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2026 Chevrolet Tahoe ReviewThis 1966 Cadillac Deville is Back in Black
This low-mileage, heavily modified Caddy is full of surprises, both inside and out. We examine its history to discover what makes it an amazing find.
Old School Cadillac Cool
These days, Cadillac is known for its giant Escalade SUVs, but back in the day, the Detroit automaker was all about cars. BIG ones. As in the 224-inch long 1966 De Ville, a land yacht from the time that Cadillac billed itself as “The Standard of The World.” It’s worth noting that these classy old De Villes are a substantial 12 inches longer than today’s standard Escalade. However, that’s only part of what makes these big Caddies cool.
Along with that dramatic dimension, the De Ville is a legendary Cadillac nameplate. One that was sold, as a standalone model, from 1959 through 2005 across 8 generations. Though it’s up for debate, one could argue that the third-generation Cadillac De Ville that ran from 1965 to 1970 was the greatest. Peak Cadillac years even. A time when fuel economy and aerodynamics weren’t even part of the discussion.
These 2 ½ ton cruisers were for the swanky and elegant crowd looking to post up out front of the country club and ritzy hotel. Little wonder the coupe model was the hero car for the movie Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood from 2019 with its later 1975 stablemate also on the silver screen as Tex Dinoco in the Cars franchise. Loaded with cutting-edge amenities for the time, third-gen Cadillac De Villes were close to the top in terms of fanciness with new creature comforts like heated seats and automatic climate control.
When it debuted in 1965, the De Ville dropped the prior rounded-off look for square edges and sharp lines. All four body styles – coupe, hardtop sedan, sedan, and convertible – featured new curved frameless side windows, seat belts front and rear, a fully boxed perimeter frame, and an all-new variable-ratio steering system. But there was no reason to update the monster motor lurking under the impossibly long hood on these Caddies.
That monster being a 429 cubic inch, or 7.0 liter, big block V8 that carried over from the second generation. It wasn’t until 1968 that the 472 showed up, but in the meantime, the 429 featured overhead valves, a 4.13-inch bore, a 4.00-inch stroke, a 10.5:1 compression ratio, and a 4-barrel Carter carburetor. Horsepower was high at 340, but this brute was all about that torque with the factory rating coming in at 480 lb-ft. A 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission with a torque converter and variable stator routed all that power to the rear wheels.
For 1966, Cadillac fitted newly designed piston and oil rings to the engine along with a new mounting system and a redesigned “quiet” exhaust system. Even the perimeter frame was updated to improve ride and handling. All of which makes this particular Cadillac De Ville the perfect foundation for one seriously cool restomod currently located in Oklahoma.
This Cool Car Find
Starting with the convertible model, this ’66 De Ville has been reimagined in a sinister all-black style. Aside from a few touches of chrome outside, this sled is finished in black paint with a black convertible top, black grille, and black leather cabin. Even the wheels, which are quite a bit larger than the 15-inch rims that came with the car from the factory, are done up with the darkened treatment.
Other notable exterior touches include an HID headlight conversion and a heavy dose of debadging, with the De Ville script removed from the sides and all front-end logos removed. Aside from the Cadillac crest sitting within a deep V-shaped design around back, you might not immediately guess just how cool this car really is. To emphasize that look, the builder of this De Ville restomod added an 8-way Air Ride suspension with dual compressors to give it that lowrider look. As you can see in the pics, it allows for some serious slamming and the extra-long length of the ’66 De Ville with those sharp edges seems to enhance the whole vibe.
Then there are the shaved door handles with remote access and smoked taillights to complete the clean re-styling of the factory sheet metal. Around back, a pair of twin-tip exhausts is sure to have onlookers wondering what exactly this Caddy is packing under the hood.
It’s the same 7.0-liter big block V8 that these De Villes left the factory with, but as you might expect given the rest of the car, it’s not exactly stock. The heads have been rebuilt with hardened valve seats and deleted air injection ports. A new 400 CI FiTech fuel injection system with a fuel command center and on-the-go tuning module have been installed. MSD provides a high-performance ignition system, there is a custom high-output alternator and an oversized aluminum radiator. Capping it all off are red powder-coated valve covers and intake manifold.
Moving inside, much of the original car remains including black leather upholstery, power steering, automatic climate control, and power operation of the front seats, windows, and door locks. The power-operated convertible top has been restored, but the biggest update is the audio system. It consists of a Kenwood head unit with Bluetooth connectivity and a CD player, a pair of Crossfire 12-inch subwoofers, and a host of Kenwood component speakers.
Showing just 13,346 miles on the odometer, this 1966 Cadillac De Ville convertible has seen relatively little use in its nearly 60 years of life. Cool as it was back in the day, the head-turning blacked-out design seen on it today – along with the modernized powertrain – come together into an all-time awesome classic car.
