”, and the “Home” episode of the X-Files! :-)
My granddad had a ’58 Caddy and it was built like a sherman tank. I loved that car, hoping someday I would inherit it. But alas, there was an “energy crisis” and he traded it in for a volkswagen wagon.
Green interior! I’m out!
Hi, I’m the current owner of this 58. I’ve gone through the car and gotten it solid and dependable. I’ll post pictures soon. It’s becoming a really good car.