1948 Cadillac Series 75 (found in barn) is it worth it?

[MoEnglish]

I have a 1948 Cadillac Limo Series 75 that I found in a barn/garage in the heart of Milwaukee, WI. It is in horrible condition. How do I determine if it is even worth restoring. Is there anyone in the Milwaukee area who has the knowledge, skills, and track record that you can recommend for me to consult?

I believe the below link will take you to photos I took while it was still in the barn.

MoEnglish 1948 Cadillac Limo Series 75 in barn

[Guest sixpack2639]

It looks quite restorable to me if that is what you're in to. If not i'm sure someone who is in to limos would take it off your hands. Carl

[K8096]

I'm somewhat knowledgable on 1940's Cadillacs, so here's my 2 cents worth. This car is definately worth restoring. A lot of model 75 Cadillac's of this era were funeral home cars with no division window & an all cloth interior. This car has a division window and a black leather front interior. The body looks pretty good, and it even has the fender skirts still on it. The color is what makes it look horrible. I'd paint it black or dark blue & it would look like a formal car again. The engine is the last year for the 346 Cubic inch flathead V-8. A very reliable engine & easy to rebuild. Parts are pretty easy to get for these cars as well. The only knock on it is that for 1948 many people don't like the looks of the dashboard. It was a one year only design, but that alone shouldn't shy you away from this car. You don't need to be an old car expert to work on this car. If you have some mechanical common sense you can do a lot of the work yourself. All mechanical parts are available, as is most trim, ect. What's it worth? That depends on how bad you want it. I'd try him at $2500 and see what he says Maybe go to $5000 if you can't live without it. You may not have to redo the entire interior, as the headliner & door panels looked good. While these are very nice cars, they are not rare, and you have no trouble finding a good running one for $15000.

[Guest]

Passenger Cars

1948 CADILLAC

FLEETWOOD 75

4 DOOR IMPERIAL BUS' SEDAN

Low Retail Average Retail High Retail

Base Price

$8,950 $17,600 $27,000

[R Walling]

Low Retail Value NADA

This vehicle would be in mechanically functional condition, needing only minor reconditioning. The exterior paint, trim, and interior would show normal wear, needing only minor reconditioning. May also be a deteriorated restoration or a very poor amateur restoration. Most usable "as-is".

[Guest De Soto Frank]

A word or two about "barn cars"...

True barns (those that have or have housed livestock) can be an environment full of corrosive fumes ( primarily from animal wastes ), that can cause bizaare and extensive rusting of the body and chassis, often in places not readily visible. This is not unlike the way cars that live near the ocean rust from salt-air and mist.

Also, barns are usually home to small critters that love to nest in secure spaces like old vehicles...not only do they rob seat stuffing for their nests, but their wastes can cause corrosion and difficult odor problems.

All of which is to say, evaluate a "Barn car" carefully before you open your wallet...just because it's "been indoors" for thirty+ years does not mean it hasn't deteriorated.

This Caddy looks dirty as hell, and it looks as though there may have been birds roosting above it...the "chrome trim gone green" makes me think it's been damp or corrosive in there...

Make sure you try to look underneath the car, especially if it's on a dirt floor...

From your photos, this one may clean-up surprisingly well, but it may also need absolutely "everything", especially to bring it back to Cadillac standards...

Good luck...spend your money wisely...

[MoEnglish]

I noticed the green on the chrome also. I thought it was odd. The barn was filled with holes in the sides and roof. Dampness was apparent. And there was a dirt floor......

What should I be looking for underneath?

I only want to put 20k into the total resoration. Is that realistic?

MoEnglish

[K8096]

I would definately look under the car. Take the fender skirts off & see what's under them too. To put 20K into it, you'll have to decide how nice you want it. You could not completely restore that car for 20K. The rear interior didn't look too bad in your pictures, just the front leather needs to be redone. Chrome plating is expensive. A lot of it depends of your mechanical ability too. For example, you would want to replace all the metal brake lines on that car. If you did it yourself, you could probably buy the lines for $75, buy a tube bender for $10, and do it yourself. But if you had a restoration shop do it, they would charge you a days labor at $50 per hour and you'd end up with $75 in parts & a $400 labor bill. One more thing, I noticed your car has hydro electric (power) windows. I hate to say this, but they are very expensive to repair. They're not electric, they run on a hydraulic pump. Originally, Cadillac put brake fluid in them, and when the brake fluid leaked, it took the paint off the bottoms of the doors & the doors rusted. Be sure to look at the bottom sides of the doors. In any case, you're going to have to have the window pump rebuilt, all new rubber lines in the doors, and new cylinders. I would guess you'll have at least $1000 in making the windows work again. Believe me, they're all stuck now. People put transmission fluid in these systems now with better results.

[Restorer32]

He speaks truth. We are most of the way thru the "refurbishment" of a '49 Series 75 Limo. Figure on replacing all of the hydraulic cylinders and flex hoses. To chrome everything on the outside of the car is quite expensive, figure 8 grand or so if you do it all. Those long moldings down the sides are diecast and difficult to plate. Good reliable cars though, very attractive if you like the formality.