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1931 Cadillac - Need Advice

Started by Jdhunay, March 14, 2023, 07:27:43 AM

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Jdhunay

Hi all,
I inherited a 1931 Cadillac Town Sedan V8.

I'm hoping someone can answer my questions since I don't know much about the vehicle.

1. Model - Is there a difference between 355 and 355A?
2. History - I've ordered a copy of the Build Record from GM Heritage Center. Is there anyone else I could contact to get more information about the vehicle's history?
3. Awards - I recall my dad and grandpa saying that the vehicle won awards. Is there a database that I could see what awards it won?
4. Appraisal - I'm planning on using the $99 online appraisal service offered by Hemmings to get the vehicle appraised. Are there better appraisal options that you would recommend?
5. Possible sale - I've spoken with a local vintage car dealer in California who said he'd help me list and sell the vehicle and take a 10% commission fee. Is 10% standard? Should I attempt to list and sell it myself before using the dealer?

Barry M Wheeler #2189

As there are several clubs that the car might have been entered in, there is no one single data base that you could go to. And, I would think that unless the car was a consistent first place winner, there would be no records of second, third, etc, finishes.

If you are thinking of selling the car, pursuing the previous awards might be unnecessary in any case, as the current condition of the car is of far more import to a prospective buyer than "past glories."

Unless an older member of the CLC might remember the car and your father, I know of no other source of information that you might pursue.

I would suggest that you spend the $25 for an on-line membership so that you might be able to get the phone # of Mr. Paul Ayres who also owned a Cadillac of that vintage and might be able to help you further. (You would have to look Paul up in our on-line Directory as we are not allowed to give out personal information on the Forum.) I can tell you that he lives in MI.

If you are not interested in the car, you might consult your accountant and see if you might enjoy a tax advantage if you donated the car to our Cadillac and LaSalle Museum and Research Center.

As far as the 10% commission goes, you might check in with other dealers and ask what their commission is. Good luck, and I hope I have been of help.
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

Jdhunay


DaveZ

I would keep it:-)  355A is a 1931 V8 Cadillac, 355B is a 1932 V8 and 355C is a 1933 V8.
Value is determined by condition. Is it in driving condition? Does it run? Is it all there etc.
when my father was a kid the first car he was driven in was a 31 LaSalle Town Sedan and in later years he bout a 32 town sedan which we still have in the family. If you have the time to answer calls and or meet people sell it yourself. No point in giving away money:-) If it is, what is consider a 20 footer, in good running condition with very little needed it would be condition 3 which the last old car price listed has it at 31,500.00. If it looks like it needs a lot of work at 20 feet and needs things done to get it roadworthy around 18k. After that it drops off substantially. Disclaimer....I have no idea how they come up with prices:-) Would love to see a picture of it.
Regards,
David Zitzmann
1932 345B

Chris Cummings

History - The build record or "build sheet" you have ordered will tell you the Cadillac dealer or company branch to which the car was shipped when it left the factory.  There's an outside chance that it will also indicate the identity of the original purchaser, but that's not likely.  Cadillac sold the car to the dealer or distributor.  The contract with the original owner was with the dealer. There's an even slimmer chance that the dealer to whom the car was sold is still in business or that someone who worked there can be located.  That can be a very useful lead (I got to speak with the salesman who sold my 1931 Cadillac to the fellow I was buying it from.)

You should see if your dad and grandpa kept the name and contact information for the person the car was acquired from.  If so, then you might be able to contact that person and ask what he or she knows about the car's history, prior ownership, previous residence, etc.  Then you might get another prior owner's name and be able to find that person, and so forth.  Luck plays a big part in tracing the history.

Awards - The major clubs - CLC, CCCA, AACA, etc. keep records of national awards, senior badges, etc.  Often they can tell you if a particular car (year, make, and engine number) received awards, what the awards were, and the occasion(s) on which the awards were given.

Appraisals - They are generally educated guesses for these cars.  The cars are not sold frequently enough to establish a good database of sale prices, such that a reliable value can be established. You can research on the internet what similar cars have sold for at auctions, and what dealers have advertised the cars for. Old Car Price Guide is a resource, but it's not infallible.  Today's market seems to favor convertibles strongly, and sedans take time and effort to sell. 

Possible sale - If it were me, I would try to enjoy the car myself, while making my own efforts to market it (without expecting a quick sale).   You can learn a great deal from such a car, and experience a different world of motoring history just driving and maintaining it.  Meanwhile, you can place ads in Hemmings Motor News, this club's newsletter The Self-Starter, the Classic Car Club's Bulletin, and so forth, but you should expect to run those ads for some time, before the person looking for your 1931 town sedan sees your ad. If you display the car at car shows, You can have more fun, while exposing it to potential purchasers.  Who knows? You might decide you want to keep it.

Hope that helps.

Chris Cummings