Car of the Week: 1951 Cadillac Series 61 coupe

mongooz

mongooz

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Bob Schuman is a Cadillac man, specifically, a ’41 Cadillac guy. He’s owned a couple of them because they’re great-looking cars and fine touring machines, which is just how he has enjoyed his own 1941 Cadillacs. He’s also a fan of 1950-’51 Cadillac Series 61 coupes, although that fan club is much smaller (if one exists at all). It’s not that the Series 61 coupe is unloved, it’s the fact that this shorter-wheelbase Cadillac was uncommon when new and is almost unheard of today.

Schuman has admired the Series 61 coupe since he was a car-crazed kid, and it took decades and his connection to 1941 Cadillacs to find the 1950-’51 Cadillac perfect for him. Well, almost perfect.

“I have got a friend who lives near Seattle, Washington, who invited me to go with him and his wife on the Cadillac & LaSalle Club National Driving Tour in 2010 and I did that,” he said. “Before we went on the tour, we stopped by a friend of his with two 1941 Cadillacs and this ’51. I saw it in his garage, in the back — I looked at it and asked, ‘Is that a 61 Series?’ I said, ‘I would like to buy that car and drive that one home.’ He said, ‘That would be the last one I would sell.’

read more: https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1951-cadillac-series-61-coupe
 
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Not trying to highjack your thread, but I've noticed these car posts seem to get little love around here. I hope I can post this beauty here under the Cadillac umbrella even though it's a '63, I think.
 
Can't exactly say why, but I've never really been impressed with Cadillac styling in any era, and this one is no exception.
 
That thing has seats like couches and probably floats down the freeway. I love that the styling for just about everything GM made back then was very similar in shape, yet still easily recognizable.
 
I drove a 72 Cadillac in college. This would be around 1983. Thick black smoke poured from the exhaust. It drank $50 a week in gas. I only paid $200 for the car from a neighbor. I think I had it for a year or so before I sold it for scrap.
 
PunkKitty said:
I drove a 72 Cadillac in college. This would be around 1983. Thick black smoke poured from the exhaust. It drank $50 a week in gas. I only paid $200 for the car from a neighbor. I think I had it for a year or so before I sold it for scrap.
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the plugs were fouled due to the valve seats leaking oil into the combustion chamber. you were putting unleaded gas in a car that required leaded gas to keep the valves sealed. :idea:
 
mongooz said:
the plugs were fouled due to the valve seats leaking oil into the combustion chamber. you were putting unleaded gas in a car that required leaded gas to keep the valves sealed. :idea:
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Whatever. I was young, poor and stupid then. I did what I had to do.
 
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