[captainfantasy]

Hi I'm new to the forums and I own a 99 STS and my project car at the moment is a 61 lincoln. Once I'm done with the lincoln I want to start on a 65-68 coupe Deville. When I bought my lincoln last year I had no idea how hard some parts are to find and how expensive they are when you find them. Now my question is, When I'm out looking at Devilles is there a few things I should look for? Like with my lincoln I'm over 10,000 and 1 year into it and it still looks like a heap:annoyed: So any advice would be great.
Thank you.

 

[sven914]

I would look around local junk yards to see if there is an abundance of replacement parts. In many instances the Fleetwood Brougham and Sedan De Ville came with the same (4 door) body style and engine as the Coupe De Ville. The majority of the body, engine, and chassis parts are pretty much interchangeable. Unless you have your heart set on the 65-68 body style, I would consider other years and styles, especially De Villes form the ‘70s, because the parts would probably be cheaper and more available.

 

[77CDV]

One thing you must look out for in these cars is rust, esp. in the rocker panels, trunk and floor, and wheel wells. Also, if the car has a vinyl top, there is likely rust under the top, esp. around the rear window. Mechanical parts are relatively cheap and easy to come by, but trim parts are almost all Cadillac-exclusive and will be harder to find and more expensive.

Although I'm partial to 1965 styling, 1968 is the first year for the bulletproof 472 engine, which many people seem to prefer to the earlier 429. As far as value, 1966 seems to be the preferred choice among collectors.

 

[mharker]

Someone once told me that practically every part on a 68 Cadillac can still be found brand-new. The Arizona junk yards are full of rust-free parts. Check Hemmings.

If you find a half-decent one I wouldn't worry about parts.