It’s the battle of the brown Cadillac Coupe DeVilles here on Barn Finds. We recently saw a 1979 (or 1978?) model, and here’s a bigger 1973, a year that most readers may think of as more fitting for a Cadillac. This 1973 Cadillac Coupe DeVille can be found here on Facebook Marketplace in West Islip, New York, and they’re asking $4,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Zen for the tip!
It’s hard to beat the early, round-headlight DeVilles from the big fourth-generation era. Cadillac made the fourth-generation cars for model years 1971 to 1976, and in 1975 they switched to rectangular headlights. We just saw a newer fifth-generation Coupe DeVille in a very similar color, and I love both cars. I like the condition of the newer car much better; this one is a little rough around the edges, although at this asking price it seems like a steal. Pages 15 and 16 of this 1973 Cadillac brochure show the Coupe DeVille.
The seller says this big beauty is a “solid original car, no rust, with under 50k miles.” It looks good in the photos overall, but there’s something going on in the area of the C-pillar and the edges of the vinyl top. I zoomed in on that area, and I can’t tell if that’s just frayed vinyl or if rust is starting to percolate a bit there under the trim. I’m guessing the latter, but they say no rust, so I’m not sure. The paint shows some variation, and they say it’s original and is starting to fail on the trunk and quarter panels. Just so it isn’t rusty, I’d clean and polish it and drive it as it looks now.
This appears to be optional Antique Dark Saddle leather, and it looks great other than the top corner of the driver’s seat back. If that’s the only issue inside, I’d be happy. The steering wheel is delaminating, as you can see in the photo above, but maybe a used wheel could be found in a salvage (junk) yard or online. We don’t know if all of the features operate as they should, but the seller says the “interior is nice,” and it sure looks nice for the most part. The top of the dash is either dirty, stained, or faded, but hopefully that would clean up, as well as the carpets.
The back seat looks basically like new, but I’d rather see an engine photo. You know by now that if I don’t include an engine photo in the fifth spot, there isn’t one. That’s a real bummer, but not surprising for Facebook Marketplace or craigslist ads. It should have a Cadillac 472-cu.in. OHV V8 with 220 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque, and is backed by a THM-400 three-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels. This is a 10-10 car, as in around 10 seconds to 60 mph and 10 mpg. The tires are around two years old, but they don’t say how this car runs. Hagerty is at $11,167 on the low end, so this is a steal at $4,500 if it checks out in person. What do you think about this Coupe DeVille at $4,500?
…and if it comes with a full tank of gas, the price is justified!
Seems reasonably priced, hopefully it finds a good home before it’s left outside and begins to rot, which it will after getting wet three or four more times. Look at those streaks under the vinyl top.
I believe the ship has sailed on that “begins to rot” thing.
My grandmother traded a seventy-three sedan Deville for a Seventy-eight! The seventy-three was superior in every way!:When My grandmother passed in 84′ My father sold the Seventy -eight with thirteen thousand miles on it! The person who bought had to replace the engine at thirteen thousand miles!!
That’s crazy low on the price. Even if it needs an overhaul of sorts and the exterior redone.
Scotty, you are 100% correct about the pre-1976 models of these behemoths. My parents bought a blue with black vinyl top 1968 sedan and it was much more solid and powerful than the 79 my cousin later purchased! From the looks of that worn steering wheel and kick plate area, that’s a rough 50K miles.
Nice car for what you’re getting. Now, if I only had the cash for the car, the plane tickets, and someone I trust to drive the car back home for me, this car would be on it’s way to Melbourne where I could enjoy it any chance I got!
So what if it’s not perfect! No car ever is. They’ve all got something that has to be overhauled or redone. So buy it
low and fix what needs doing as you go. Hey Angel 😇, are you in on this one?
It really bites to have a vision problem that doesn’t allow me to drive. But the problem doesn’t stop me from enjoying the hobby. I still enjoy owning an older
vehicle it I could get my hands on one.
Anything that accumulates 50,000
Miles in more than 50 years of intermittent driving is likely to show higher wear patterns . Looks legit.
looks to be gone so at the listed price it was a steal. i would buy it for that price.
Nice Caddy here that sold quick and looks OK but being from New York it could have some rust underneath. Still a nice land barge here!
I’m late to the party here on this one. These Cadillacs were built like tanks. And I mean that in every positive way possible. This one looks to have survived very well for its years. It looks like a good price too, no surprise it’s gone.
My parents had a ’72 coupe de ville and traded it for a ’79 Coupe De Ville in ’82, the ’79 with the 425 V-8 and the plush velour interior was worlds away better than the ’72. While the ’72 floated down the road like a ship in the water, the ’79 was more disciplined and had a more planted feeling and once I drove it 1400 miles to the Florida keys and never had any travel fatigue because of those ultra comfortable plush velour seats and supple but not soft suspension. I think the ’72 may have caused nausea after a while with the constant floating boat motion, lol.
The 79 must’ve had the d’Elegance option, which came with velour pillow-top seats. My 77 didn’t have that, I wished it did.
Where is the Cadillac Diva lady at on this one. Or, maybe she bought it.