So you want to buy an old Cadillac.   Well, I'm no expert but I've bought and sold old cars since 1970, bought Lucy in 1992, and have many friends and fellow Cadillac Club members who have bought, sold and restored a huge range of Cadillacs. I like to think I know a bit about the pros and cons of buying an old Caddy and I'm going to share that experience with you. I hope it saves you from making any diabolical automotive blunders, and helps you find your perfect Cadillac. If you've ever got any questions, feel free to email me.

 

First; do you want a 'driver' straight away or do you want to restore?

If you're restoring are you doing it yourself or paying someone?

Are you only going the resto route because you're not in the financial position to buy a car in good condition and think this is a cheap option?

 

No. 1 - Any restoration will cost three times what you estimate and take five times longer than you think.

No.2 - Only buy a car to restore if being in your shed and never seeing your wife and kids 24/7 is your hobby/therapy. Else it will become a nightmare you never finish.

No. 3 - Buy the very best & most expensive car you can afford, even if it means Vegemite on toast for tea for a while, because a few years down the track it will be worth it and seem like a pittance.

No. 4 - Avoid rust and body repairs at all costs. Body repairs will necessitate having to sell your children. Likewise, avoid recently resprayed cars, they may look great on the surface but underneath their make-up they'll be as frightening as an old Hollywood star without the airbrushing and body double.

No. 5 - Pretty well all Cadillac mechanical repairs are simple and no more expensive than a HQ Kingswood. Parts are easy to get in Australia but should that fail the Internet has made the US only a click away.

No. 6 - Know and trust your mechanic. If he spins you a yarn that Caddy repairs are any different to working on a HQ Kingswood.....

 

If you want a Caddy with an electric starter don't buy one made before 1912.

If you want a Caddy with an auto trans don't buy one made before 1941.

If you want a Caddy with power steering don't buy one made before 1954.

If you want to ensure you avoid any early analog computer problems/failures don't buy any Cadillac built after 1974. (Not until the technology impoved anyway.)

If you want to avoid ALL forms of electronic technological wizardry, which is a nightmare to fix, buy a Caddy made before 1964 as in '64 automatic climate control and 'Twilight Sentinel' lighting were intorduced. What a headache, and I should know, Helen's Caddy has both.

Cadillac introduced Front Wheel Drive to some of its cars from 1967. Just keep that in mind when thinking about buying.

Should you be blinded by some gorgeous Caddy doll, remember these cliches:
1. Buyer Beware!  and
2. If it sounds too good to be true...it is!

Buying from a distance: Be very careful buying overseas or interstate. Try to have a trusted friend or a professional vehicle assessor check the car if you can't. Be bloody careful with photos; a friend was sent detailed pics of the rust in a car he was buying to restore. When the car arrived in Adelaide it was a basket case beyond help and the pics must have been many years old. The wreck's still sitting in his yard today :(

Cadillac 'value' facts. (Here's an argument in the making.)

1. For any given model year of Caddies in identical condition, a four door will be cheaper than a coupe, while a convertible will be dearer than both.

2. 'FIN' years are the most popular years for Cadillacs; 1948-1964.

3. 1959 Cadillacs are the most sought after of the Fin Years and you will pay more for identical condition Caddies if one is a '59.

Left Hand Drive Registration  AND  (cheap) Historical Club Registration.

Every State in Oz now has some scheme for registering Left Hand Drive cars as well as a scheme for limited club use only. I'll explain SA's rules here, everywhere else, check with your own MRD.

 

* To get Historic Rego cars must be standard other than genuine options available from the original dealer at the time, eg early Holden Nasco accessories.

* Cars must be thirty years old (or older).

* The owner has to be (and remain) a financial member of a recognized car club, be issued a log book and use it whenever driving.

Left Hand Drive cars have one extra limitation on them and they must also have been built before 1st January 1974 to get Historic Registration.

* LHD cars 30 years old but built after 1st Jan '74 can still be registered but only on full rego. Beware the trap that Cadillac built their year models from about September; eg you could have a 1961 Caddy that was built in October 1960. The trap here is the SA Government does not care when it was built, only what model year it is. If your 1974 model year Caddy was actually built in late 1973 you will NOT get HR in SA.
* LHD cars less than 30 years old cannot be registered unless converted to RHD.
* LHD cars cannot be used as hire or wedding cars.
(The above information is given with the best of intentions and was based on information at hand in 2010. It is a guide only so if all else fails, remember rule number one - Buyer Beware.)