1970 Cadillac deVille Convertible
Nottingham Green/Gold Interior - Barn Find
out of Long Storage!
88,759 miles - 2 family owned since new - probably
on its 2nd repaint, nice condition overall
Rare high option car - tilt/telescope, power locks and trunk, cruise control,
AM/FM Stereo with 8-track and MORE
472cid Cadillac V8 runs smoothly and quietly - TH400 automatic transmission
shifts well
Original leather interior has a few flaws, just cleaned and conditioned
to be as good as it gets
Newer convertible top is correct with glass rear window, works without complaint
Solid floorpans and sheetmetal - lower front fenders repaired with metal,
not loaded with Bondo as are most '69s & '70s
Some frame rust-out below driver's door, repairable a number of ways - keep
reading
Chrome is presentable for a driver, some issues
with white metal around turnsignals, doorhandles and mirrors. Headlight
surrounds are good, bumper ends have no rust-out front or rear. Grille started
to polish out nicely - buy a can of Nevr-Dull and spend a few hours with
it, you'll be amazed. No rust or evidence of bondo in leading edge of hood,
hood closes solidly, opens with no binding in the hinges and the hinges
do not hang up when closing.
Rear bumper is a little more worse for wear
than the front with the exception of the right rear end, may have been replaced.
Lenses are near perfect. Trunk emblem is out of my collection and is almost
like-new. All stainless and anodized aluminium trim is in excellent condition.
Slight evidence of repair along edge of trunk lid, stainless trim is missing
from the lip.
Back window is as new as the top and is correct
glass, not plastic. This car also has a working rear defogger - not a grid,
but a fan. RARE option in a Convertible!
Brand new 30 year old Dunlop bias ply wide whitewall
spare still has the sticker on it. Jack and handle are present. Trunk carpet
and cardboard in really good shape for an original. Power release in trunk
works perfectly, power pull down does not. I think the cable is disconnected
at the trunk lid end. Trunk light works!
Rear quarters seem solid behind back wheels,
no bondo. Slight evidence of poor prep work in both rear wheel skirts, a
few small bubbles between them. Bottoms of doors solid. Bottoms of front
fender "dog-legs" solid - appears to have been fixed at time of
repaint with steel - NOT bondo!
Uncracked top on stereo dashboard (small nick
in side of instrument cluster surround could be cheaply repaired). Steering
wheel has one crack at the 6 o'clock position and the woodgrain is gone.
Put a leather cover on it if that bothers you. Tilt column is tight, ignition
switch works. Climate control works well. Clock is inoperative. AM/FM Stereo
and dash speakers work, rear speakers (in convertible top well) are either
unplugged or dead. Rare accessory 8-track player works great! Yeah, I had
"Solid Gold Seventies" laying around and was groovin to the tunes.
Original Cadillac crest floormats are present
and near perfect show quality. I cleaned these and promptly got them dirty
again!
I cleaned all the leather and conditioned it
with Gliptone leather cleaner and conditioner. It was black and crusty.
Now, aside from some wear marks and one split in the driver's seat, it is
quite presentable and very comfortable.
Here you can see the split in the driver's seat.
I tried to crack fill it, but I don't seem to have the knack for it anymore
(or my crack kit has been sitting too long for the material to set properly
anymore). There are also a couple of small cracks in the driver's door panel
armrest, and a couple hairline stress cracks in the passenger's armrest
by the ashtray.
Nice detail shot of the owner's manual on the
front armrest. It's nice to find these still hidden in the glovebox door
slot.
One of the really rare options for 1968-70 -
the passenger door mirror. Not cable adjusted like later models, you had
to push on the glass. Not terribly effective but it's nice to have - most
cars do NOT have it. This is also not an incorrect item from a later model
Cadillac, it matches the driver door mirror to a T. I think one of these
new sold for nearly $500 recently....
Looking sharp with the top down. I laid the
soft boot over the top but did not fasten it down.
I also removed and cleaned the seatbelts front
and rear - not perfect but much better than they were.
The front seat, dash, 8-track player and crack,
star and pit free windshield are soaking up the sunshine.
Despite looking as good as it does cosmetically
for a driver DeVille Convertible, the car has a section of frame rail rotted
away beneath the driver's door about 10 inches long. It is still intact
along the top and sides (i.e. it's not going to buckle) but will require
having a patch put in either from a donor frame or fabricated for that purpose.
A reputable shop here in town which we deal with could do the job right
for around $1,500 - but not for the next few months! I am short on storage
space here and would need this project to move along more quickly than that.
I have also noted seepage from a rear wheel
cylinder and the rear brake hose. The car stops relatively well considering.
Parts for the rear brakes - hoses, shoes, cylinders and hardware kits -
are commonly available and cheap.
While the tires hold air and are fairly clean
they appear to be quite old - it wouldn't be a bad idea to change them and
check the front end and alignment before going on any trips.
I'd also recommend doing a thorough tune-up,
fluids, filters, belts and hoses. The engine starts right off, chokes and
idles beautifully but has seen little service for quite some time.
The air conditioning compressor clutch is unplugged
but the refrigerant lines are still hooked up. These cars leaked down after
a few years of disuse under normal conditions; a simple recharge would probably
restore it to proper operation. Newer alternator and voltage regulator and
good battery round out the charging system, no other leaks or issues noted
(surprisingly!)
payment & shipping terms
Payment is due within seven
(7) days of auction close unless alternate arrangements are made with me.
Acceptable methods of payment are cash on pickup (or delivery), or some
form of certified funds by mail. No Paypal - I am not taking a hit on the
fee. If in doubt - ask.
Shipping is free to
the Buy it Now Purchaser only within 400 miles of Richmond, Virginia. I
have a 20 foot bed car hauling truck that this car is sitting on right now,
ready to go. If you are just outside that limit, let me know and I'm sure
we can work something out. I just cannot afford to be too far away from
home for any length of time right now, so longer distances are not an option
with me as your transporter.
If you use the Buy it Now option and live well
outside the 400 mile range of free delivery, I will extend you a $250 discount
on your purchase price. The car needs to be delivered - it is not currently
driveable or safe in its current condition.
Otherwise, should the purchaser of this car
not be through Buy it Now, delivery is available up to approximately 400
miles (one way trip) for $1.10 per mile. I think that's reasonable for dedicated
transport. Otherwise, make arrangements with your carrier of choice, and
I will move heaven and earth to meet with them at a mutually convenient
time so you get your car promptly.
who am I?
I'm Chip Lamb,
President of the Central
VA Region of the Cadillac-LaSalle
Club. I do a couple of these cars over a year, and this is a fine example
of what I start with... but with putting a new shop in right now, working
on more customer cars than I usually do (I do a parts business for strange
little European cars) and being generally stressed out with all of the above,
I just can't do this one the way I want to. So off it goes!
See an example of one I sold last spring - I know these cars -
and notice what it sold for in excellent driver condition.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
E-mail me!