help decifer 1954 Cadillac build sheet

[bark54]

I paid the $50 to Allied Vaughn, GM Archives for a build sheet for what is suppose to be a 1954 Cadillac Eldorado. I gave them the vin # and they produced the build sheet. Realy cool but I think the build sheet says it was not an Eldorado? I thought the style number for an Eldorado should be 6267SX but the form shows a style number of 6267. Am I missing something or am I about to buy a series 62 that was made to look like an Eldorado or is the body an Eldorado and the engine, where the vin # came from and is suppose to be same as frame stamp, not a numbers matching to the body? I attached the build sheet for those interested

I have not bought the car yet!

[okccadman]

If I am reading that correctly, it shows an Iris Series 62 Convertible with Red Leather

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

I Read the build sheet as Color 4 = Iris, Top 9 = Black, Trim 41 = All Black leather

HTH,
Ralph

[okccadman]

That sounds liek a more fitting combo

[bark54]

Thanks for all the info but is it a series 62 or Eldorado?

[Jon Riley #13576]

Mike:

If the engine and frame match the number on the build sheet attached, I would suspect that someone added the Eldorado trim to a Series 62.  Does the car have the Eldorado floor mats?  How does the interior compare. 

The 54 is a relatively easy one to "clone."  And, if your going to to a full restoration, why not "build" an Eldorado.  It is worth more and many people don't know how to tell them apart. (I'm not suggesting that it is a good idea, only an idea to make more money.)


If the frame and engine do not match, then the build sheet might be for the car the engine came from.  Though, a transplant engine seems more likely to come from a non-convertible because they built fewer 62 convertibles that the other models. 

What does the seller say about this information.   If you are getting a good deal, this might be the reason.

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Mike,
Several questions.
Is the VIN you provided the frame #?
Does the sheet match the info on the data plate?
I think the base factory price is too low for an Eldo.
HTH, Bob

[bark54]

I have not seen the data plate, owner has promised to  take a picture and send it to me  but I have not seen it yet. And I have not seen the car up close to check if the frame vin matches the engine vin, which I have seen from a picture. I had planned to hire someone to inspect the car before I traveled from Texas but then I ran into this discrepancy and started asking you guys questions. I do appreciate the feed back. The owner is convinced its an Eldo but he may just not know and the vin off the engine seems to point to a problem for authentication. I have not heard you guys say for sure say but should not the build sheet have 6267SX on it for a style number rather than just 6267.

Thanks!

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Mike,
Several things again.
I requested your topic be moved from the restoration to the technical section where it belongs. Hopefully you'll get more responses.
The frame & engine # matched when new, but I would always use the frame #. Motors can be changed....
I was hoping a member with a 54 sheet would chime in. I think it should say 6267SX.
I think the info I requested before is very important to solve this issue.
HTH, Bob

[Jon Riley #13576]

Well, I don't think anyone wants to, or can, state definitely that it is or is not a true eldorado over the internet without at the very least seeing some pictures.  

However, my prediction is that it is a matching numbers Series 62 convertible with added trim - ie the car on the data sheet.

My reasons:  a) You were told that the engine matched the frame; b) the engine is from a series 62.  

The eldorado was priced at $5,738, whereas the car on your build sheet appears to have a $29xx.xx price.  

Does the car in question have the integrated floor mats and interior like this one (5 photos):  http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=MB10&CarID=r191

Or, does it have the interior and no integrated floor mats like this one: http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=AM10&CarID=r102

One option is to see if Allied Vaughn will quickly flip through (or do an OCR search on) the 1954 records to see if GM did definitely use the correct model number (which I'm guessing they did) for the 54 Eldorados.  

If you were only given the engine number, I would say that even if it is a true Eldorado, the engine is from a series 62 convertible.  The only question is whether the rest of the car is also a series 62 (ie matching numbers - ie the car on the data sheet), or if that engine found its way into a 54 Eldorado?  We cannot know unless we have more information.

However, as I initially mentioned, all of this is via the web and very little information.  In other words, I could be wrong.

[Chris Conklin]

... I have not seen the data plate, owner has promised to take a picture and send it to me but I have not seen it yet... but should not the build sheet have 6267SX on it for a style number rather than just 6267...

I would think it much easier to provide the cowl tag than the engine number, so I'm a little suspicious of that. Suspicion #2; the engine may have been replaced but it was an engine from a Series 62 convertible and not a more typical (read cheap) donor car? Not likely, as Jon mentioned. And yes it should have "SX" on the style number to be an Eldorado. Not saying the seller has nefarious intent (though somebody had to put Eldorado badging on the car) but the information presented here says it's a Series 62 convertible.

I would drop some money on an inspection. Maybe a member could look at the car for you just to get the data (for a bit less money  ).

[Tom Hall 7485]

Mr. Barker, in answer to your question, "...should not the build sheet have 6267SX on it for a style number rather than just 6267?":

I can't answer well because I have never seen a 1954 Cadillac invoice before.  That's what you have - a wholesale invoice.  GM Heritage and Allied-Vaughn incorrectly call these by a sort of generic name, "build sheet."  Still, in previous years style number suffixes like "SX" and "D" appear on invoices because they are important to pricing.

Because it is an invoice, we can see prices.  In prior years, there was just one column of prices, and they were wholesale prices.  I have not seen two columns, as on yours.  Still, we can see a base wholesale price for the car that is a little over $2,900 (right hand column).  According to McCall's reference book, the Series 62 convertible that year had a base retail price of $4,404.  That seems about the right margin.  The Eldorado had a suggested base retail price of $5,738.00.  (The 1949 Series 61 Coupe had a base wholesale price under $2,000.)

As further evidence that the invoice is for a Series 62 and not an Eldorado is the exterior color, number "4."  Iris, as Ralph said.  Iris was not a standard offering for the 1954 Eldorado.  If you wanted a blue Eldo, the color was Azure, unless by special request at extra charge.

There is a surcharge of about 10% to the distributor in Wichita, reason unknown.  Guessing, I'd say he may have exceeded his allotment of convertibles that month and been charged for that.