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1979 Cadillac De Ville Found in a Junkyard Has an Unexpected Surprise Under the Hood

Introduced in the late 1940s as a trim level of the Cadillac Series 62, the de Ville became a stand-alone nameplate in 1958 and quickly morphed into one of America's most iconic luxury automobiles.
1979 Cadillac Coupe de Ville 6 photos
Photo: Classic Ride Society/YouTube
1979 Cadillac Coupe de Ville1979 Cadillac Coupe de Ville1979 Cadillac Coupe de Ville1979 Cadillac Coupe de Ville1979 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
Built until 2005, it spawned no fewer than eight different generations and a long list of famous iterations. But while early de Ville models are now desirable collectibles, the more recent versions don't get a lot of attention on the classic car market.

The front-wheel drive models introduced starting in 1985 are the least desirable, but most experts agree that the decline began in 1977, with the arrival of the fifth-generation de Ville. Not exactly surprising since the entire automotive industry was struggling at the time.

Downsized and fitted with significantly less powerful engines, the de Ville remained a solid seller in the late 1970s with around 250,000 units per year, but deliveries plummeted to only 136,000 examples in 1980.

Granted, the fifth- and sixth-gen de Ville still sold by the millions, which isn't bad by 1980s standards, but you won't see Cadillac enthusiasts rushing to save them from junkyards or barns like they do with 1960s models.

So why am I talking about a mundane Caddy from the late 1970s then? Well, "Classic Ride Society" found a 1979 Coupe de Ville with an unusual engine under the hood. And I'm not talking about a limited-edition run with some sort of special V8. Nope, this slightly derelict full-size got an engine swap at some point.

And not of the LS variety, like you usually see in restomods mods. Whoever owned this rig before it was dropped off at the junkyard opted for... wait for it... an inline-six. Yup, a mundane six-cylinder in a car that was almost exclusively available with V8 powerplants.

And I say "almost exclusively" because the fifth-generation de Ville was the only iteration of the full-size car that got a V6 in addition to V8 engines. Borrowed from the Buick division, the 252-cubic-inch (4.1-liter) unit was introduced late in the 1980 model year. It made the de Ville the first Cadillac available with an engine with fewer than eight cylinders since 1914.

The same generation also got a 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8 diesel from Oldsmobile. Plagued with severe reliability issues, it became known as one of the worst powerplants ever made in the U.S. But that's another story for another time.

Back to the inline-six in question, I have no idea where it came from, but it could very well be a GM mill from the era. While the company's brands had switched to V6 units in the late 1970s, the Turbo-Thrift 250 that was introduced in 1966 continued to be used in certain cars, including Pontiac Catalina and several Chevrolets.

I don't know what prompted the previous owner to go with an inline-six (from all the GM mills available out there), but he got a little creative and spray-painted several components in gold. I'd say bring out the tar and feathers because this thing is awfully tacky, but this Cadillac isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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