6th Nov 2010, 12:17
I had a 73 and a 76 DeVille years ago. I loved them, but the metal was terrible quality/very little rustproofing!!... Mine were both rusty in 5-6 years!!... This was kept in a carport and the salt washed out after every snow-packed ride in the winter.
6th Nov 2010, 16:30
The definition of the luxury car has changed significantly in the last 20 years. I have a 2005 Buick Park Avenue, and my next door neighbor purchased a brand new compact Lexus hybrid sedan this Summer. He made the comment to me, wait as long as you can to buy a luxury car, because once you do, you can't go back. I found it interesting that he considered his car superior to mine, but didn't say anything. My car probably cost about the same as his did this year back in 2004, the ride is much more comfortable, my car is a lot more roomy, and mine has many of the same features such as sunroof, heated leather seats, back-up sensors and so forth.
The one thing his car has going for it is higher quality materials, and gadgets galore. He loaned me his car once, and I can tell you I'd take my Buick over it any day. I will admit it is a nice car, but if you are a traditional American luxury car fan, it wouldn't appeal to you much. Sadly there are few cars that still do.
18th Nov 2010, 05:20
I found many of these comments comical and misplaced. Especially the guy who says that modern cars are better engineered... really? Does he even own a modern car?
I am a huge man of any make other than American made luxury. However my opinion changed after I purchased and drove one of these beasts. 1970 Deville. The car has a presence to it that NO other manufacturer can come close to in today's market. It is overbuilt, with thicker gauge sheetmetal and 3/4 ton truck drivetrains. Plastic is used sparingly and the car is STILL lighter than many modern luxo cruisers. The motors were internally balanced with 5 main bearings capable of over 1400 horsepower (just ask the drag car crowd)
Now today everything is engineered to be obsolete within several years with non user repairable parts and ultra complex fiber optic networks, and no less than 8 or so computers. Individuality is fleeting, and the fresh smell of plastic interior and flickering warning lights dazzle the driver and cover up for lacking driving skills (lane departure warnings, backup sensors, comical use of airbags throughout). People still die driving regardless of safety features implemented. Your local dealership no longer repairs, but swaps components and crosses fingers. Auto makers keep factory service manuals under wraps for fear of lost profits from gouging their customers for a light bulb change (BMW... you're good at this in particular).
This is not moving forward. These old beasts should be a national treasure. A visual reminder of when we used to build our own cars. Yes they guzzle gas, but no more than your ridiculous Escalade or totally unnecessary quad cab family mover, with more time spent at the mall parking lot than moving anything they were designed to... like equipment or horses.
A car should be treated like an old family member, and not discarded into the crusher and sold to Japan as scrap metal. The old '60s and '70s Cadillacs are such cars.
18th Nov 2010, 10:29
I bought a 70 Cadillac Fleetwood Limo on a whim quite a while back and loved it. My family had fun in it. Very cool car.
I have had just about every type of car over the years. This is one I wish I kept. I do not think we will run out of fuel, and will likely have ethanol and other sources, to not stay at home laying on the couch.
11th Jul 2011, 11:39
Please keep us posted. I am in the process of restoring one myself. I am real curious to know how it goes. Oh and good luck!
13th Jul 2011, 18:19
You're absolutely right. Cadillac should immediately revert to building its cars just like it did in 1976. Then you should go buy a new one and watch all that metal you love rust out before you have finished making the payments.
15th Jul 2011, 18:25
I didn't make the comment about building cars like they were back in '76. But you have to admit, the cars of that era definitely had some things going for them that modern cars don't. It would be nice to have a combination of both and eliminate the negatives. The cars of the 70's were very large and had distinctive styling, as well as a comfort level that cannot be matched in any new car today. Obviously fuel economy and build quality/reliability were not strong suits of the 70's car. But I really think if Detroit would build a car with distinctive looks that is not a sports or GT model, that has a nice compromise in size between todays econo boxes and yesterdays leviathans, with the good fuel economy that we all know Detroit is capable of, it would sell well. I know there are a lot of people like myself who are sick and tired of the new slogan in Detroit (shorter, lighter, blander). I miss the good old days when longer, lower, wider was the standard.
13th Sep 2011, 14:41
I am trying to find a price range for a 1976 Cadillac Coupe Deville, however there were only two of these cars made with a Rolls Royce front end. A personal friend of mine was purchaser of one of the two cars in the US... he now is interested in selling this vehicle, the car is in mint condition, has been well maintained. He is the original owner... Please feel free in contacting me at myers1027@msn.com
6th Nov 2010, 12:11
Cars, like everything else, are disposable. They make them so people will come back and buy another one. They are not made to drive for 15 years. It is all about cost cutting, and now that they have perfected the production of plastics, that is what they use... on everything! I actually like the newer cars though as they are, as you said, more efficient and they are healthier for the environment.
Classics like old Caddy's, muscle cars, sports cars are nice to collect, but have little use on the road everyday. Their time has come and gone, unfortunately, and made way for the future. It's all about the bottom line!