Fealings Of Guilt

Kurt Arends

PCS Elected Director 2021-2024
I just purchased this '76 Cadillac Sedan deVille today about 30 miles from John Royark. It is an Arizona car with 86,000 actual miles, new tires, new battery, new alternator, etc., etc. Its only real issue is that, as with so many AZ cars, the door panels are crispy. Not a hint of rust anywhere. This car runs and drives beautifully.

Now here's where I feal guilty. I bought it to part out. I have been looking for a pair of rust-free fenders for my '75 Superior 54". I could not begin to buy the parts that I need off of this car elsewhere for what I paid for this complete car. Nice red dash, nice red tilt/tele steering wheel/column, perfect front clip and quarter panels, etc. It only squats a little in the rear because the previous(kid) owner has a huge wooden speaker box in the trunk(which fills the trunk). I gladly let him keep that!.

Am I wrong in tearing this car apart?
 

Attachments

  • 1975 Cadillac deVille #1.jpg
    1975 Cadillac deVille #1.jpg
    98.3 KB · Views: 1,024
  • 1975 Cadillac deVille #2.jpg
    1975 Cadillac deVille #2.jpg
    98.8 KB · Views: 1,005
  • 1975 Cadillac deVille #4.jpg
    1975 Cadillac deVille #4.jpg
    93.2 KB · Views: 1,002
I would drive that car every day. Well, I don't drive the cars I have every day but that 1976 looks like a good candidate to be a solid Classic Cadillac someday.
 
As a avid Cadillac hunter/collector I know that there are many, many of these 76's still around. A great many in much better shape/lower miles than I suspect yours is.
Cadillac marketed the 76 heavily as the last year of their land yachts. Their last convertible ( Eldorado), their last big-bodied DeVille and the introduction of the new direction for Cadillac, the down-sized Seville.
I will say that the other components look great on the car. Even the bumper fillers look good. I've seen total wrecks with good bumpers so in that regard it's a shame that this beauty, and her beautiful color combination, will be sacrificed. I'm sure someone would be interested in buying it whole/ parts.
I'll look forward to seeing pics of the bumper swap.
 
Oddly enough, I don't need the back bumper ends. My '75 Superior came with a spare C.C. rear bumper that is in perfect condition(0 rust). The deVille has little value as it is because of limited desirability. I would end up paying about a grand for a pair of fenders in the condition that these are in by the time I have them shipped. They don't exist in my part of the world in this condition. My hood hinges are wore out... these are perfect. My hood has 6 sizey holes in it from where the Fire Balls had been mounted... this hood is perfect. My lower quarter panels need to be repaired or replaced. These are as new.
 
If I were you I would take the front fenders and what ever else you need if you weren't going to take the quarters I would say put the old parts on the Deville and resell it as a driver/ cool beater. I would not feel guilty taking it apart.
 
Last edited:
Pull them parts off, and try to sell what else off of it you cannot use. All the extra you make, makes your parts or your procar cost you less then. Its not like is a rag top or coupe, two doors too many. Dice it up!!
 
You could take what you need and part out the rest for four times what you paid.

You will be thrilled and so will whoever else needs nice parts.

Really a shame it will be parted but a procar will be a happy recipient !


You can likely sell the engine and transmission quickly too.

Do what you want and need to do.


I would have the same feelings about parting a nice car. Good to know you have feelings for these old boats.


It is like when I had to feed my 7 foot boa constrictor live small animals...
I HATED to do it but the snake had to eat too.



Darren
 
Will this red factory molded carpet fit in my ambulance? I assume that it will. It's in beautiful condition.
 
Everything will fit from the interior. The front clip is all identical. There are differences in the engine, starting with the heads, and a lot of the bracketry. Heat and A/C controls are a direct swap, same for the steering column, carpet, dash, etc. Once you are past the cowl, the body panels are not going to be identical, but you should be able to make patch panels out of the OEM sheet metal. The front suspension is also identical, same for the calipers, but the front rotors are larger on the commercial chassis cars. The rear differential is totally different. Not certain on the rear drums, parking brake cables, etc., so you will have to check that out on your own. Front door glass is different, but I believe that the power window regulators are the same. The split front seat might work with a modification, but I doubt that it is worth changing, since it would be totally wrong for your car.

I hate to see clean examples of 35 year old cars be stripped for their parts, but it is your car, and my thoughts have no bearing on your beliefs. I know of someone that was offered much more for their car, then it was worth, since the other party wanted it for a parts donor. They just couldn't bring themselves to selling it, knowing its ultimate fate. That was their personal choice, and you, like them, have to make this decision on your own, without outside influences trying to sway you.

If your car has rear speakers, I am interested in them, along with the wire harness from the radio to the rear package shelf.
 
I'm with Bruce pull your frount end clip, put a quick patch of kitty hair over the rust, paint the fenders to match the car and swap the front end assbly. sell the parts car for what you got invested in it. chances are it will never last long enough for some one to have a rust problem. if you feel gulity tell them you did a quick patch.
 
We have an expression in the Auto Salvage Business "Its worth more dead than alive" this unfortunately applies to your very nice Sedan Deville. Its a high production car so not rare but a big parts supplier for yours and more Pro Cars. As Paul pointed out everything from the cowl forward fits a Pro Car. The dash pad looks great the tilt column etc. Much as I hate to see a nice old car die it can do more good as a parts car than as a sedan no one wants. Wish I had the 1/4 panels here for one I have. In Pa. rust free parts are hard to find.
 
Parts Car

We have an expression in the Auto Salvage Business "Its worth more dead than alive" this unfortunately applies to your very nice Sedan Deville. Its a high production car so not rare but a big parts supplier for yours and more Pro Cars. As Paul pointed out everything from the cowl forward fits a Pro Car. The dash pad looks great the tilt column etc. Much as I hate to see a nice old car die it can do more good as a parts car than as a sedan no one wants. Wish I had the 1/4 panels here for one I have. In Pa. rust free parts are hard to find.

The 62 Limo I bought is a good example of this .I needed the A/C for my 61 it also added to my 61 a dual master cylinder,Alternator all the correct pulleys fan shroud etc. I sold the front clip for almost what I paid for the car and sold a ton of other parts.I basically got all the needed parts for my 61 for free and still have a few parts to sell from the 62. The inside was cooked and needed floor pans front and rear ,not worth the money to fix.
 

Attachments

  • DSC01763.jpg
    DSC01763.jpg
    52.1 KB · Views: 280
  • DSC01764.jpg
    DSC01764.jpg
    46.5 KB · Views: 279
  • DSC02508.jpg
    DSC02508.jpg
    56.7 KB · Views: 278
Last edited:
That car looks way too nice to part out if it runs well. Looks like all it needs are new interior door panels. Even the dash looks great. Usually they are all cracked. Here in Chicago we would love to find something with that rust free of a body. The Chicago Cadillac club loves these cars. I'm sure front fenders can be found from a less worthy car.
 
wellll...

I would keep the car as it is and find parts elsewhere. too nice to strip. red and white are the BEST colors for these cars. detail and sell for a good profit and then find all the parts you need from your profit. here were I live those big caddy's bring all the money. you wouldn't believe how much ive sold these types of cars for. really nice car would bring 6500 plus here. your choice but im a car dealer and I hate seeing good money going away by parting it out. for what I can see the car is definetly not a parts car but a retail red car waiting on a new owner. and also ive sold these kind of cars for north of 10k and NOT even showroom condition. just something you might think about...
 
I would keep the car as it is and find parts elsewhere. too nice to strip. red and white are the BEST colors for these cars. detail and sell for a good profit and then find all the parts you need from your profit. here were I live those big caddy's bring all the money. you wouldn't believe how much ive sold these types of cars for. really nice car would bring 6500 plus here. your choice but im a car dealer and I hate seeing good money going away by parting it out. for what I can see the car is definetly not a parts car but a retail red car waiting on a new owner. and also ive sold these kind of cars for north of 10k and NOT even showroom condition. just something you might think about...

Kyle hit that one on the head. Those cars in good condition bring good money.
 
Back
Top