1931 Cadillac V8 355 A for sale. What's a realistic price? Not mine

[Ed Luddy]

This is for sale on fb Marketplace. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1183944852055691/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined&referral_story_type=listing&tracking={"qid"%3A"6953926913214103363"%2C"mf_story_key"%3A"4196084400410859"%2C"commerce_rank_obj"%3A"{\"target_id\"%3A4196084400410859%2C\"target_type\"%3A0%2C\"primary_position\"%3A8%2C\"ranking_signature\"%3A4200480021237727232%2C\"commerce_channel\"%3A504%2C\"value\"%3A0.00095743401881998}"}

[John_S_in_Penna]

The car looks excellent cosmetically.  One unknown

is that, evidently, it hasn't been driven in more than

10 years.  The interior looks original, or perhaps is a

very well done older restoration.  Here is the description

from the ad and more pictures:

 

"1931 Cadillac V8 355 A -- 5 Passenger Town Sedan (Limousine) for sale: - has 6 side windows (not 4), making it a Limousine, less common & more expensive - Black w/White Wall Tires - Mint condition + Runs - 4 door (suicide doors) - Luggage Rack at rear - Twin Side Mounts - Running boards - an Original Operators Manual & Lubrication Chart - owned since 2005, drove short distances for leisure 2005 to 2010 - Stored indoors. Well maintained with TLC. ** We will consider any reasonable offer."

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Ed Luddy]

This is located north of Toronto Ontario, so priced in Canadian dollars.

[Matt Harwood]

Another person with no idea what they have (it's a 5-passenger sedan, not a limousine) but who is 100% certain of what it's worth.

[Ed Luddy]

1 minute ago, Matt Harwood said:

Another person with no idea what they have (it's a 5-passenger sedan, not a limousine) but who is 100% certain of what it's worth.

Hi Matt. What would be a fair price to offer for this Cadi? I'm not interested in it but have a friend who is somewhat wanting it. They asked me to check it out, but I'm not going to waste time if it's overpriced. It's a 3 hour one way drive for me, so almost a full day return trip by the time I'm back. 

[Matt Harwood]

I sold my '29 in the mid-$30s and it's probably a nicer car. Maybe something in the mid- or upper-$20s? However, that would all depend on how much it needs. It sounds like it might have issues and they're afraid to drive it, so that would be a make-or-break situation. These cars are reliable and robust, but it takes a lot of time and money to get them there.

[John_S_in_Penna]

40 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

Another person with no idea what they have (it's a 5-passenger sedan, not a limousine) but who is 100% certain of what it's worth.

 

In some foreign countries, sedans are actually called

"limousines."  I've seen one German dealer whose ads

regularly use such a term. 

 

Here is a definition quoted from Google:

"A limousine (/ˈlɪməziːn/ or /lɪməˈziːn/), or limo for short, is a large luxury vehicle driven by a chauffeur with a partition between the driver's compartment and the passenger's compartment.  In German-speaking countries, a Limousine is simply a sedan, while a lengthened-wheelbase car is called Pullman Limousine."

 

[Matt Harwood]

Given that Cadillac produced a different body that WAS a limousine, it still isn't proper to call a standard 5-passenger sedan a "limousine." Just because there's a definition that can be loosely fitted to any large 4-door sedan doesn't make it a limousine. It's a common mistake given the car's size, but really wanting something to be true and it actually being true are two different things.

 

Seller seems to be mistaking the number of windows for the type of body it's carrying--limousines were about 7 inches longer with the aforementioned divider window. Club sedans were on the same chassis but had a close-coupled 4-door body. The standard 5-passenger sedan has three windows but a shorter body than the limousine and 7-passenger sedans, despite sitting on the same chassis. You can usually see the extra length in the quarter windows. My '29, for instance, has a filler panel between the body and the trunk rack that would not be there on a limousine because the body itself is longer.

 

It's also quixotic to call it a limousine, since limousines are typically the LEAST valuable of the closed cars. The 5-passenger sedan is probably second only to the club sedan in terms of values of 4-door closed cars. They would do well to advertise this car properly rather than trying to hype it into something that enthusiasts don't actually care about.

 

5P sedan:

 

Limousine:

 

Note where the body ends in relation to the rear wheel, the size of the rear window, as well as where the trunk is mounted. Both are on the same chassis and wheelbase, the limousine body is simply a little longer. You can also see why I never installed my trunk.

 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[George Smolinski]

2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

I sold my '29 in the mid-$30s and it's probably a nicer car. Maybe something in the mid- or upper-$20s?

Judging by what people want for a car they don't have a clue about, I'll bet Matt's off by $15-20K in his estimate. However, Ed asked for a realistic price & Matt's was probably correct.

[edinmass]

It’s a 1931.......worth a lot more than a 29 or 30. Send me a pm, and I can give you an exact value with more photos, I have owned more than a dozen of them. Ed

 

PS- get the engine number, and I can get you more info on it.

Edited April 22, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[C Carl]

 

2 minutes ago, C Carl said:

Ed Luddy,

you know the game better than I do, but you need a reality check right now. If your friend is a player for this car, don’t waste ANY time. Get on the phone and interrogate the seller at length. If you like what you hear, ask if he , or she is willing to sell TODAY if you take the time to drive all the distance now. Tell your friend to put money in his pocket, gas in your tank, his butt in the passenger seat, and hit the road. If you two guys like what you see, and love is in the air, make a fair and reasonable offer which will make the new owner happy. Three hours away for something like that Cadillac is next door. If you don’t do it somebody else will.  I would if I could but I can’t.     -   Carl 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by C Carl (see edit history)

[Ed Luddy]

The owner has just cross posted on kijiji ontario website for $20,000 Canadian.

[C Carl]

Look. He/she says +runs. That is a very good deal when you look at all the pictures on the ‘book ad. Go buy that Cadillac.     NOW !!!!   Ain’t got a ha’r if you don’t !!!!     -    Carl 

[m-mman]

To add to what Matt has described this is a Club Sedan (AKA Town Sedan or close coupled sedan) 

Shortest 4 door body, it has a trunk as standard equipment to occupy the space between the body and the bumper. 

 

The OP car is a 5 passenger sedan. 

 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Seems like a deal, enough so that a potential scam would be my concern here.

[Piotr M]

Correct. False phone number provided by the "seller"