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1932 Cadillac 370-B V-12 Five-Passenger Town Coupe on BaT


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I love this body style! I wonder if the placement of the rear seat closer to the middle of the chassis (as opposed to a sedan where you are right over the back axel) results in a better ride.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1932-cadillac-v12-town-coupe/

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57 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

Now that I took some time to look at it more closely, the check to buy it is only the first of many that the new owner will need to write in the near future...

How often is that not true?

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7 minutes ago, alsancle said:

How often is that not true?

 

I think the average BaT buyer probably doesn't understand it, not even a little bit. They seem to expect turn-key, ready-to-run, no issues cars and really don't have much of an understanding of what's involved with owning a '30s Full Classic beyond witless comments like, "Wow, I can just imagine a king riding in that car back in the day!"

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I get a kick out of how BAT describes clearly incorrect interior furnishings as if they were standard production choices.   And makes a big deal of a small wear spot on the ridiculous replacement carpet that any buyer is going to rip out the throw away.   Interior is a real hodgepodge.  You'd think they could have at least done all the seats in the SAME material.    1970's grandma's couch tweed for the back and jump seat and school bus blue vinyl for the driver's seat.   Jump seat looks too insubstantial to me to be original.  Compare to this one where both front seats look essentially the same size:

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35 minutes ago, cjmarzoli said:

I get a kick out of how BAT describes clearly incorrect interior furnishings as if they were standard production choices.   And makes a big deal of a small wear spot on the ridiculous replacement carpet that any buyer is going to rip out the throw away.   Interior is a real hodgepodge.  You'd think they could have at least done all the seats in the SAME material.    1970's grandma's couch tweed for the back and jump seat and school bus blue vinyl for the driver's seat.   Jump seat looks too insubstantial to me to be original.  Compare to this one where both front seats look essentially the same size:

 

 

BAT's practice, as I understand it, is to make condition statements purely descriptive.  They won't say what is correct, or what is original.  They just describe it, without reference to originality, figuring that it's up to buyers to assess originality if they care about originality.  But I agree, it does lead to some very puzzling descriptions!

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I find it interesting that guys pay a lot more money for the v12 when you only get 15 more cubic inches than the V8 model. Those extra 15 cubic inches really multiply the complexity of the car and the cost to get it sorted. Neat car that has nice lines.

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55 minutes ago, Tph479 said:

I find it interesting that guys pay a lot more money for the v12 when you only get 15 more cubic inches than the V8 model. Those extra 15 cubic inches really multiply the complexity of the car and the cost to get it sorted. Neat car that has nice lines.

That was what I always thought. But I have a buddy with a V12 that swears it is a much better car than the V8.

Edited by alsancle (see edit history)
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13 hours ago, 1935Packard said:

BAT's practice, as I understand it, is to make condition statements purely descriptive.  They won't say what is correct, or what is original.  They just describe it, without reference to originality, figuring that it's up to buyers to assess originality if they care about originality.  But I agree, it does lead to some very puzzling descriptions!

As a recent BAT seller, I find your statement very true. However, it’s better than outright lies or over the top exaggerations at some other well known auctions. I recall one I attended where they were selling a ‘66 Impala SS supposedly L72 car. “Best in the world they claimed”. Being the owner of an L72 Biscayne, I knew what to look for on an L72 car. I’m not sure what they were selling, but the long as your arm list of incorrect parts, treatments, and applications added up IMHO “run, don’t walk away from it”.

To sum up, it always was and will be buyer beware.

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This picture shows the front seats of a 222/ 272  bodied 370 B as found in the Cadillac Master Body Parts book  sixth edition (original example)

Interesting to find the difference, compared to car offered at BAT After this Parts book, there is only one seat possible for the passenger,

being F-604 for both coupe's body type 222 and 272 

The one seat, F-594 only goes for the driver side as well. 

Front seat arrangemnet V-12 '32  272.jpg

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I like the look of the car!   But, the more I investigate, the more confused I get.  BAT pics include a brochure of Cadillac offerings.  BAT write-up calls it a Fisher body, but the Town coupe was the Fleetwood offering.  So, I don't think it is either a Town coupe or a Doctor's coupe.   Just a Fisher coupe.   And the front bumper does not match the brochure or any images I can find online for a 370B (and what would cause the current front bumper support to shear as shown?).  Combined with the current interior, it appears it would be a lot of work to restore to something more original.  Yet, I still have room in my garage for something like this...

 

Edit: FYI - Further investigation indicates it has 1933 bumpers front and back

Edited by classiclines
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I think both seats have been changed.  they should look virtually identical to each other.  The current driver's seat is larger than original and the jump seat is way smaller/lower.  Looks like it came out of an early Jeep CJ or something.

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This is simply called a 5 passenger coupe. The Town coupe has a boxy looking trunk versus this better looking round deck. These later V12s are the ones to buy. They have better carbs and a fuel pump.  A new distributer with automatic centrifugal advance was phased in in 32. I can't tell if this has the new smaller diameter cap or the early cap without its round cover.  The improvements gave the 12s more rated HP than the 30/31.

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On 1/16/2024 at 8:53 PM, alsancle said:

I find it interesting that guys pay a lot more money for the v12 when you only get 15 more cubic inches than the V8 model.

Only15 more cubic inches- yes.  The big difference is the 12 (and 16) has overhead valves, the 8 is a flat head.   I never wound up getting a 30's Cadillac 12 because I missed the deal of a lifetime when someone else got to the 33 370 coupe Gull Wing Motors in NY had listed for almost 2 years.  I finally sold our summer home in Michigan's UP and had the money (69K) to buy the car which had been professionally restored with exception of installing the Jaeger dash clock, plating and installing some interior window cranks and restoring the duals side mount spare tires and covers, all parts present.  But- alas- I lingered too long and missed it.  

 

I will say from an economic restoration standpoint the 8 cylinder engine can probably be properly done for half the price of the 12.  

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