1977 Cadillac Seville

Sedan

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

6S69R7Q481685

Gasoline

Up for bid today is a rare find, a 1977 Cadillac Seville with just 36488 miles. This outstanding example was sold new at Frank Kent Cadillac in Fort Worth Texas to an elderly woman who sadly passed away a short time later. It was acquired from the estate by a retired military man who was now based in Northern California and had the vehicle shipped to California where it has been the majority of its life. This individual managed several properties for a wealthy Pebble Beach resident who owned several self storage businesses. The Seville has been kept in a climate controlled garage on one of the properties and fired up and run every couple of months and is in outstanding original condition. The Jennifer Blue exterior paint looks to have the original paint it left the factory with over 33 years ago as well as the original factory hand painted pin stripe that Cadillac and all other manufactures did away with years ago. This car is an example of American history and is all original, not a restored repainted old car but a clean survivor that has always been kept in dry climate most of which was the Mediterranean climate of San Jose in the world famous Silicon Valley. This Seville is an outstanding original example that could best be described as still in the wrapper. The only real negative is the power antenna no longer works. You can pull it up and leave it up. You can buy replacements on Ebay for around $150. The air conditioner compressor is still working but the system will need to be recharged as it does not seem to be blowing cold. The Oldsmobile sourced V8 runs very strong and all of the hoses and belts are in very nice condition. The original blue valve covers look new and original. The Turbo hydramatic shifts fantastic. This car is an absolute joy to drive and is clear why this era of Seville was such a great success for Cadillac. The reality is most 33 year old vehicles are long gone and crushed or are tired and worn out and in need of restoration. You can buy this car for far less than it would cost to restore one. They are only original once. It is not that this car is clean it is that it has never been dirty. EXTERIOR The exterior paint is nice original condition. Factory painted pinstrip. The front bumper is very nice with original chrome. The front grill is nice. Perfect chrome. The driver side fender is very nice with original paint. The passenger side fender is very nice with original paint. The driver side door is very nice and original. No dings. The passenger side door is very nice and original. The driver side quarter panel is very nice, no dings, nice trim. The passenger side quarter panel is very nice, no dings, nice trim. The roof is the original vinyl top. Slight discoloration other wise very nice. The trunk like is nice origal paint. No dents. Original dealer emblem. The rear bumper is nice chrome and mouldings. No dents. The tail lights are like new. Perfect chrome. No cracks. The tires are 205/75/15 steel belted white walls. They are in good condition. There is a spare. The undercarriage is in good condition with no rust. The front windshield is in good condition with the exception of a small star. The rear glass is very nice. The door glass is very nice. INTERIOR The leather seats are in good condition with normal wear. The drivers seat is nice, there is slight dicoloration of leather. The passenger seat is nice, there is a slight discoloration of leather. The rear seat is nice, there is a slight discoloration of leather. The car is equipped with 5 seatbelts. The carpeting is in good condition with normal wear. The headliner is in nice condition but does have some bubbling in areas which is very normal for GM products of this era. The door panels are in nice condition. The dash is in nice condition. The steering wheel is in nice condition. The visors are in nice condition. The car is equipped with original factory 8 track cassette. The trunk is very nice carpet lined with original mat. Automatice closer still works great. Nice rubber seal. All original and like new. ELECTRICAL The air conditioning compressor works, but does not blow ice cold. Will need a recharge. The vehicle is equipped with climate controlled heat. The defroster is in operating condition. The windshield wipers are in operating condition. The vehicle is equipped with a tilt wheel. The brakes are in good condition. The vehicle is equipped with power steering. The vehicle is equipped with dual power seats. The vehicle is equipped with power windows. All operate correctly. The vehicle is equipped with power locks. MECHANICAL The 5.7 litre 350 cubic engine is in good operating condition. We have detected no leaks or unusual noises. The vehicle recently passed the California emissions test and it passed with flying colors. The engine in this 1977 Cadillac measures tail pipe emissions of that of a 36k mile vehicle. The automatic transmissions shifts smooth in all gears. The vehicle runs at proper operating temperature. The shocks are in good condition. The exhaust looks new and runs quiet. There is no frame damage or modifications. Here is some additional information about the Cadillac Seville: The Cadillac Seville was a mid sized luxury sedan manufactured by the Cadillac division of General Motors from 1975 to 2004. The vehicle was traditionally second in the Cadillac lineup after the Deville and was more focused on performance than the larger Deville. The Seville, introduced in 1975, was Cadillac's answer to the rising popularity of luxury imports in the US from Europe such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Historically, these imported luxury cars had been cheaper, less luxurious and significantly smaller than Cadillacs, but over time they had evolved, and had become quite luxurious and even more expensive than competing Cadillacs, and yet the market share of these imports continued to climb. It became obvious that the traditional American automotive paradigm of "bigger equals better" was no longer in full effect in the marketplace. So, the Seville was to be simultaneously the smallest and the most expensive Cadillac in the lineup, turning Cadillac's traditional marketing and pricing strategy on its head. The first use of the Seville name was on a hardtop version of the 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible. Four Eldorado Seville 4-door hardtops were built in 1957, but it is the outlandish Tail Fins found on the 1959 model that are most remembered. 1960 was the last year for the Eldorado Seville. Various names were considered for the proposed next generation Seville (1976). Resurrection of the LaSalle nameplate was seriously considered, but it was decided that given that LaSalle had been used for entry-level sub-Cadillacs in the past; it would create confusion in the marketplace among those who recollected the context of the names previous use. Initially based on the Rear Wheel Drive X body platform that underpinned the Chevrolet Nova (a unibody with a bolt-on subframe — this layout was common with both GM X and F bodies), the Seville's unibody and chassis were extensively re-engineered and upgraded from that humble origin and it was awarded the unique designation of "K-Body. Cadillac stylists added a crisp, angular body that set the tone for GM styling for the next decade, along with a wide-track stance that gave the car a substantial, premium appearance. Seville engineers chose the X-body platform instead of the German Opel Diplomat in response to GM's budget restrictions — GM executives felt that rebadging a German Opel would be more costly than the corporate X-car. Another proposal during the development of the Seville was a front-wheel drive layout similar to the Cadillac Eldorado. This proposal also met with budget concerns since the transaxle used for the Eldorado was produced on a limited basis solely for E body (Eldorado-Toronado) production. This was the first time Cadillac began engineering one of its vehicles based on components previously used in a Chevrolet model. Introduced in mid-1975 and billed as the new "internationally-sized" Cadillac, the Seville was almost 1,000 lb (450 kg) lighter than the hulking Deville; nimble, easy to park, attractive and loaded with the full complement of Cadillac gadgets. More expensive than every other Cadillac model at US $12,479, the Seville was a smash hit, and spawned several imitators, such as the less-than-successful Lincoln Versailles, and later the Chrysler LeBaron /5th Avenue. The first Sevilles produced between April 1975 (a total of 16,355) to the close of the 1976 model year were the first Cadillacs to use the Chevrolet passenger car wheel bolt pattern (5 lugs with a 4.75 in bolt circle; the 2003-present Cadillac XLR also uses the Chevrolet pattern). The first Sevilles shared only a strict minority of components with the engineering starting point, the GM X-Body. The rear drums measured 11 in and were similar to the ones used with the Chevrolet Nova 9C1 (police option) and A-Body, Cutlas-Regal-Chevelle-Lemans intermediate Station Wagons. Starting with the 1977 model year, production Sevilles used the larger 5 lug — 5 inch bolt circle common to full-size Cadillacs, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, and 1/2 ton Chevrolet/GMC light trucks and vans. It also received rear disc brakes, a design which would surface a year later as an option on the F-body Pontiac Trans Am. Under the hood went an Oldsmobile-sourced 350 cubic inch, 5.7 litre fitted with Bendix/Bosch electronically controlled fuel injection. This system gave the Seville smooth drivability and performance that was usually lacking in other domestic cars of this early emissions control era. Power output was 180 hp,and performance was restrained with the 60 mph sprint taking 11.5 seconds. A diesel 350 cubic inch (5.7L) V8 was added in 1978, but that engine was known to be poor in both performance and reliability. Today, the first generation Seville, 1976 through 1979 model years have been climbing in value, and are considered to be very collectible due to their driveability and handling, and parts availability. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE READ BEFORE BIDDING Please only bid if you intend to buy. If you have any questions or concerns, please ask BEFORE you bid. It is very frustrating to have bidders who are not serious buyers and it is not fair to the other bidders. Please have all funds in place prior to bidding and make sure you are able to follow all the directions of the auction prior to bidding. If you are unable to do this, please do not bid.Please do not email with requests for the reserve. The reserve should have no bearing on what you feel comfortable bidding on the car. The reserve is the least we will accept for the car. We require a $500 non refundable deposit within 24 hours of close of auction to be made via Paypal. The balance must be paid before 5:00 p.m. on the Friday following the auction. Buyer is responsible for shipping of the vehicle and all costs associated with it. If you require the title be overnighted to you, there is a $25.00 charge for this, the charge will be more for international postage. We can assist you in finding the most cost effective shipper just about anywhere in the United States or around the world. We are in the San Francisco Bay Area, very close to the Port of Oakland and a few hundred dollars away from the Port of Los Angeles or Long Beach. For overseas shipping, check with Chris Ortiz from CFR Line. His direct telephone number is (310) 223-0474 EXT 2109 and email is chris@cfrline.com. Their website is www.shipcfr.com. For shipping throughout the United States check with www.gotruckgo.com. Buyer is responsible for any all DMV charges. The car is currently registered in the State of California through March 2011. Thank you for looking and happy bidding.