1973 Cadillac Sedan de Ville - Original Unrestored Condition

My Mom just died, and I can no longer keep this car. I was hoping to restore it, but couldn't. In the last 4 years, my Mom had numerous hospitalizations, and I myself had not been well. All our money went into medical bills, leaving me in massive medical debt. I had to mortgage everything, including my future income, so it's all been very challenging, and very sad.

The Car is in its original unrestored condition. It drives very well, but does not look as good as it once did. I've kept it running for many years, so it has had repairs for maintenance - but the motor has never had any work on it, and as far as I know the body has the original paint, and all the body panels are the original ones, as well as all the fixtures inside. It even has the original repair manual, but that's kind of tattered, and in the trunk. The only thing that's missing is the 8-track. It had a cassette put into it at one time - but I never used it.

In 1973, when I was 18, I had a 48 hour lay over in Los Angeles. I wanted to go to see Carol Burnett at the CBS studios, because I had a gift for her (what kind of a gift I'll explain if we speak - it was funny, and she would have loved it). But the guards at the studio wouldn't let me in, and so I never got to meet her.

So, instead I rented a car - an Olds Delta 88 - which I later bought when I went back to LA, some 35 years ago now. I drove that car to Las Vegas, to see Elvis. It was August, and it was hot. I saw the show that night, and was sleeping the next day, when a knock came on my hotel room door. It woke me up, and I kind of staggered to the door, and opened it.

Standing there were two guys, whom I didn't know. They kind of looked at each other and smiled a bit, because I looked very much worse for the wear. So I blinked a few times, and said something like "What can I do for you", or something like that - I don't remember what.

They said "Elvis wants to see you."

I said something like "What?"

One of the guys said "Elvis. He wants to see you."

By that time I was starting to wake up, and it suddenly dawned on me.

"Elvis? That Elvis?" I stammered.

"Yup," the guy said. "Now - if you can get cleaned up quick."

So I washed my face, put on a shirt and pants, and off we went - me without socks. Up to his Suite, at the top of the Hilton (where I later stayed, as a guest, some 25 years later).

On the way they explained that Elvis likes to play games late at night, after the show. These "games" it turned out were tossing bowling balls and TV's off the roof of the Hilton, and down on top of the cars parked right next to the side of the tower. Back then you could park right there, and so that's where I parked the Delta 88.

Apparently, Elvis liked to see the cars get hit in the roof, and then explode as the windows got blown out. It made him feel great, and he'd do it whenever he could. And, afterward, he would have his guys find out who owned those cars, or who was driving them, and would bring them to his suite, have his guys explain what happened, and then buy them a Cadillac as a replacement.

When I met him, he was one of the nicest, kindest, super-stars I ever met. He shook my hand, graciously, and asked if his guys had explained to me what happened. I said they did, and he said good, and then handed me the keys to a Cadillac. He said "It's the red one, parked down below, where you had the Delta 88."

I was pretty shook-up - no pun on the song intended. This was all kind of strange to me, and I was still pretty much hung over. So I told him that it wasn't my car, that it was a rental. He said it don't matter. He wanted me to take the Caddy. So I did.

He also said he wants to give me two tickets to the show that night, and a back-stage pass, but I had to explain that my flight leaves at midnight, and that I had to be back in LA that afternoon, to get ready, so I wouldn't be able to go. He understood, and wished me good luck. I left, and it never even occurred to me to have a picture taken with him. I regret that to this day.

One of his guys took me down to the car, and pointed it out, and gave me the papers for it. Then we said goodbye.

Later, I drove it to Los Angeles, where I sold it to a dealer. I couldn't keep it, of course. But I wrote down the Vin Number, thinking that I might, some day, find it again.

Fast-forward 10 years - and I am now back in LA. This time a Hollywood Man-About-Town, and someone who thought of himself as God's Gift to the movies. But that's another story ...

About 10 years later, in Las Vegas, I found the car. And that's it - the one in the picture. It matched the Vin Number, although I wasn't sure if the "Q" in the number had been an "O". So - I can't truly be certain.

Anyway ... I've loved this car a long time, and I'd like it to go to a good home, instead of a junk yard. And so that's why I've been trying to find out how to sell it, and that's how I found this site.

Thank you for reading my story, and considering my car. I loved my Mom very much. She survived the Nazis, and the Communists, and I'd like to give her something that I never could when she was alive. Peace - and a Plaque to be remembered by. And I'd like to be able to buy a burial spot next to her, so that's why I'd like to sell the car, and - hopefully - have some money left for these things.