Any classic Cadillac buffs out there?....

[Stang2Vibe]

Some of you who have known me for a long time on here know that I am an admirer of gigantic old cars. I particularly like classic Cadillacs because they were just about the only cars being produced 20-30+ years ago that commonly have modern features on them. I have found an opportunity to own an old Caddy and I am trying to draw on the experience/expertise of the GenVibe members to see if anyone is familiar with these old cars to advise me of the common pitfalls and things to look out for when going to purchase an older vehicle like this.The car I am considering is a 1966 Cadillac Fleetwood that appears to be in excellent shape. The owner claims that it runs great, leaks no fluids, and produces no smoke when running. It has about 46,000 original miles on it and the price is right. My problem is that it is in the Southwest U.S. and I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I can have the car shipped without much trouble, but will not have the opportunity to actually see the car before buying it. This makes me rather nervous. I emailed the seller today to ask for more detailed information about the car and am waiting for a reply. I know there are services where you can hire an independent mechanic to check out a car and send you a report for just such a situation. My problem with that is that I don't have any way of verifying how knowlegeable the mechanic is and how well they go over the car. Also, I have never owned a car that was more than 6 years old and I don't have any particlar resources to get parts for a classic car should I need to get some. I'm sure that parts are out there, and probably much more than I realize. I mostly want to know if anybody has any experience with Caddy's from that era and would like to share some of their knowledge with me before I buy a classic car.I should add that I believe that the car has the original 429 c.i. engine and 3 speed TurboHydromatic tranny, but have to confirm that with the owner. Again, any info would be helpful and appreciated.And don't worry,----I'm still keeping my Vibe. It just might have a very, very big brother soon! (I think the Vibe would probably fit in the Caddy's trunk in case the Vibe gets lonely when I take the Caddy out---LOL.)

[threekrows]

I've worked on a few that old,but I can't tell you any "common"problems for that particular year.I had to work on one several times for brake problems,like the master cylinder and some lines.I'm pretty sure the parts came from the local parts house.I'd wonder about all the rubber parts,like motor mounts,body mounts,all the hoses,weatherstripping,etc being rotten with age.Dunno if this is any help,but if you get some specific questions,I can probably find answers...

[Stang2Vibe]

Thanks, threekrows. I was mostly wondering if there were any specific problems known to plague this particular type of car. Like some years have that automatic air ride suspension that had numerous electronic problems and like the now infamous 4-6-8 engine Cadillac tried in the early 80's. BTW--this car doesn't have the air suspension. I think it began on the 1967 models.As far as brake problems go, that could apply to many vehicles and I can do that kind of work myself. I've changed master cylinders before as well as brake lines, calipers, pads, shoes, wheel cylinders, drums, etc. so that is no big worry for me. I guess a rotten frame would be my biggest concern. Not much I can do about that. It doesn't seem to have any rust on the body, but I can do most bodywork myself, also. Particularly on these big older cars where most body panels are just bolted on.Good suggestion on the rubber parts as well, I hadn't thought of that. But I have seen ads in classic car magazines and newsletters for companies that make many of the rubber parts (particularly the gaskets) for old cars so that shouldn't be too bad, either. I would think that the hardest parts to replace would be interior parts. Like the dashboard and door panels, etc., are all color matched to the interior color scheme. If I found a replacement part that was new or even from a junkyard car, it probably wouldn't match because they have faded in the different cars at different rates and would look odd. And I have often found in my research so far that major cracks develop in the dashboards over time. What could I do in that case?

[MadBill]

A friend of mine recently bought an '88 Fiero from 1,500 miles away. He is a CAA/AAA member and had a AAA approved garage do a thorough examination. It cost a bit over $100, but he felt it was worth it.

[trocar]

I have always found that cars from that era are really pretty easy to get parts and more important, the people who know what to do with these parts. My best advise would be to find a classic car club in your area and speak to them. They will be able to put you in touch with some gru of mid 60's GM products.AS for an inspection before you buy, again these clubs have connections to get things like that done. Trust me you are not the first person to go through this.Good luck. BTW once you have bought the car, remember tht every year General Motors Canada has one of the largest car shows in August at their Canadian Headquartes in Oshawa. Just a thought to get you planning of the frist major road trip with you and your Caddi.PS I will be there with a 47 Caddi.

[Stang2Vibe]

Thanks! I'll have to check into that show if I get the car and it is in good enough shape to make the trip by then. It would be a nice road trip.Also, does anyone know how you go about handling the title transfer and all the paperwork? I'm not a AAA member and don't plan on becoming one just for this.

[trocar]

Here is the link to the Autofest site. (Just to get you even more in the mood for getting the caddihttp://www.canadianrodder.com/autofest/

[Stang2Vibe]

Also, does anyone know where I can get info on tricking out the engine a bit. I don't want to go hog wild with it (I'm not turning it into a top fuel alcohol funny car or anything), but I know that increasing performance on old big block V8's shouldn't be much of a challenge. I'm worried that it will be difficult to find performance parts for a Cadillac 429 engine. If it were a Chevy 350/396/454 or something like that, it would take me years to sort through all the available parts. But the old Cadillac engines were unique to Cadillac cars and weren't shared with other GM brands so I'm afraid that this is going to be a lot tougher. And I need to find some better websites for info on these old Caddy's.

[MadBill]

There are a couple of Cadillac specialists I have seen in Hot Rod, Car Craft, etc., Stang. e.g Cadillac Motorsport, but naturally I can't find them at the moment. Will post when I do.

[Stang2Vibe]

Thanks so much for the assistance. The owner of the car I was interested in emailed me back and told me that the car was already being held on deposit. Crap. He said that if the deal falls through, he will let me know. Good thing I found another one. Same car, different color and a bit cheaper. I guess I'll have to contact them and see what the deal is.