What’s in a name? With old cars, a lot, and it’s often confusing. Frequently I find sellers who get the model name and/or trim level completely wrong – the model year sometimes too. Those types of errors occur most often with flippers who just don’t know, they’re strictly moving metal. And that’s not exactly the case here but there is a little confusion, hang on and I’ll explain. This 1953 Cadillac Fleetwood is located in Howell, New Jersey and is available, here on eBay for a BIN price of $6,100. Thanks to Larry D for this discovery!
In 1953 Cadillac offered several models with a top-line Model 75, which was an extended limousine, a collection of Series Sixty-Two models including a two-door hardtop, four-door sedan, and a convertible, along with a Coupe de Ville. And finally, there was a Series Sixty, four-door sedan, sometimes referred to as a Fleetwood Sixty Special and that may be what our subject car is. It’s difficult to tell with certainty as all of the badging has been removed and the VIN comes up as blank, but that’s what this sedan appears to be.
The listing for this Cadillac includes little to no detail so the pictures will have to speak for themselves. The seller does, however, claim that this Cadillac is a “solid vehicle“. From what can be seen of the body, it looks fair, there is no obvious rot-through or crash damage though the faded dark blue finish has experienced some rattle can touch-up. The bumpers are an interesting juxtaposition as the front one, the one that usually suffers the most wear, has a strong shine but the rear one is looking a bit thin. As previously mentioned, the badges have been removed and some trim pieces from the driver’s side rear door are MIA too. The rest of this 225-inch long whammer-jammer shows as being pretty complete. Of note, check out the cool wire wheels, they still show well!
From what can be seen of the two-tone interior, the upholstery looks fine but the carpet and dash, not so much so. The dash’s problem is the peeling paint but the instrument cluster looks OK. The carpet is just faded but not shredded or worn through. The mileage is recorded as being 81K miles and the seller claims that figure but offers no documentation. The seating upholstery shows some signs of wear and aging but that mileage figure could be accurate.
The seller states, “Runs and Drives“. Well, that’s a good start. Power is provided by a 210 gross HP, 331 CI V8 working through a Hydra-Matic dual-range automatic transmission. Nothing under the hood appears to be missing, it’s all rather standard in appearance – the fuel filter could possibly be new, it doesn’t look like the original style.
Other than the shaky-looking paint, this Sixty-Special is a reasonably nice example. It would be helpful to know this car’s backstory, i.e. its storage conditions, how long it has been parked, how many owners, etc. I’m drawn to these old domestic full-size cars because they were so common at one time, every house on the block had one, though admittedly not a Cadillac, usually a Chevy, Ford, or Plymouth. These have become an almost extinct breed and finding one that’s a bit beyond standard fare like this Cadillac is a real treat. If you share the same enthusiasm for these big, old boulevard cruisers that I do, and have cavernous storage space available, might this Fleetwood Sixty-Special be for you?
Glory days in this land yacht
I just don’t understand sellers. Two photos of junk in the trunk, and four of the engine. A couple of the underside, body panel gaps, and glass would have been great. The “blank” VIN plate is a serious issue. Offer $2,000, negotiate to $2,500, then be prepared to spend $10 – $15K to bring it up to very nice condition. Not concourse, but a level to win some car show trophies.
Just like my prom date, she’s big and a little rough around the edges. But she’s cheap and you can have a lot of fun with her.
A lot of fun………….
3 tons of fun!
My son is working on a 54 Caddy and I’d love to get my hands on this one for engine/transmission parts, the wheels, and that Autronic Eye on the dash, plus a few more pieces that look identical to what he has. But alas it’s not in the works
do not even think of making a 60 special into a parts car
it’s sacrilegious
Having restored a ’53 Caddy SDV, I know a Fleetwood has even more stuff that can be AFU and $$$. The power windows, which I assume this car has, are hydraulic. The lines go under the carpet and the system always seemed to leak on the car I worked on. If it has AC, just run away!!! The restoration cost on the one I worked on approached $300K! Watch the FantomWorks episode on this car…
My son’s 54 only has factory power steering but he has plans to convert to power brakes and add Vintage Air A/C. I had heard and read about the nightmare systems of the older cars such as the power/hydro windows, hydro drop-tops, and central chassis lubrication which were finicky and leaked
Fantom Works, my favorite TV car show. Dan decided it was too much to film the show and work the garage and went back to restoring cars only.
Fantom Works was thew best show. Never butchered cars, no clowncar wheels, no dropped to ground susoension. Cars were done right. I would love to have them do some cars for me.
And from what I remember on Fantomworks, the restoration on that car took years to get done. Over 700 days I think. If a professional shop like that takes that long with all the parts connections the guy has, imagine Joe Smoe trying to restore this. Good luck and I hope he has some really deep pockets.
EBAY said it sold.
The number the seller used for the vin appears to be the body tag information. Altho 538019X doesn’t show up 536019X does and is listed for a Series 60-S sedan per
https://www.rubbertherightway.com/images_templ/guides/Cadillac_Models_By_Year.pdf
The hydraulic system for the windows was really cool. I had one in my Cadillac Imperial sedan. To lower the window, you flip a switch and there’s a click when the window goes down and it’s silent. When you raise the window you hear the motor under the hood turn on and pressurize the system to raise the window. But we have to be fair. These cars were never designed to be on the road this long. So yes the system’s leak now but I’m sure they can be brought up to standard but remember this car was supposed to be scrapped decades ago! It’s not a Mercedes or a Packard! The build quality just isn’t there.
Nothing was overbuilt because it saved money.
Packard with it’s legacy of hand assembled Seniors, always overbuilt and that is why so many are still on the road. When you get under my Packard the frame and chassis look like something from a truck. Everything is massive.
All these years I had believed the windows were vacuum operated like the windshield wipers. They worked, but it you got caught in a sudden downpour, you would have gotten soaked. They took about a minute to go up and you would likely have had to raise the windows one at a time. As I remember, my Dad’s “pulsed” when you also had the wipers running.
The other issue I remember all too well was my day removing the “fender skirts” to remove the rear wheels to put chains on the beast. The skirts had a little offset knob at the bottom that you had to twist to make the cams release. It was an easy task on a bright sunny dy, but usually we had to put chains on when it was not a bright and sunny day and the little knobs and the cams they turned were always frozen solid.
I learned almost all of my extensive catalogue of English and German expletives from those fender skirts. I also got to sit in a corner for implementing them inappropriately. I learned to know that corner well.
But it was a great car. I can still feel the soft grey velour mouse fur upholstery and I can hear the air coming out of the vents in the plexiglas tubes that went across the cabin roof (I think the AC was in the trunk, it had really neat little air scoops right behind the back doors – impressive to a 5 year old). Those were the days.
I bought a beautiful 57 Cad in Turlock, Ca. and the trans lasted long enough to get me to the SF bay area. Plan on a couple thousand dollars for that. And yes, after a paint job in my garage it was gorgeous. Gun-metal silver-grey with a copper top!
I think 1953 is the first year Cadillac had the 12 volt system.
Cadillac and Olds both switched to 12 volts in 53. Solved the hot start problem in both.
My customer Andrew “School Boy” Jackson had an older Cadillac Limousine. He came in one day and told me that his woman pushed the button to raise a window and some sort of fluid shot out all over her. She was displeased.
I bet her father didn’t buy that story!
My dad bought a 1953 hardtop for $100.00 back in 1964. I drove that monster to school a few times, it sure liked to drink gas. It’s last day on the road I picked up 4 school mates from school, playing hooky, was driving along a beach road as fast as it would go when the hood blew open shattering the windshield all over us, stuck my head out the window to see where I was going until I got it stopped. I drove it straight to a junk yard and sold it for $20.00. Those were the days my friend.
This is probably an early production car, as it’s got the 4-speed hydramatic. The majority of 1953 Cadillacs were equipped with the Buick Dynaflow due to a disasterous fire at the Hydramatic plant. The 60 Special cars were slugs on the highway if equipped with the Dynaflow.
My family had a friend who was a famous opera singer in the nineteen fifties. When he died around 1961 my dad was inexplicably given the dark grey ’53 Cadillac…….probably top of the line model for a 4 door sedan. As a five year old kid I spent too much time flipping the tail light up to look at the gas cap. That car didnt last long. A bit too rich for the old mans plebian car tastes.
It’s a safe bet this is a 60 Special. My first project car was also a 60 Special, but ten years newer than this one. I had the best time in that thing and learned everything I needed to know about working on cars in the four years I had it. Nearly everything on my car was malfunctioning in some way when I bought it for under $200, but the windows worked flawlessly the entire time I had it. All eight of them, which included four vent windows.
Wish I had the money and time to start another old Caddy project.
How could anyone doubt it’s a Fleetwood 60 Special When you say it’s 225 in long? Up until the 70s they were always a bit longer in the wheelbase and the back seat. I will grant you it’s a little hard to see in the photos that it has the longer door but it does have the (partly missing) louvers.
Until a dozen and a half later these cars and the Eldorados were finished at the Fleetwood plant, I believe with finer materials then are used today by Cadillac, at least according to the bitching I read in the road tests
Has this car been sold?
Did you click the ebay ad?