It is a fleetwood according to the old OH title. Whether its a fleetwood 60 or 75 Im not sure.
@Triedaq … those cars have nice lines. My vote for the 1953 car w/best styling is the Nash-Healy P1. Clark Kent’s car in the 1950’s Superman TV series. A couple of photos in the link below.
@GeorgeSanJose-- I really liked the cars of the 1940s and 1950s. Some really interesting sports cars came along–the Nash-Healy as you mentioned, the Hudson Italia, the Kaiser Darrin, and the first Corvette in 1953.
Interestingly, Consumer Reports gave the early1950s Cadillacs high marks as good buys in the used car market. These Cadillacs were amazingly fuel efficient for the times, and had a good repair record.
In the 1950s the Cadillace was equal to the Rolls Royce.
@Fender1325, that’s a pretty straight looking, original old sled for the age. Some mechanical issues are to be expected but there should be nothing difficult about servicing anything on this car.
I’d just clean it up good and drive it as is. Once on the road you’ll probably get questions about it and maybe even offers to buy it.
Just my own humble self, but I’d rather look over an aged original any day of the week compared to one of those 100k dollar checkbook cars.
At a car show about 5 years ago my oldest son had a difficult time prying me away from a 1959 Chrysler Imperial with a Hemi. It was original paint, dinged up a bit, leaking oil from a number of places and so on, but it a real deal survivor car.
Love those white walls!
Have fun, Fender. You’re in for an interesting adventure. At least you’re putting your efforts into an appealing barge. If you ever get it fixed up you’ll be cruising in style.
I like old cars that look used, but well kept. I don’t see the point of polishing every greasy bit with a lint-free cloth, but I also like good paint and upholstery and all the parts there and working. So for me I’d like this car to look like it did in about 1952. A few minor flaws, nothing serious.
I think it interesting that cars finally caught up with the rest of the antique world and people are accepting wear as patina. It’s a nice contrast to overdoing it making a car far more perfect than it was when new, but sometimes the barn finds are a little too rustic for me.
“Whether its a fleetwood 60 or 75 Im not sure.”
Based on the photograph, it couldn’t be a Fleetwood 75, as the 75 was the limousine model, with a much longer wheelbase, and with the rear seat set back behind a third side window. That extra-long wheelbase provided enough room for jump seats in the back, in addition to extra-generous leg room. Clearly, your car is not long enough to accommodate those jump seats.
I believe that the car is most likely a Fleetwood 60 Special.
Anyway…congrats on finding a decent-looking example of what was a truly great car in its day.
Thanks everyone. The old title claimed it was a fleetwood, but poking around on the internet, and decoding the data plate on the firewall reveals its a 1950 61 series. The shortest wheel base of them all, at 122" i think it was. Still basically as long as my long bed f150 haha.
The headlights and tailights work too! The water pump puked when I parked it so it needs to be rebuilt. Online you can buy them new or rebuilt OEM. Rebuilt go for more + a core charge where you have to mail in the old.
Id lean towards the OEM rebuilt but a parts guy on the phone from a classic caddy parts place said if i wasnt going for a super accurate show car, down to the number stampings, a new would be just fine. Brake system has to be all gone through and redone, and then its almost ready for atleast short trips around town!
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Seeing as how the car appears to be pretty original, I would suggest hanging on to that old water pump with the original casting numbers on it.
Not saying you would sell the car, but down the road at some point someone may want to buy that car for a price you can’t refuse and the correct pump (bad or not) may be something they’re interested in. They could be the type who wants it all anatomically correct.
One suggestion if you haven’t already is to find a Cadillac club in your area, would be worth it just to learn as much as possible about how to repair/maintain the car.
I see CL ads occasionally that show pics of a restored car for giggles and than seller posts pic of actual rusty wreck. For reference of course. Or maybe to just be cruel?
Good score! Keep us posted on progress. 
Took off the water pump and ordered a new one today. Removed the radiator as well. Flushed out the radiator and the engine with the hose. Relatively clean. I’ll have to wire brush all the old bolts before installing the new pump. Might possibly do a timing chain while we have it apart. Needs a new belt and hoses as well. Ordered an owners manual and shop manual off rock auto too. Slow progess! After that its brake rebuild and maybe she’ll be ready for a maiden voyage.
Since you have the radiator off I’d take it to a shop to have it professionally flushed and flow tested. Maybe I’d have them rod it out, just to be sure. Old car cooling systems are always suspect.
Radiator has been flushed and flow tested, all checked out good thank God.
I put that on today along with a new water pump, gaskets, and heater hoses. Just have to get new radiator hoses on there which has been a bit of a pain finding.
I went to change the oil today (cold because the engine wasnt ready to be run yet with the cooling system apart). I undid the oil plug and nothing came out. I stuck my finger in and it was all gummed up junk…black grease basically. Bummer.
I bought an engine flush solution so I’ll put new oil in with that and run it and drain it and see what happens.
I’d remove and clean the oil pan and valve covers.
Triedaq The comment of old Cadillacs being a great used car buy brought back childhood memories. I’m a 1952 model. I remember as a little kid my Grandfather had a 1948 or 1949 Cadillac. He bought 6 year old Cadillacs for about a dime on the dollar when owners would buy a new a new one. Back in the day people would dump their car when it approached 50,000 miles as it would soon require an expensive $300 engine rebuild or they were just tired of the car and wanted a new one. This was a case of too many dollars/not any sense. Cadillacs were the best quality of US cars and if maintained would run and drive forever. When my Grandfather bought one for $400 he would have it completely serviced. If it needed tires and brakes that was still a total of about $200. I think he was a genus as far as purchasing used cars. I loved riding in his 1952. In October 1964 he did a complete car buying change. He bought a new Ford Galaxie 4 door 289 cu in 2v. I guess if you are going to make a life style change do it all the way.
You would be able to BUY a 1950 Caddy in restored condition for a lot less money than you will sink into this one…Attempting to restore a rust bucket almost never works out…Your find is a parts car not a project car…