1965 Cadillac Coupe deVille 2 door hardtop

1965 Cadillac DeVille History

This 1965 Cadillac Coupe DeVille has been parked outside for the last 18 years. I purchased it from the second owner when I was 18 years old in 1996 and used it as daily driver for about two years after that. This vehicle bears many of the marks of an enthusiatic youngster learning to work on automobiles for the first time. Time, money and space restraints forced me to park it with hopes of restoring it someday when I was in a better position regarding the aforementioned restraints (tale as old as time). It sat for 11 years in my father-in-law's driveway, a few years in my own driveway, then about five more years outside a shop that I was working at. It is now back at my house and I am coming to grips with the reality that I will probably never get around to restoring this georgeous one-of-a-kind classic. This is why I am now offering it for sale to a good home. I have researched the classic car market for this year and model and have it priced between poor (restorable) condition and parts car condition values.

This car came stock in 1965 with a 429ci V8 and a TurboHydromatic 400 transmission with dual-range drive gears. A year after owning it I found that it had low compression on a few of the cylinders, so I removed the engine and had it professionally rebuilt at a local performance machine shop. There I was told that it been rebuilt once before and they had to source another 429 short-block to complete the rebuild. With the rebuilt engine back in the Caddy, I enjoyed the power of all 8 cylinders again, but was fighting a few more issues that I lacked the experience to deal with. It seemed that I was always fighting exhaust leaks so I removed the heads and had the exhaust flanges machined flat. I was also having issues with fouled spark plugs, which I attributed to a too large and poorly tuned 750cfm aftermarket (Federal Mogul) Carter AFB carburetor that I had installed before the engine rebuild. I have probably less than 5000 miles on the engine after the rebuild.

I have never had any issues with the transmission and I'm told that it is a tank.

Mechanical Powertrain & Engine Electrical

In preparing the vehicle for sale, I went to the task of getting it running. I picked up a used battery from a local recking yard and re-routing the fuel line to a small gas tank in the engine compartment so as not to draw the old gasoline from the main fuel tank. Using a little starting fluid, I had it running within a few minutes. I replaced the spark plugs and adjusted the fuel mixture and idle on the carb until I was able to acheive a smooth idle. I need to pour a little fuel or use starting fluid to start the vehicle for the first time after a few days since I suspect much of the seals in the carb have dried up from the car sitting. After that, it starts up immediately each time and idles smoothly.

At first the transmission would not engage, but adding transmission fluid a little at a time, I was able to get it to engage in drive and reverse. Again, I assume many of the seals in transimission have dried up, allowing the fluid to drain. I can now drive it around my property, but I have not taken it on the road as it is not currently licensed.

There is some kind of electronic ignition that I don't know the history of. I'm not sure if it is OEM or aftermarket (see pictures).

Suspension, Steering & Brakes

The factory power steering pump groans pretty bad when turning the front wheels, again likely due to dried up seals (this is a recurring theme). The primary brake reservoir was low and I had to replace quite a bit of brake fluid before brake operation was restored. I suspect all of the rubber suspension components (bushings, etc) will need to be replaced as well.

Body & Paint

There is custom paint job that looks to be applied over the original light blue color. In general the body is fairly straight. I did my best to take close-up photos of all the small dents that I know of. The worst damage is around the driver's headlight assembly which I have all the parts for. The driver's (left) tail light bezel is slightly mis-formed and so is the right side of the rear bumper.

There was a white vinyl top that I suspected was concealing some rust damage. I removed the top and wire wheeled the loose rust to asses the damage. To my knowledge, this is the worst rust damage on the whole vehicle. The panel behind the rear window will have to be replaced.

I have all the chrome trim that is not pictured, with the exception of the driver's front fender trim (I cannot find it at the moment). I also have all four original wheel covers.

Interior Carpet & Upholstery

The carpet and upholstery are a complete loss. The door panels are pretty bad but not beyond repair. Holes for door speakers were cut in the carpeted section of the panels. The dash topper is cracked and will need to be replaced. The ash tray is missing and the plastic immediately around the ashtray is cracked. At one point, I lifted the carpet to investigate the floorpan which is also heavily rusted, although it seemed solid. There is some tearing in the headliner.

Chassis Electrical

The radio never worked while I owned the vehicle. All the power locks, windows and seats were operational when I was still driving it but they are not working reliably now. I suspect all the electric motors are sticking and/or seized and will need to be pulled and rinsed with WD-40 or similiar penetrating oil.

At one point I had the desire to replace all the elecrical wiring so I purchased custom reproduction wiring harnesses for the engine and all the lighting. I never installed the harnesses but I still have them and they are included with the vehicle.

Climate Control

The climate control also never really worked while I owned the vehicle and it is vacuum controlled and I never attempted to get it working. I removed the A/C compressor and hoses and it appeared that the refrigerant had already been evacuated. I still have the compressor, hoses and brackets.

Miscellaneous

I do not have any of the keys, ignition or door/trunk locks. The lock cylinders will need to be replaced. I can start the car and unlock the truck with a small flat screwdriver.

500ci Caddilac V8

I also have a 500ci V8 from a 1973 FWD Eldorado that I had intended on rebuilding and putting into the '65 (a common performance swap). If the purchaser was interested in both the vehicle and the motor, I would consider a package deal for both.

Summary

Thank you for taking the time to look at this posting. This Cadillac has good bones and would be a great candidate for a full restoration or as a complete parts car for an existing project. It is offered AS-IS, WHERE-IS with no warranty offered or implied. Puchaser assumes full responsibility for transportation and all costs related to transfer of posession. I have the clear title in hand and the original owners manual. I can provide additional photos upon request. All information is true and accurate to my knowledge. If you have any questions feel free to call, text or email me and I will respond within 24 hours. If you call, please leave a voicemail.

Jeremy
509-844-7879
jmmattfeld@gmail.com