So on the weekend I bought a 55 Coupe De Ville from another local hamber. I have no idea what to do with it, The only reason I grabbed it was due to the really cheap get it out of here before my wife calls the s****pers price. It's too rough to restore so I figured I would strip it for parts (dagmars, 331, dash, wheel and column, plus all the cool emblems and trick caddy doodads), however, its a coupe de ville!! 2 door hard top 55 caddy!! Thats when the other thought jumped into my head, I should take it out to the farm, let it sit there for another 20 years and rust away some more and then try and sell it for whatever crazy amount of money 55 caddy's will get in the year 2029, or I could just clean all the mouse **** out of it, put the headlights and skirts back on, some good tires and sell it as project... I dont know what to do, and its been sitting on my trailer for 2 days now.
Id take it fix it roadworthy and enjoy the hell out of it but your a little to far from me......too bad.....
One man's too rough to restore may be another guy's ideal starting point. It doesn't look much worse than the one we sold a while back for about $3000.
If the frame is shot and there's no ***le, I'd probably part it out. If its got a good frame and it's ***led, stash it away for future resale. Trying to sell a parts car right now is like trying to shoot the Pope. But people are buying parts and you'd get a lot more for it that way. If the frame is good and if it's not too terribly rusty underneath, I would get it up really high on blocks and store it because in the next few years the market for projects is going to get stronger and a 2 door hardtop Caddy is a desirable car.
Before you do anything, check this out: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329070&highlight=the+best+55+caddy+build R- Oh BTW, it's NOT a Coop Deville...it's a Series 62 hardtop...Coop Devilles had power windows, not cranks. They also had power seats and a stainless wrap around the seats and a stainless bottom wrap on the seats with a Caddy emblem embossed in it...yours does not...there would also be a "Coupe DeVille" crest just below the rear quarter windows. R-
The frame is in good shape, no ***le though, engine's seized, rearend is possibly seized, or atleast the brakes, it doesnt roll. its pretty much complete, missing the aircleaner, generator and ps pump. Skirts are in the car, along with the headlight buckets and rings. Something else to consider, the same guy also has a 56 four door hardtop for $200, maybe pick up that one also, take the parts I want off of it and then sell them both as a package.
Sell it to somebody who will love it. Thats one somebody could make into a nice custom without feeling bad about it. A restorer probably would'nt touch it.
That isn't too bad to restore, hell it is a 2 door '55 Cad. Someone will have the time, talent, and money to make it look like it should. Please don't ruin it by parting it out. Can you possibly file for a lost ***le? Not sure what the laws are in your state.
Too nice to cut up, Nice cars have been built from much worse. If you weren't on the other side of the continent and another slot in the hanger...... I'd fix it with my '55 Fleetwood. Those boats are awesome, just look at pics from Salina.
most of the time if you dont like it to begin with you wont later on. sell it to somebody who will love it. to nice to part out
Sell it or fix it, but don't part it out. The only thing I've ever seen too nasty to fix was my ex-wife, and you definately didn't want to strip her.
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