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The 1981 Sedan DeVille car's restoration project began in the spring of 2003. Body renovations consisted of removal and replacement of all the rusty and unusable panels. These were: the left front fender, left front door, left rear door, front and back bumpers, right front door, right rear door, deck lid and the hood. Also replaced were the fiberglass nose panel, grille, and headlight bezels. The only original glass in the car is the rear window. The car came from the factory as a Sedan DeVille and during the transfer of parts and panels from several Fleetwood Brougham cars, parts that were not standard issue on the SDV model were incorporated into the renovation. All the exterior stainless trim from a Fleetwood Brougham was polished and installed on the SDV as was the entire d’elegance interior in the correct colour, tan cloth. The headliner and a new vinyl roof were done by Pacific Auto Trim. The steering box has been replaced along with the power pump and the transmission was rebuilt less than 5,000 miles ago. A renovation profile was kept as this work was in process and a copy is available to a prospective buyer.
The engine was remanufactured in 2002 by Hans Willemson, a notable engine remanufacturer in Vancouver. This engine is a 6.2 L V8 in the original 4-6-8 cylinder configuration as per the factory spec in 1981. This configuration was called “Modulated Displacement” by GM at the time. It is in full compliance with the unique engineering features which are described in detail at the following Hemmings Daily web site:
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2013/05/02/cars-of-futures-past-1981-cadillac-v-8-6-4/
To visit this site, simply copy the above link and paste it into your browser.

This feature was not popular and was disconnected by many owners over the years. It had been disconnected in this car but it was successfully restored to factory specification during the remanufacturing process in 2002.

The body repairs were completed in 2004 and after approximately 100 hours of high-solid priming, guide-coating and block-sanding (5 times each coat). The body was painted with one gallon of Standox GM code 69 Briar Brown Metallic enamel to which a further gallon of clear coat enamel was applied. BE AWARE that the current appearance of the car is NOT AS SHOWN in the photographs. Unfortunately, the car was vandalized in 2006 before the finish had been polished out and has been in storage ever since. The damage was to the left front fender and right front door, both of which have been replaced but are still only primed (as shows on the passenger door in one of the engine compartment photos) and need to be painted to match the rest of the car. After these two panels have been painted, the whole finish will need to be polished out to complete the restoration to its final gem-like potential.

The buyer of this car should consider this a work in progress, as several cosmetic items are still to be resolved, but the mechanical condition needs only a bit of fine tuning. With a little bit of loving care, this car will be a showstopper and will attract admiring attention wherever it goes.

More pictures for the 1981 Cadillac Sedan DeVille:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hxCMdufsRP6huoAG7

This car can be sold together with 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham for the total price of $15,000. Both cars are in working condition but both with some issues that the buyer might decide to solve by using parts from one car to complete the restoration of the other. It also includes any spare replacement parts that are being held by the owner in a rented storage unit in Richmond BC, Canada. We are not able to offer a complete list of these parts, but there are many of them, all of them used but in good condition and ready to be applied towards any future repair involving those parts that may occur for either car.

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