1964 Cadillac DeVille 429

Summary:

When Cadillac was at their best! The true standard in luxury and looks

Faults:

Having Carter AFB carb problems that I found out were actually caused by a missing shim, and a cracked spacer plate. But the carb is still dumping raw fuel into the jets, drowning them in gas, which is making the engine run really crappy at the moment.

The car is idling rough and sometimes dies out randomly. Fuel is being dumped into the oil, leading me to believe the fuel pump is slowly giving out. Will replace it very soon.

Needs an alignment and wheel balancing; too much shimmy from the steering wheel.

A bad vibration coming from the flywheel or torque convertor when I rev it in park, so I know it's not a driveline issue.

Power door locks don't work.

A/C has been disconnected.

Slight rust on the body.

General Comments:

One of the best classic cars I've owned so far! I have only owned the Cad for about a month, and during this time I've pretty much been trying to make it run correctly so I can drive it and actually enjoy the Caddy.

First off, the 63-64 Cadillacs have to be one of the most beautiful, perfectly designed Cadillacs of the 60s. The 65s on up with the stack headlights just look awkward and strange, and the 61-62 Cads have Chevy like front ends, although the rear of those cars is exciting and flashy. The 63-64 retains a little bit of the awesomely 59-60 Cadillacs, especially upfront and on the side flanks of the car. The smoother body gives them a sleeker, sexier profile IMO.

The styling here is perfect, there isn't a bad line on this car; the small fins set these apart from the later Cadillacs, and it looks more youthful and fun vs the more conservative styled Cads in the later years. The specs say the length is 223 inches long, but the car looks much longer than the numbers suggest. Part of this reason I believe is the tiny tail fins that stretch out to accentuate the length, giving the illusion of a longer car.

I love everything about this 64. The interior is in perfect shape, besides for a few rips in the driver's seat. The car came with AM/FM radio, A/C, PW, PDL, Twilight Sentinel, power trunk, 6 way power seats, and power antenna, which were all a big deal back in the 60s. Cadillac offered so many different options, which I thought was really nice; they even had a tilt steering column that I wish I had in mine!

When I first got the car, it was running OK, but the more I drove it, the more problems started to pop up as the car sat for a while. But from my short experience driving the Caddy, it rides really well, and is quiet for its age. The body allows too many road intrusions and bumps into the cabin at the moment; it could be because the car needs new tires, and an alignment and some suspension work to make it drive smoother. Or it might be the way these cars rode, since it does have the X frame underneath it, which I hear wasn't the best engineering choice at the time.

The interior is huge though! Tons of space, I love all the chrome trim, which literally is finished in that unique mirror like Chrome "GM" 50s-60s brightwork. The leather seats are of high quality, and there isn't a spec of plastic in or on this car besides for a couple of spots. Everything feels heavy duty and built to last a lifetime. These honestly were the last of the high quality Cadillacs of the era.

The hood is extremely heavy and has that strong metal sound to it when you close it. The sheet metal all over in general is very solid and built well.

Everything about this car is wonderful. The 429 and Turbo-400 trans is a match made in heaven. It takes off like a rocket ship when you want it to. It has 345 HP and 480 ft-lbs of torque, which is all you'll ever need in a car like this. These were when luxury cars were at their finest. Lots of room inside, gorgeous styling, loads of horsepower for any occasion, flashy yet elegant. The build quality was top notch, and they had a presence that is completely missing in the modern Cadillacs.

I am probably going to keep this one forever, as they are the best blend of what Cadillac had to offer in those days. Very classy luxury cars that are well crafted and felt special. We will never again have cars made like this, so to the ones that own them, please cherish them and don't let them fall apart in despair.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 3rd December, 2014

7th Dec 2014, 03:59

These are GREAT cars!!!

One thing - keep an eye on oil consumption - the 429 Cadillac does use some oil between changes.

Other than that - enjoy!!!

Check out these road tests (Great site!!!) -

http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/cgi-bin/pub9990262549620.cgi?categoryid=9960392597507

- The 429/TurboHydraMatic 400 powertrain made a mover out of these cars :)