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1981 Cadillac Fleetwood coupe

travcad78travcad78 Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Cadillac
Hi I was looking for some information on a 1981 Fleetwood coupe. I have owned many cadillacs my past but have not seen one like this. It has a Rolls Royce style grille and landau bars on vinyle roof and a continental kit and a moonroof. Now I owned a 1984 seville roadster with similar features but would the fleetwood be called a roadster also or was there a different name for this model? Any help would be appreciated thanks

Comments

  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,657
    what that 1984 Seville looked like? I've seen custom jobs on 1979-85 Eldorados, and 1975-79 and 1980-85 Sevilles, but the only thing I've ever seen done to the downsized DeVilles and Fleetwoods was limo conversions, an occasional 4-door convertible, and a rare station wagon.

    Anywya, I'm pretty sure it was some kind of aftermarket conversion, and not a factory job.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No, Fleetwood only came in one style, the Brougham, in either a sedan or a coupe. Anything else is someone's customization or some dealer add-on for extra profit.
  • travcad78travcad78 Member Posts: 3
    Hi I would agree it may be a dealer package to make profit but all pars are cadillac factory options that could have been ordered such as the continental kit the grill and the landau bars have to be as cadillac emblems are placed on them and not like an after thought type thing these are placed in deeper and look to be factory. I never in all my years seen one like this but was curious cause it is such a wierd one. Thanks for the help.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,657
    if cars like that SeVille "Roadster" and the '81 Fleetwood "Roadster" were authorized by Cadillac, even though they were outside, aftermarket conversions? It's quite possible that Cadillac either manufactured the unique trim pieces or authorized an outside supplier to fabricate them using their logo.

    I dunno, just taking some wild guesses here.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No it's a fake. The moonroof and padded vinyl roof was a real option but the rest is just owner or dealer fantasy at work. Don't know about the landau bars--the option list doesn't show them, but they are easy to stick on.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    And it's not a good one.

    All of that stuff is aftermarket and unless you happen to like that look, this will only detract from the desirability of that car.

    There used to be a shop in Compton California that did things to Cadillacs and Lincolns that cost thousands of dollars.

    And 1981 was the year of the infamous 4-6-8 engine!
  • travcad78travcad78 Member Posts: 3
    To everyone I appreciate all the help and I have decided not to move on that car as I have also thought it was to goughti and would not be a good idea for resale so I have therefore decided against it. Personally I am more for the stock cadillacs without all the stupid unnecisarry crap on it. But again thanks for all the info it is truely appreciated. :shades:
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,657
    Too bad you couldn't get a picture of this thing. The image I'm getting in my mind isn't exactly a tasteful one, but I'm still kinda curious!
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    An unmolested Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham coupe is a drop-dead gorgeous car. I remember a used car dealer back in the mid-late '80s who sold a lot of these cars. Too bad they had such crappy engines in those years. I remember looking at a 1978 Sedan DeVille and a 1980 Sedan DeVille at his lot back in the day. One beautiful car that got away was a gorgeous white 1979 Sedan DeVille with only 37K miles on it.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,657
    I agree, Lemko...I love the style of the 1980-85 Fleetwood coupe and Coupe DeVille. Unfortunately, the only "good" year to get is the 1980, with the Caddy 368. Although I guess if you got an '81 with the V-8-6-4 and it was acting up, you could just disable the variable displacement thing. Supposedly it was add-on enough that it wa fairly simple to work around. But the '82-85 models had that dreadful 4.1, and the Olds Diesel 350 was available all years, so I'd imagine that the "good" ones are few and far between!

    It's easier to find a '77-79 Coupe Deville or Fleetwood coupe, because they were made in larger numbers, and overwhelmingly they had the Caddy 425. I think the 1980 restyle really spruced these cars up though. Too bad you can't get the smoother '80-85 look with the 425. :-(
  • buickboy92buickboy92 Member Posts: 19
    i have never had a caddy before and i need some info on them some one say something about them. thank you :)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    My Two Minute History of Cadillac, with the usual prejudices

    1930s--Cadillac Golden Age
    1940s -- quality but old-fashioned
    1950s-- Cadillac renaissance to 1957
    1958-59---wretched excess
    Early 1960s--cleaner lines, good quality cars
    late 60s--still okay, starting to lose their market and vision.
    1970s--years of struggle and corporate confusion and quality issues
    1980s--best left forgotten, new signs of life near the end
    1990s--crawling back up but quality control a nagging issue
    2000s --on a comeback roll to credibility and respect

    Cadillac in one sentence: the luxury car empire GM built, literally destroyed, and is now trying to rebuild again.
  • buickboy92buickboy92 Member Posts: 19
    i love the caddys!!! :blush:
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,657
    i love the caddys!!!

    What year Caddys do you like the best? Any particular year/model you're trying to hunt down?
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    If he's really interested in Cadillacs, he ought to join the Cadillac-LaSalle Club. It's been around since 1958 and annual dues are only $40. You get a great monthly magazine called the Self-Starter and there are a lot of ads on the last few pages of people selling their nice old Cadillacs and LaSalles. I, myself, am always hunting for a #1 Condition 1969 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,099
    I wouldn't mind a 1958 Eldorado Brougham...
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,657
    I wouldn't mind landing a nice '61-62 Caddy. Even if it's just a 4-door hardtop. And a hearse would be way cool! :shades:
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    I know a guy who has a really nice 1961 Cadillac Superior hearse he recently restored. It always draws a crowd when it appears at a show. Heck, I would love a classic Cadillac ambulance, but I'd have no place to keep it.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,657
    Heck, I would love a classic Cadillac ambulance, but I'd have no place to keep it.

    Yeah, the ambulances are cool, too. I could fit a hearse or ambulance in my garage, but I doubt if there'd be enough room to get another car in behind it
  • buickboy92buickboy92 Member Posts: 19
    ya i like the Devills and the Devill hearses!!! i really want a hearse! :D
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I think hearses are just plain creepy!

    There is a club around here and they attend the local car shows and park them there!

    Disgusting!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,657
    I think hearses are just plain creepy!

    Well in my case, the fascination has nothing to do with death or anything morbid like that. Although if I ever do get one, I'm going to see if the personalized license plate "Expired" is available! :shades:

    I think with me it's just that I like big cars, and I always thought that the custom work that goes into a hearse or ambulance, such as the raised roof and extended wheelbase, is kinda neat. And there's just something about a '61-62 Cadillac that I think lends itself very well to hearse styling.

    Superior built a good looking '61 Pontiac ambulance/hearse, too. And you wanna hear morbid? They tried marketing these things to the general public for awhile as camping vehicles. They called them Superior Vacation Specials! I imagine that the trips people took in them must have been heavenly.

    Unfortunately, I don't think a hearse/ambulance would be very practical for me as a driver, though. And it's not the length that's the problem. The few that I've sat in have that partition at the B-pillar, right behind the front seat, and it keeps the seat from going back as far as it normally would.

    One year there was a 1957 DeSoto ambulance at Carlisle, and the owner let me sit in it. It was way cool, but there's no way I would've been able to drive it comfortably. There's an early 80's Buick Electra/LeSabre hearse too, and it has the same problem. Alas, I imagine a 1961-62 Cadillac would have the same problem?

    I guess most hearse and ambulance drivers were pretty short back in the day?
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    The same applies to most limousines. My buddy has a limo business and for quite awhile, he had a couple of Cadillac Formals with the division window. Legroom up front was terrible. Lucky for him, he's only about 5'6".
This discussion has been closed.