Projects Unearthing a 1957 Cadillac coupe from a 25 year slumber

there is an old hotrod guy here in my town that I’ve known nearly my whole life. His name is Don and nearly anyone into hotrods knows Don. I ran into him at a car show a few months back and Don told me “I’m getting up in age and I have a car I’d like you to help me sell”. I said sure and said I’d call him. I called about a week later and he said he parked a 1957 Cadillac Coupe at his mothers house 25 years ago. His mother passed away and they are selling the house and Don himself is in his late 70’s/early 80’s. So I meet him at the house andew days later and this is what I find

 

NICE!

 

So whats the rest of the story?

Pat

 

Don bought the car in 1993 and let his son drive it to high school that year. His son put a small crease in the passenger door and Don got mad and parked it in the garage. The car was a fully functioning car and has 38,000 miles on. Paint and Interior are all original. His plan was to someday restore it but he has realized that won’t happen. As a side not Don has two other Cadillac’s he has restored, along with a lot of other cars. We talked a little about what I thought it was worth and what we needed to do to sell it. It has 4 flat tires and I said we need to air it up so we can see if it has any rust or problems. Don tells me what he’d like to get and I tell him we’ll plan a day to get it rolling and out, wash it and see what we have.

Meanwhile, I tell my best friend Garrett about it. I’ve know Garrett forever. Garrett is a car guy and loves 60’s Pontiacs and Cadillacs. He has told me he would love to the right 50’s car and he is not super brand specific. So I tell Garrett a 57 Cad coupe is coming up for sale and he’s instantly interested. It’s a 57, it’s a Cadillac and it’s a coupe. That’s all he needed to hear. We arrange to go over and air the tires up and let Garrett crawl all over it. We do and Garrett has to have it. He makes a really fair offer to buy it as-is where is and after a few days thought Don accepts. I think it worked well because don had an easy sale and Garrett gets to earn some sweat equity in his car. So we went back yesterday and drug it out and took it home. We swung by the car wash on the way and blasted 25 years worth of crud off of the car. I threw a battery in it and most everything works. This is a pretty special car and will take some money getting it up and going but it sure is bitchin. Some of the neighbors came down and said they have lived there for decades and never knew that car was in that tiny shed in the alley.

They are still out there...

 

You guys suck!

Congrats!!!!!

 

Awesome Caddy! Good luck with her!

 

She cleans up good!

 

It's an Alien faced tail light car...yes it needs some work but a pretty cool project for a young fella. That is starting out Big...it cleaned up real nice. Perhaps Garrett will keep us up on things.

Interesting story...with a happy ending...Happy Friday...thanks @Chris

 

That's amazing, such a nice unmolested original.
You won't get that chance twice in life.

 

Loving those 57/58 Caddys. I'll definitely have one in the future when the right one comes along.

 

Wow! That cleaned up real nicely!!! I love the big old Caddys.
I bet that trailer was straining!

 

i wouldn't do anything to it other than buff it up as best i could, new tires, new brakes, and exhaust (if needed) and then drive it everywhere.
Chappy

 

This looks like fun.I`ll saddle up and go along for the ride.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Amazing how well it cleaned up!Might need some interior work and perhaps new brakes and perhaps a new gas tank.Very cool and a rare find in that condition!

 

Yummy!

 

That's his plan, clean it up the best it will and make it mechanically sound. It will need tires, fuel system, brakes, and probably everything flushed. We did get it to fire for a couple seconds so I know it will run. But it does need some money put into it to make it a driver, and it deserves it. The interior is really nice aside from worn carpet and a small area of the drivers front seat fraying

 

What a great find......and story, Chris. Love those Caddys of that era...and a Coupe as well. It just doesn't get any better. Keep us in the loop as Garrett gets it roadworthy again. 24 lbs. tire pressure front and rear. They really wanted those cars to ride like you were floating on a cloud.

 

Chris what god do you pray to? Unbelievable the stuff you come across!

 

Incredible what a few quarters in the machine can make. Very cool find.

 

That thing barely fit on your trailer....

 

The interior is much better than I thougt!

 

Good Gravy, that thing's HUGE!! What a score!!

 

Wow. Just, wow.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

This Caddy is the cat's A$$!!! Man...Interior, exterior. (scraped only the right rear quarter molding...might find a NOS one...that one can be fixed, too)
All fluids changed, brake fluid especially. Engine oil and filter, Automatic trans, (including Torus) Thermostat, replace all hoses. Fuel hoses especially, and fuel filter! (our gas now is 'unfamiliar' with Ethanol, and this Caddy has little memory of Gore and other heroes.)

There's lots to do, but a solid "60,000 mile service" will cover all the car's needs.

 

Anyone else remember being a kid and standing up in the front seat looking across the big metal dash with no seatbelt on flying down the road at 55mph???
How did any of us survive?!?!?!

 

Same here, what a difference. Good Luck

Pat

 

great lookin car.
Garrett will have some fun

 

Jeezus

 

That was me in Dad's 67 PU! Once I was a little older, I used to sit in the bed on the fenderwell facing forward, pretending I was driving!!