Being a classic Cadillac owner I give you this information: Don't do it. Parts are mostly one year only, expensive, and hard to find. You're going to have 40k into a car that you can get an extremely nice example for 15k. They're on the way up, but man, they're stupid cheap for a nice one right now. What a pain to restore though. My headrests were $450 alone when I found them in the wrong color so I dyed them, my little trunk lock cover emblem was $425 in just ok condition. Little aluminum door pull covers were $25 each used for what should be a $5 part. For parts you have to get what you can when you can on them, so always have $1000 sitting around for if you find that rare part you're looking for on eBay, because you might not find another for a year or 5. I do get more compliments in it than any other car, though. People absolutely lose it on the Caddy. They drive amazingly great and I'll never be without at least one Cadillac, but just buy a "doneish" one.
I'm looking for the gas cap door/grille & springs for a '62 Caddy. If you OR someone you know is parting one out. Tom T.
Dont get mad at a LEMON; get even... my 1973 stage 1 four speed (one of 17) in 1977. I got the last laugh on this one!
I might know of one. The guy has been trying to sell me the whole car for a few years (convertible, rotten top, interior is trashed, floors toasted.....more than I'm willing to take on, in other words). I don't think he's wanting to part it out, but I'll ask if I see him in the next few months.
Could also use a neutral safety/backup light switch for the same car. It's the same for '60-'62 & '63 without tilt/ Tom T.
I'll check with the fella for you when I run into him again. Try this guy if you haven't yet: captaincadillacs@aol.com . He's usually got or can get what I've needed, his descriptions are always spot on, and his prices aren't terrible on small stuff. He's got an eBay store, but I usually just e-mail him directly. Good guy, super helpful and full of info.
There is a difference between a major burn job and a localized fire. Years ago we had a customer with a late model Plymouth Valiant 2 dr ht who thought he knew all the answers. He was an engineer and knew that lead-acid batteries are temperature sensitive. One bitterly cold winter night (MA) he put a 60 Watt droplight on top of the battery, and to contain the heat he put a bath towel over the light. I'll bet you know what happened. We cleaned and painted the engine compartment and engine, replaced the battery, distributor and fuel pump, all underhood wiring and hoses, then had the hood and right front fender stripped and painted. This was a long time ago, but I think the total bill was in the $750 range. The car was fine and he drove it for years after with no problems.
