Vehicle Description
1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible For Sale (Showing 37,572 miles
title stated actual miles, same family owned for many years). 500
cubic inch V8 engine, automatic transmission, front wheel drive,
factory A/C converted to R-134A, hydro boost power assisted front
disc brakes, 15" steel wheels with hubcaps and radial white wall
tires, Kingswood green metallic exterior, power convertible top,
upgraded canvas top with glass rear window, hard parade boots,
remote mirrors, power windows, power locks, power trunk releases,
green leather interior, power seats, AM/FM/Weather band radio,
original documents, window sticker, and service records. Final year
for the factory El Dorado Convertible and a desired collectors
car!!! Automotive History: The Cadillac Eldorado used front-wheel
drive, but its configuration was quite a bit different than the
pioneering BMC Mini. Whereas the Mini turned its engine sideways
with the transaxle mounted in the sump, the Eldorado and Toronado
used longitudinally mounted V8 engines. The torque converter of a
highly modified Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission was
mounted on the back of the engine, as with a rear-drive car, but
the gearbox itself was mounted next to the torque converter, driven
by a chain. The gearbox output shaft pointed forward, sending power
to a slim planetary differential and then via CV-jointed
half-shafts to the front wheels. This unusual arrangement was
remarkably compact and it allowed the Eldo and Toronado to share
many components with Cadillac and Oldsmobile's rear-drive cars. (It
also effectively eliminated torque steer, an impressive feat given
the torquey V8 engines.) The Eldorado's front suspension was by
torsion bars, while the rear was a beam axle on coil springs,
located by trailing links; first-generation Eldos had used single
leaf springs with both vertical and horizontal shock absorbers.
Rear load-leveling air springs were now a standard feature. While
the spring rates and shocks on the original 1967 Eldorado had been
firm by Cadillac standards, allowing fairly sporty handling, the
second-generation car sacrificed that firmness for a smooth ride.
Indeed, the 1971-1976 Cadillac Eldorado rode like a cloud. Despite
the thirst and a 1973 OPEC oil embargo that led to widespread
gasoline shortages, Cadillac managed to move more than 40,000
Eldorados a year through most of the seventies, excellent for such
an expensive car. The convertible almost never accounted for more
than about a quarter of production, but when Cadillac announced
that the 1976 convertible would be the last, sales surged,
eventually reaching 14,000 units.
