Series 62 Barn Find: 1962 Cadillac Convertible

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The listing for this 1962 Cadillac Series 62 convertible opens up with, “One of the most beautiful convertibles Cadillac ever produced“. Being a visual person, it’s hard to see that vision under all of the dirt but let’s not judge a book by its cover and find out what’s really here. This Caddy is located in Ramona, California and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $1,125 with nine bids tendered as of this writing.

There is a lot here to consider. According to the seller, this convertible has been in “storage” for 35 years though the time frame from 1986 through 1997 was spent outdoors – I’m not sure that would qualify as storage. In 1997, a move to the inside occurred and what you see here has been this car’s resting place for the last twenty-four years. Why one would store a convertible with the top in the down position is puzzling, unless of course, the top was inoperative or worse, maybe shredded. And reviewing the interior, it appears as if time in the great outdoors was spent in top-down mode, perhaps without a windshield too as that looks like it’s missing. While the seller mentions that this car was laid up with some “mechanical issues” there is no reference to body and frame integrity and the accompanying images don’t reveal any specifics. If this car spent eleven years outdoors, with the top down, it would be safe to assume there will be rot issues, California domiciled or not. The body does look complete, the missing cowl scuffle is in the trunk and the front bumper, passenger side is loose or bent, but nothing else immediately leaps from the listing visuals.

Power is provided by a 325 gross HP, 390 CI V8 engine, which in this case is obviously missing its carburetor and probably its air cleaner assembly too. The odometer has recorded 71K miles and the seller freely suggests that maybe it’s really a 171K miles, whichever the case, the engine is going to need attention – hopefully, it’s not seized. The sole available transmission was a Hydramatic automatic unit.

The interior looks destroyed – and why wouldn’t it, right? Besides the destruction to the leather seating surfaces, the kick panels are missing, the door panels are damaged and what looks like carpet, well, that describes it pretty adequately when it is stated as what it “looks like“. There is so much dust and dirt, it’s impossible to get a good read on what’s there. The seller adds, “Car originally had these options: Air conditioning, power front seats, power door locks, power vent windows, remote trunk lock” – with the exception of A/C, all pretty standard Cadillac fare and then he includes, “Also had Twilight Sentinel accessory“. That’s nice too but the after-the-fact mentioning, especially taken in light of the interior’s deleterious condition is a bit like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic – does it really matter?

So here’s my question to you, considering that there could be something substantial under all of the dreck, does it make sense to give a barn find a thorough bath before photographing, do some before and after photo shooting, or leave it covered in “Eau de barn find” in an attempt to legitimize the genuineness of the discovery?

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Comments

  1. Al

    Is that dust, racoon poop, or mouse poop?

    Like 6
    • beaudog

      Yes.

      Like 13
      • Ward William

        You beat me to it.

        Like 0
    • Terrry

      All 3.

      Like 3
    • craigo

      The whole car is poop and a money pit

      Like 4
  2. Hoss

    Wow !!! Love it !!! I bet if they washed it and put a little wax

    on it the bid would be a lot higher.

    Gorgeous car !!!

    Like 3
    • Terrry

      If they set fire to the thing it would probably get higher bids.

      Like 10
  3. Terrry

    There’s a 65 Fairlane there too, that looks like it came out of the same excavation pit. I’d rather have the Ford.

    Like 5
  4. Moparman MoparmanMember

    I will NEVER understand WHY people park cars and leave the interior open to the weather/dirt/dust/rodents/etc. They could have at least attempt to blow off the dust with a leaf blower!

    Like 8
  5. AMCFAN

    There was a time when these boats could have been bought for $100. or less. There was little interest and the going rate. It wasn’t rare. It wasn’t collectable.

    From the overall condition the car needed everything BEFORE it was parked. Thus the guy got it cheap or free. Windshield blown out and body damage and interior used as an animal scratching post. It looks rough and it is.

    However 20-30 years out in the sun and elements would have been worse.
    The owner could have treated it better but did care enough to put it inside. Props for that…..but I don’t know why.

    The sellers chose to picture it as is. Wise choice. Who wants to spend weeks moving and cleaning junk having the city complaining and snoops coming around?

    Dreaming of taking it East? Not all transports have winches. Expect to have someone local (if you can’t) build it so it can be put on a truck. If it sounds like a big effort…..wait till it arrives.

    Like 4
  6. Geoff C

    Moparman, …or why they leave four open holes on the top of an intake manifold where any old thing, even bolts, can go into the engine?

    Like 1
    • Joe Bru

      with carb off mice go in & corrode internals with their acidic urine, so now rusty cam & lifters, lifter valley & valve stems. I wouldn’t turn this engine over without pulling intake & checking this out.

      Like 1
      • Bill McCoskey Bill McCoskeyMember

        Joe Bru,

        I have to agree, if that carb has been off for more than a few days, it’s probably had mice going in and out of all 4 manifold holes. Mice and rats leave a constant trail of small spots of urine. If they visited, there will be urine, as it is used as a reminder of how to get back out, and then return.

        Mice have the ability to disjoint their bone structure. If the mice’s head can get thru a 1/4″ hole, or between the valve and the head, the mouse will probably go in to investigate. I’ve seen entire cylinders on an engine destroyed because mice made a nest inside the cylinder, having come up thru what remained of the exhaust system, and into the cylinder.

        I remember seeing a 1954 9-main bearing Packard straight eight, where mice had lived in one cylinder for many years. The piston was corroded and stuck to the rings that were stuck to the cylinder wall. The urine had soaked down into the crankcase as well. The overall condition of the engine was excellent due to low mileage, but this one cylinder’s condition consigned the block to the scrap heap.

        Like 0
  7. Steve Clinton

    Just looking at the pictures makes me want to go take a shower.

    Like 4
  8. pacekid

    You are all correct in your responses.

    Unfortunately the 62 Caddy has one of the best silhouettes in the history of Cadillac.

    I dream of a finished one; White with red leather interior, modern suspension and an LS7 4 speed overdrive auto.

    Yeahboy!

    Like 2
    • joe

      I was hoping to get through another Barnfinds scanning w/o seeing another LS desecration.

      Like 3
      • AMCFAN

        Sigh, Me too Joe.

        Like 2

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