2 CADDYS FROM THE VIETNAM ERA
1967 was a very complicated year for the United States and the World. The Vietnam War was really underway, race riots were spreading across the cities of the U.S., and LSD was setting the stage for the Summer of Love, Woodstock, and lots of privileged kids tuning in and dropping out. Some stalwarts held fast in the midst of all this change though, and Cadillac was one of them.
Here we have a '67 Cadillac Coupe de Ville in Black. This example of straight-laced American luxury couldn't care less about anyones plight. This car says "I'm powerful, I've made it, and you're going to park my car in the best spot away from the others".
While this generation of Cadillac ran from '65-'70, there was a major restyle for the '67s. For the first time the front end received this menacing forward-leaning slant.
The back also got a refreshing with the tail fin ends each having sharper points at the top and bottom, as well as only 1 red lens per side where there were 2 previously. The rear bumper is actually enormous, but the lower half was painted the body color to help lighten up the look.
With a 340 horsepower 429 V8 under the hood this was a common view for other drivers. These cars always illicit nicknames like Land Yacht or Barge, but those who have driven them know that they have volcanic power for both going and stopping, and can easily be driven hard like a much smaller ride. Despite its relative agility you're not going to suffer any bumps in this cushy ride and can steer with a single finger thanks to overbuilt power steering.
The trunk is patently absurd in its dimensions. Of course these Caddys sported a full-size spare but even that took up no real space as it was mounted up under the rear window, leaving the entirety of the main trunk wide open. You could move a desk or 10 bodies easily.
Most of the flash from previous years is gone by '67. A single skinny trim line goes down the side of an otherwise unadorned body. The folded-paper like creases are the most distinctive feature from this angle.
This formal roofline treatment was new for '67 too, and modeled after a show car where the rear window slid backwards into the rear sail panel. In the production version the rear window slides down into the body in a more traditional sense, but the extra wide sail panel remained. If you were sitting in the backseat you could be assured of almost total privacy.
Inside it's seating for 6 full grown adults wearing hats or the big hair of your Goomah. From this view it looks like this car has 2 radios but this is an illusion; the radio is the lower rectangle closest to us and both dials for it are positioned to the left of it. Beyond thee dials is the rectangle housing the heating and a/c controls, with the ignition key on the far side.
This beast had the standard single-out-of-state-plate on the back making all meter maids look like simpletons when combined with the outline of recently removed NY registration and inspection stickers, but what do I know? Maybe this car IS registered in Indiana and just happens to be parked on the street in front of an auto body shop that has another '67 Caddy parked in its lot!
On to more of the same yet different . . .
Here we are staring into the mighty maw of yet another de Ville, but this one is a 4-door Sedan. *One way to identify a '67 is the top of the grill opening which is straight across. In '68 the center section was taller than the sides housing the turn signals, and in '66 the front wasn't leaning forward like this.
This is the definition of a lowrider or hooptie! lights and pieces missing, several colors on display, but still long and low with great lines. Both of the feature cars today are hardtops as there is no post between the front and rear windows. With NY Historical plates and stickers in the windshield this owner is playing it straight and forking out the $100 or so per year for classic insurance.
This is where you can truly soak up the dimensions of this beast, and this isn't even the limo for this year! The front fender closest to us is an obvious replacement, as are the hood and the trunk. I believe this Caddy is still wearing evidence of the original color choice Capri Aqua Poly.
Yeah this thing is rotting to pieces but there's no denying that the light-up side marker incorporating the logo is classy. Also, that chrome script is referred to as "Tiffany Style" writing in GM literature.
Both the hood and trunk came from a donor car painted Baroque Gold Poly.
That trailer hitch is no joke as the towing capacity for these beasts ran between 6,000-7,000lbs! Hitch an airstream or boat up to this ride and instantly become the envy of everyone (who owns a gas station).
The trunk still has evidence of the FLEETWOOD moniker that used to live on the right side; several body parts are interchangeable between the 2 models.
From this angle we can see the slight green tint to the glass which was from the factory. I had an old Beetle with this same treatment but can't recall any other American cars sporting green tint with the exception of the skylights in the Olds Vista Cruiser and Buick Sportwagon station wagons.
With a complete set of original hubcaps and some body parts being replaced it seems this cruiser is being given a lazy restoration. Riding in these Caddys today is like being in a parade of your own due to the amount of road it commands, but there are few rides this comfortable or roomy from any era.
No comments:
Post a Comment