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32K views 243 replies 46 participants last post by  DouglasJRizzo 
#1 ·
Spotted it tonight, I might make it the project car I've been wanting for a long time.

Midnight blue 1976 Coupe de Ville.




The seller tells me it runs and drives just fine, but it needs front brakes along with some cosmetic work. Paint's perfect, no rust, new exhaust, no puddles, needs tires, new radiator, interior needs some TLC, 115k, ASTROROOF!!!

I'm gonna take a look at it sometime this week and if it's a pretty good car, I'll start my haggling around $600. Better pictures will follow when it's light out. Wish me luck.....
 
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#3 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Good luck!!! What a magnificent beast! The 75-76 Caddys are some of my favorites as far as the big land boat Caddys go.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Dope,

I've been absent for a while. What happend to Her Regal Red Majesty that you're hunting for a new project? BTW, I love those 75-76 full-size Caddys, too, and your target looks especially sinister hulking there in the dark. Could be a match made in...well, in the locale of your choice. ;) Carefully check that astroroof, esp. the drains, make sure they haven't got plugged and flooded back into the roof. Costly, unseen damage could be lurking. Good luck.

Craig
 
#7 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Dope,

I've been absent for a while. What happend to Her Regal Red Majesty that you're hunting for a new project?
Oooh I like that nickname.... Nothing happened to her at all, in fact she's in perfect condition. That's just it though, she's done. My Fleetwood is perfect in every way so there's nothing to do on her. I want a new adventure, I've been craving the whole rags to riches transition you get from a project car and this one looks like a great candidate. That yellow 79 Coupe was a big disappointment, but this one looks promising, plus Ms. DS is in love with it too.....

This '76 Coupe if I do end up with it will be a show car complete with Historic plates and everything. I've been looking for a way to do stuff with my younger brother who's like 14 now and is graduating 8th grade in a few weeks. He's getting into cars and has had a love affair with my Fleetwood for years. I thought it would be a killer idea if we could work on this car together. I showed him the pics and he's excited. He doesn't know a sparkplug from a fender skirt but hopefully I can teach him......
 
G
#8 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Those are nice!. A mid 60's Deville would be a nicer find though. If the car is mostly rust free and doesn't have a whole lot of problems it seems like a solid deal. Go for it!:thumbsup:
 
#9 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

DS -
You have a Golden Opportunity to put a 14-year-old on the "straight-and-narrow" with interest in that Cadillac of yours.
That's damn FINE! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
The boy learns about cars and more likely learns NOT to beat the crap out of a piece of garbage street racer and kill himself early.
Good Going!
 
#211 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

DS -
You have a Golden Opportunity to put a 14-year-old on the "straight-and-narrow" with interest in that Cadillac of yours.
That's damn FINE! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
The boy learns about cars and more likely learns NOT to beat the crap out of a piece of garbage street racer and kill himself early.
Good Going!
good point, if i had a fast car or even something i just didnt like as much id probably still drive like i did when i was borrowing my moms 1999 mazda 626. it had KYB struts and handled like a formula one car and was FAST! mom never figured out why her front tiers were bald after only a few thousand miles.

dopestar, that would be pretty cool to restore that car with your brother. if hes not a motorhead already, im sure it will make him one. great find on the car, if i were you id have it already!
 
#14 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Obviously its got some rust issues
If you're talking about the hood or roof, that's just outta focus tree crap. I couldn't find any rust on the body......

Yes, it does have the super rare alarm. That amber light you see is indeed a SECURITY SYSTEM light. I had no keys, the guy left the car unlocked and there was a really nice leather jacket in the backseat too.....

The vinyl top looks like it can be tucked under in a few spots to fix the peeling, the thing's not ripped or cracked. The driver's side opera light needs a new lens and it could use a couple tires, the rears can be rotated to the front and two new in the back would do well. The interior smells mad smokey and needs to be throughly cleaned. That torn carpet I might be able to glue back down and toss some floor mats over top. (Or...) The doors can't be patched, I'm gonna have to look for door panels and swap out. Weather stripping could use replacing too and the dash has some wires hanging out the bottom on the passenger side that I couldn't identify. The car has some sort of really old aftermarket yellow fog lights (on either side of the front plate) and a Pioneer CD player so the wires could be from either one of those, I'm unsure. Also the seller mentioned the passenger front brake sticks so I gotta pick up some brake hardware and try to free the problem up, maybe a couple brake pads too. Like I said, the car mostly just needs some love......

I'm in North Jersey by the way......
 
#13 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Looks like a great start. Is the key in the on position or does the car have the super rare factory anti theft system too? Aside from the door panels and the carpet, the interior doesn't even look that bad. If you don't want it, I may have to take a trip to South Jersey...
 
#19 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Actually I don't want the wreath, just the crest like the DeVilles have. I just hate the transparent one. I'm supposed to look at the thing Wednesday night, what do you think I should start the bidding at?
 
#20 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

I'm a couple hundred miles away, but that huge beastie looks awful pretty. FAR, FAR too nice to be slammed or sent to the crusher.
She DESERVES to be a project car and could turn out to be a real eye-popper.
From what has been posted, it's a real rare vehicle.
I sure hope you can get her to your home base.
 
#22 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

That's a great looking caddy, is the paint as good as it looks? Of course it seems odd without skirts, but that can be taken care of.

I say go for it, nice ride plus family bonding. And your girl likes it!
 
#24 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

That's a great looking caddy, is the paint as good as it looks? Of course it seems odd without skirts, but that can be taken care of.

I say go for it, nice ride plus family bonding. And your girl likes it!
For all I know the skirts could be in the trunk. Also the hood orniment is fugly. I wanna replace it, I'll still keep the old one though......
 
#25 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Poor old thing's really been through the wringer. Considering the body work (rust under the top), interior work, and various bits and pieces you need/want to replace, I'd start somewhere around 3K and no higher than 4. If the exterior has been so negelected, chances are the mechanicals want attention, too. Yes, you'll be doing a lot of the work yourself, but still, that can run into $$$. As to the hood ornament, it was either the bombsight or full wreath and crest for 74-77. The full crest alone wasn't available until 78, and I don't think it will fit on the 76 owing to a differently shaped and larger pedestal. But, you can always try. My advice would be to keep that see-through ornament, really polish it up, then see how the light catches it while you're driving. It's really beautiful when it's all shined up, and you may find it grows on you.

Good of you, BTW, to want to involve your kid brother. Wish my older brother had been cool like that. Happy hunting!

Craig
 
#26 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Well I drove it today and it actually ran just fine, a little stiff but it has been sitting. There's a small hole in the trunk, not too big and there's no door/trunk key. So I'd have to have one made up at some point. We agreed on $650 as the final sale price. Pending no one beats my offer, it's mine for $650......
 
#28 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

It seems like a good deal for $650! Good luck Dope!!! How does it feel in comparison to the '89?
 
#30 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

How does it feel in comparison to the '89?
It didn't run as well as it should. It had been sitting for like two weeks and it didn't really get a chance to warm up before I took it for a drive. The car might need some plugs and wires but other than that the shifting was pretty good. My main concern is the missing door/trunk key. How much would it run me to have a key generated? Not duplicated, but GENERATED. The good news is the seller accepted my offer and all I gotta do is pay the guy. I'll prolly do that in about a week, I'm waiting from an insurance refund check from my old insurance company......

Overall the following needs to be addressed.....
- Small hole in trunk
- Plugs/wires/air filter
- Carpet peeling by driver's footspace
- Vinyl top is peeling around edges in a couple spots
- Missing Door/Trunk key
- Driver's opera light lens missing
- One back up light out
- Dashboard is loose by passenger side
- Weather stripping doors and Astroroof could be replaced
- Missing fender skirts (Owner might have one)

Still, for $650 who can complain?
 
#31 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Great to hear.

If you can't find original skirts soon enough, JCwhitney makes skirts for these cars, just FYI.

By the way, was it much boatier than the '89? I remember reading my '78 road test, they said the pre '77s were a huge difference.
 
#32 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

Congrats! For all you have to do, $650 is a fair price. And it's not like you're in a rush to get this done. Any good locksmith can make a replacement door key for this car, so worries there. Now you and your brother need to come up with a plan of attack. Good luck.

Craig
 
#34 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

It shouldn't be that much, but then I've never completely lost all my keys for a lock, so I've only ever had to have a new one cut from a spare. Check in the glove box. Sometimes you can find the key code plugs floating around with the owner's manual. A locksmith can make a new key just from the codes without having the lock. Worth checking into anyway, before trying to replace the lock cylinders.

Craig
 
#243 ·
Re: Might Have Found my Project....

It shouldn't be that much, but then I've never completely lost all my keys for a lock, so I've only ever had to have a new one cut from a spare. Check in the glove box. Sometimes you can find the key code plugs floating around with the owner's manual. A locksmith can make a new key just from the codes without having the lock. Worth checking into anyway, before trying to replace the lock cylinders.

Craig


i certainly agree with you!!!
"check before trying to replace"




locksmith bayside
locksmith bayside
 
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