1965 Cadillac DeVille

Coupe

429

Automatic

J5223770

Clear

Gasoline

I have owned this car for almost 14 years and hate to part with her but health issues and resulting expenses are forcing my hand. I bought the car from a broker who was representing the estate of the original owner who bought the car new at the Cadillac dealership in Santa Clara, CA. He was a recently widowed gentleman who wanted something "nice" to drive around the small CA town he lived in. From 1965 to 1997, when he went in to a rest home, he only put a little over 21,000 miles on the car. The broker I purchased the car from knew the owner personally and was able to inform me of the car's history. From 1997 to 2000 when he passed away the car was stored in a carport and started monthly by a family friend. The drives beautifully with the smoothest steering possible. The air condition works but needs a recharge. The radio comes on but the antennae assembly is missing (more on that below). The clock was rebuilt three years ago but quit working again very recently. Now for the not so good history of the car. A few years after I bought the car I decided I wanted to get some restoration work done on it so going on recommendations from other vintage Cadillac owners, I took the car to a restoration company here in San Diego County. We had several discussions on what I wanted done and they provided me with an estimate that seemed reasonable and I gave them a standard deposit. Weeks passed and I heard nothing from them so I called to check on it and was assured that everything was in-process and was just taking longer that estimated due to their workload and time spent waiting on parts. They faxed me receipts for things they had purchased and asked me for more money, which I sent. That was the last time I ever talked to them. When more weeks passed, I called and the phone had been disconnected with no forwarding. To avoid making a long story even longer, I will just say that it took almost 5 years and ridiculous amounts of paperwork and waiting for me and their other customers to get our cars out of federal court receivership. The restoration shop was owed the IRS huge amounts of money so that is who we had to deal with.Why I am disclosing this is to preface certain condition problems with the car. During the years it was in federal custody my car was stored outside in the elements inside a locked area behind where the shop had been located. Those five years were not kind cosmetically to the car. When I finally got it back, I had a quick paint re-spray done to retard the surface rust that was happening. The dashboard had cracked and the climate control sensor cover fell apart in pieces as soon as I touched it. (I do have a replacement for the sensor cover that will come with the car. It will need to be sprayed to match the dashboard when it is redone). The trunk of the car sustained the most damage during that time. The rubber seals dried out and the trunk leaked. The trunk drip rails rusted extensively and will need metal work. The trunk cardboard needs replacement as does the trunk mat. The area below the back windshield needs repair and the package tray needs to be replaced. The carpet is faded but I am including a replacement carpet kit with the sale. The leather bolsters and backs on the seats are dry but intact. The seat inserts are dry and could use replacement. The chrome is pitted but still shiny. There are a few small dents on the car and molding but it is a 50 year old car after all.The car runs and drives beautifully and the tires still have plenty of tread. The wheel covers are in great shape. The steering wheel is also in great shape with no large cracks or missing plastic. There will be a box of a few spare parts that will come with the car. The car is being sold as-is, where-is with no warranty expressed or implied. The car is advertised locally and this listing will be canceled if it sells.