For years I joked with my friends that I didn't want a
Jaguar or a Lexus or a Porsche or a Mercedes. No, sir. I wanted
a seventies-era Cadillac Eldorado convertible. A machine of superlatives,
from a time when gas costs less than $1 a gallon.
My dad had borrowed one from a friend one month in the
summer of 1977 and our family had a blast in it.
The machine commanded attention, and it was a great car to ride in.
I had reiterated my desire for one in late February 2002, and everyone (including
me) was sure I was joking.
Then, on March 6, 2002 someone at my workplace posted this ad:
1975 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, 502 CI engine, metallic blue with
white top, power everything:top,windows,steering,6-way seats,
complete with original AM/FM 8-track deck, new battery, interior needs
attention. Class III towing package, extra set of hubcaps,
Fisher Body manual, and original shop manuals included.
Just passed smog no problem! Vanity plates read "ELVIS 75"
Summer is just around the corner!
$3500 OBO
The fates dropped a car into my lap which was very near to what I had been
demanding. At a GREAT price. Though I did not know it at the
time, the 1975 Cadillac Eldorado was the exact model we had that fatueful
summer. I had originally thought that the car we had was the older
1973-74 model with the round headlights and wheel skirts. In my humble
opinion, the 1975 is actually a better looking car. Revisiting the
photos showed that the 1975 is indeed what we
had.
Anyway -
I didn't have $3500 to blow on a car. Or $600/yr more insurance.
I didn't need a gas bill that would make OPEC drool. Or any car that
'needed attention.' I hardly have time to sleep and eat. No
sir. I could not justify owning such a car for any reason.
I'm a practical guy. So I said 'no way, no how.'
But I made the mistake of mentioning it to my friends who assured me that
the fates were speaking to me and not to ignore them. I called other
friends to try to get talked out of it. I even called my hyper-practical
mom who thought it would be a good idea (!) to get it. And it turns
out it was offered on the day of the anniversary of my dad's death.
"Dad wants you to get the car" mom said.
Arguments for buying the car:
1) If my wife kicks me out, I can live in it.
2) Can decalre it a sovereign nation to avoid traffic tickets.
3) Can install phones in different area codes in the two ends of the car.
4) Will win with nearly anything that tangles with it in an accident.
5) Can harass my older brother to send me all of his old 8 tracks (hi, Mike!)
So after an uneasy conversation with my wife, she green lights me on the
car. But I'm still not sure. I look at the car. It needs
help. Another offer is on the table in Denver for $4000. A decision
needs to be made. The prospect of driving legendary Detroit steel
from a production run of only 8900 finally pushes me over the top.
I write the check. I take the keys. I start the process to make
it mine.
Well, "just passed smog" was before 9 months in bad storage. I learned
firsthand what a California 'Gross Polluter' was, and dropped my first additional
$1000 replacing vital fluids, wires, belts, hoses, emissions crap and assorted
administrative fees.
The car has a lot of cosmetic problems. But it runs well now and the
top mostly works. Lots of rust on the surface (a fine patina), and
some rechrome or replacement may be in order. My next $1000 is targeted
at top and window related repair, and the $400 on the equivalent of CV joints
in the front (clicking noise when steering). I have a small oil leak
(surprise?). The seat leather is shot. The door panels are a mess,
one speaker is broken, the 8-track needs to be aligned, and the carpets need
to be replaced. The steering wheel is cracked, the control stalks rusted,
and the key buzzer buzzes even with the key removed unless I thwack the
tumbler.
The clock stops when the inside lights are on. The door light switches
on the driver side are fussy. The fiber optic light monitors are dim
on the driver side, and completely missing in the back. I need new
rear speakers (they need to be 10 ohm!?!?). Could probably stand a
paint job. Need the rear trunk bezels (aftermaket ABS). Air conditioning
compressor may be shot. Air damper stuck on full heat. One visor
needs to be resewn. Needs a really good cleaning. I need lots
of twiddles and twaddles, and want to take it out to some meet full of caddy
enthusiasts who would suggest the things that I might need, and in what order
I'd need them.
The way I can see it is that I can pump about $12,000 into it and have an
$8000 car. 8-)
So, it is a driver. People are living out their wishes to buy a fully
impractical car through my indiscretion. It is a car of extremes.
Largest engine in a passenger car. 5200 lbs. 19.5 feet long (JUST
fits in my garage!) Steers like a battleship, accelerates like a Honda
Civic. Has a horn that sounds like a real horn (3 tones!). Styles
my receding hairline very nicely at 80 mph (don't tell the CHP).
I'm enjoying it, have almost 1000 miles in it already (as of April 2002).
Kids (3 and 5) love it because it is so weird and big. Had to get special
'lap belt only' booster seats to comply with California law (Britax Laptop)
The mechanics working on this car are Ron at Almaden Chevron (Ron is an old
GM guy) and Harold Upholstery in Mountain View who is recognized as the regional
expert on the notorious 'scissor top' convertible mechanism.
My two options are to do minimal work and just DRIVE it. Dump it in
a year or two to someone who has the money to restore her right. Or
hold onto it and sink a fortune into it. That makes it harder to drive.
8-)
A museum in Las Vegas is selling a
1976 Eldorado
convertible with *29* original miles for $45,000. So I guess that
should be my upper spending limit.
Update 5/2002: A group of 3 Eldorado owners from the local
Cadillac mailing list
have got together to buy a
junked 1975 Eldorado convertible
as an organ donor. The work continues!
If you are the owner of one of these magnificent machines, I invite you to
peruse my
survival guide. In it, you will
find my advice from all of the grunt repairs I have had to do on this car
(like fixing the complaints in the preceeding essay!), and shared advice
from mailing lists and fellow owners. If you are thinking of buying
one, make sure you know the
Stork Rules For Buying
A Vintage Cadillac. Ironically, though the car is named "ELVIS75",
Elvis himself never
owned a 1975 cadillac. He did own a 1974 and a 1976.
Thanks to the factory radio, I also have become well acquainted with
8 track tape technology, but that
is another story.
Update 5/2003: I am nearly $10,000 into my $3,500 car. Items
repalced include full front brake system, new FR721 tires (nice!),
drivesharts, and soon the whole front suspension (upper and lower control
arms, pittman arm, and idler arm). Interior is still a mess and the
scissortop is fritzy. My A/C compressor seized and the condensor leaks.
I feel like I can write a country and western song. But I still
like the car. Call me a masochist. We also stripped the parts
car clean and have a stash of spare parts. Write if you want to buy
anything!
Update 6/2004: I have crossed the 10,000 mark with $4300 in front end work.
A number of oil leaks had rotted out a lot of the suspension parts,
so about $1000 was spent to plug up the leaking transmission and valve cover
gaskets. The leaky and flaky power steering system was fully replaced.
Upper and lower control arm bushing. Cracked (!) wheel hub. Worn
ball joints. Torn CV boots. Maladjusted sway bar. Speedo cable.
Shocks. Rear brakes. Steering damper. Work was done
by
Reinegger Frame and Wheel who
specialize in big old GM suspensions, but more typically in the motorhome
variant. Way more than the original $1600 estimate, but WOW. The
car tracks dead straight and is solid as a rock even at 80.
I also replaced the rear fillers with ABS ones from
North Yale Auto Parts. I
was disappointed with the fit, but made them work. I painted them with
Duplicolor GM 253 which is a fairly close substitute for the factory color (Gossamer Blue Firemist).
Except where my inadequate spray painting skills caused runs, it looks
pretty good.
