'74 Cadillac Eldorado with FWD and 8.2L V8

Hi all,

Curious what your thoughts are on these cars. I found one for $1900, or trade for a truck, and the guy is interested in my '96 Ford Ranger with 200k miles on it.

I wanted an old/classic car to roll around town in with my daughter and enjoy working on together...and I've ALWAYS loved the older Caddy's and that 500CI engine! But the FWD threw me a bit on this.

Anyone have any suggestions/thoughts/opinions on these cars? The aftermarket, junkyward part availability, part availability in general, etc etc? Anything!

I'll include some pics too. Here's some pics and I'll include what the seller said below: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=99d0936e886902e6&Bsrc=SkyMail&Bpub=SDX.SkyDrive&id=99D0936E886902E6%21370

Email and ad about the car from owner:

Purchased from original owner with 78,000 original miles in September. Everything is original and in good shape. Interior is great. Minor imperfections on body but restorable. No dents. Motor runs great. Tranny feels smooth but has been going through a little fluid. I have put about 2000 miles on it and it has driven great. The original owner bought it new in '74 and said she had parked it in '92. She was 91 and said her husband took great care of it until he past away. This is definitely the Granny Caddi that we all look for.

I am asking $1900 but am up for a trade for something to use as a daily driver.... Especially a small truck, wagon, or mini van, but am open to anything that would make for a good daily driver.

The Caddi has an 8.4 liter V8 and gets the gas mileage you would expect. It drives great but I don't want to use it for commuting and don't have the time for a project right. Has new tags and clean title.

You can look up the blue book on this year, it starts at $4,000 and goes up to over $10,000 restored. Really fun car.

You might just have what I am looking for there. I am also kinda lookin' for a good home for this car and sounds like you would make a good fit. It is a great old car in rarely good shape and has driven very well but does need a little TLC from sitting for so long. I have gone through and taken care of things as they come up but I know there will be some seals and hoses to replace. It does start right and drive every time.

as long as you aren't gonna try to drag race it, the trans should be fine for cruisin. They were fairly solid. Parts will be out there for it, but between rarity and the Caddy name they won't be as cheap as some stuff. Shouldn't be too bad though.

Hey, if you like it and it feels solid, why not? of course you may have to have your own oil well to feed it....

The trans is basically immortal. You will not hurt it, ever, unless you run it out of fluid.

It is the same unit used in motorhomes. And they had no problems, either.

There's a couple of places that make speed parts for the 500, too:

http://www.cad500parts.com/

http://www.cad500parts.com/

Thanks for this! I was shocked it was a FWD, such a huge V8 and FWD, LOL.

Knurled wrote: The trans is basically immortal. You will not hurt it, ever, unless you run it out of fluid. It is the same unit used in motorhomes. And they had no problems, either.

The trans is a Turbo 400 basically. I think they call it a 425. Has a chain drive on one end that is good for 300K in the GMC motorhome, and a diff on the other. Bullet proof is one way to put it.

6 MPG. But cool.

Arnold Palmer says he likes them..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=227NR9d3l9Q

Link doesn't work for me, but if the price & condition are right, then cruise on! Sounds like it would be a ball of fun just watching people look at it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xTGrfs5TXM

(Well, you said anything.. )

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Only car I've ever looped on the hwy... Cool cars, way comfy to drive. I think I bought mine for $150. Drove it for almost a year and sold it for $450. Never put studded snows only on the front.

i can help.

Check out this thread over on Advrider from last summer called "What is a '72 Eldorado worth?" There is some excellent feedback from some Eldo conoscenti

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=660911

I've heard big FWD Eldos and Toranados can absolutley eat front tires. Both in the wear sense and the smoking sense.

get the car and put a snow plow on it.. those big fwd Caddies are unstoppable in snow..

You guys - this place - is a goldmine. Thank you.

I haven't browsed Craigslist in years, since I'm a single Dad in college, 31...a little late, I got blown up in Afghanistan and am making a forced career change. ;-)

But I've always had Mustangs, I've always wanted another old car, something my daughter would like and maybe remember...and this fits the bill. I ended up getting it. The 500ci engine is crazy. The car is super awesome to drive on the highway and cruise around in. I'm coming from a '96 Ford Ranger with no power steering, LOL. This thing is just great.

Big car, but the thing has some power. In a few ways it reminds me of my '01 Lightning I had five years ago. Obviously waywayway slower, but the heft and feeling of a torquey engine... Yum.

Thanks for the links and the convo! I'm excited, it's beautiful and I love it!

All except that vinyl/leather cracked/peeling thing on the back roof area. I am not a fan. Not sure what it looks like without it, but that thing's getting fixed or yanked ASAP. I prefer clean metal if I have my preference and it looks OK.

^Nothing to add other than, terrible sorry you were hurt.

And a sincere thank you for your service.

I think it's great that you have such a positive attitude towards your situation. Many thanks for your service and sacrifice. Now, go enjoy your cadillac.

And yes, GRM is a black hole, you'll never leave. All your base are belong to us.

friedgreencorrado wrote: Arnold Palmer says he likes them.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=227NR9d3l9Q Link doesn't work for me, but if the price & condition are right, then cruise on! Sounds like it would be a ball of fun just watching people look at it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xTGrfs5TXM (Well, you said *anything*.. )

LOL. I like that.

Anyone know where the 70's Caddy owners hang out, if anywhere, online?

Fuzzylogic wrote: All except that vinyl/leather cracked/peeling thing on the back roof area. I am not a fan. Not sure what it looks like without it, but that thing's getting fixed or yanked ASAP. I prefer clean metal if I have my preference and it looks OK.

Ah, the "vinyl roof"! 1970s kitsch at it's finest. For some reason, the companies thought it made a car with a roof look like a convertible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinyl_roof

My parents had two of those things, both on Plymouth Fury 4-doors. Hell, nobody knew how to take care of them even then (and 1974 was how many years before Armor All was invented? ). Not surprised to hear that the stuff is shedding like a sled dog in summer on that car.

Still, buy it. My inner enabler wants to see you driving it on your local Yank Tank Cruise Night.

Done, and no cash traded hands. ;-)

80k miles on it, runs great, looking forward to some dry weather and some tinkering/junkyard crawling.

If taking the vinyl top off and the wheel covers makes it look anything close to this car, I'll be happy. I don't know what year this beautiful Caddy is, but wow.

I am definitely taking the vinyl top off, so I hope the roof underneath flows well bare - I can't find any pictures of a car without the vinyl to see what it'll look like, unless it's a different year, like the one below.

I am thinking about taking those rear wheelskirts off as well... Not sure. I like 'em but curious what it looks like without.

these low compression mills are just begging for a twin turbo + mega squirt setup. I haven't seen it done. You should be the first

Hey Fuzzy, that thing is fantastic! I rolled a 70 Impala for a while, so I have a soft spot for giant boats. If that thing were any more pimp you wouldn't be able to let your daughter ride in it. And it has fewer miles than mu 05 Mustang.

As for the vinyl, strip it, do it now. No matter what it looks like bare, once those "Landau" roofs start to go they hold water and will destroy the sheet metal underneath with rust. Even if you decide to redo it later, taking it off now and touching up and bare/rust spots will save you a ton of expensive bodywork int he long run.

Thanks, too, for your service. Nothing we can say makes getting blown up OK, all I can say is thank you. Welcome to GRM!

Cool score.

I heard that the ride frequencies on some of those old Cadillacs were so low people could get sea sick riding around. Any truth to that rumor?

Nice. That thing looks like it came straight out of Goodfellas!