v16 cadillacs

JustDave · November 10th, 2009

hello everyone
today i looked at 2 1938 cadillac v 16s, both sedans with dual sidemounts,1 is a very resorable car the other is a parts car with no engine,both look like calif cars
only rust i saw was surface rust,glass was all intact an windows where up,didnt look at the interior but would think the floors are in fairly good shape,my question
is is this vehicle worth getting involved in or should i let them go,price is fair an negotiable,what do you think
dave

Bob Call · November 10th, 2009

Dave

My opinion, if the one car has a complete drivetrain and the other is good for parts and you feel the price is reasonable, and you have space for them, go for it! Any old car saved is great for the hobby.

Dynaflash8 · November 10th, 2009

I would say yes, they're worth it, if you have a couple hundred thousand to put into a restoration or 8-10 years to get a restoration done by various artisans who will work on the side. Even then, you're looking at 35-40,000 I would think. The man who wrote above also has a good point. If you can afford to take the cars and store them, if only to save them for someone who can restore them and keep them from being chopped up, then you've done someting for society.

hddennis · November 10th, 2009

I saved a 1940 V-16 coupe back in about 1980. Beautiful car very fun to drive. After I cured all the mechanical ills from long term lack of use I figued out the chrome bill would run in excess of $6000.00 which I just didn't have. Today I'd expect that bill to be 4 or 5 times that much as these cars have a ton of chrome even on the engine. Sadly I sold it for a nice profit and moved on. one thing I would do is check production figures, you'll be amazed at how few were made. My car was body #1 of 2 produced out of a total production in 1940 of 51 cars. Total production for the last series V-16 1938-1940 was only 498 cars.

Howard Dennis

TexRiv_63 · November 11th, 2009

Dave,

ANY complete V-16 car is worth saving due to its rarity. They are all CCCA Full Classics and were the top of the heap in the multicylinder wars of the 30s. The harsh realities of cost mentioned above are very true but if you have the ability to buy and store them even as a caretaker you can at least keep them from the rodder or scrapper. Good luck!

alsancle · November 11th, 2009

At the risk of sounding gruff, if you have to ask then you shouldn't be doing it.

JustDave · November 11th, 2009

alsancle
i asked for opinions,im sorry if that offended you in some way,ive found alot of knowledge over the years from people with more experience than myself, an have made alot of friends,im not familiar with cadillacs,but since you half to start somewhere i figured id get some good feedback, some was good,

alsancle · November 11th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustDave

alsancle
i asked for opinions,im sorry if that offended you in some way,ive found alot of knowledge over the years from people with more experience than myself, an have made alot of friends,im not familiar with cadillacs,but since you half to start somewhere i figured id get some good feedback, some was good,

I guess I did sound gruff. Your post felt a bit like a "what's it worth" post which I do find really annoying. If it wasn't that, then I apologize. Here's a better response. The later v16 Caddilac, although no where near as complex as the earlier v16 is not the kind of car you want to jump into trivially. It's one of those cars that is best bought by someone familiar with similar era Cadillacs but has never had a V16. The chrome and interior costs of the restoration alone are astronomical. The V16 it's self is an easier rebuild then the earlier overhead valve engine but not something that should be done in the backyard. Basically, if you don't already have a good handle on those cars in general, and the V16 specifically, you will be getting in over your head and I would recommend something else.

Rusty_OToole · November 11th, 2009

They are a full classic, very valuable in restored or good original condition. Definitely worth preserving.

If you plan on restoring one it is going to cost plenty to do it right. If you can't afford to hire the best experts and pay through the nose STOP right now. Any amateur work will REDUCE the value of the car not increase it. In other words, any money you spend will be wasted and the car will be worth less money than it is right now.

This is really the top of the heap of classic cars, up there with the Duesenbergs and Packard 12s. Unless you are a very rich, and very experienced collector you will be better off starting with something else.

58Mustang · November 11th, 2009

Are these cars in SoCal? I saw a ca. 38 Cad v-16 sedan parked at the curb in the San Fernando Valley earlier this year. It was semi shabby, but very complete and appeared to be a driver. I wish I had been able to turn around and take a few pix, but I was running way late that day