Vehicle Description
If you're looking for the most car for your money, you certainly
can't go wrong with a luxury land-yacht like this 1975 Cadillac
Eldorado Convertible. First, it has a commanding presence that you
just can't buy brand-new anymore. Second, it has a numbers-matching
500 cubic inch V8 engine. Third, it's 20 feet of pure American
motoring luxury (back when that REALLY meant something) and heavier
than the Queen Mary. It rides like a heaven-sent marshmallow,
starts and runs effortlessly, and is popular with school kids and
seniors alike, even to this day. Want to be more popular in your
hometown? This Cadillac is the next best thing to a key to the
city.
Most Eldorado convertibles of this era were white or red, so it's
kind of wild to see one in Code 24 Glacier Blue. Light blue is a
very attractive finish on a big classic Caddy that turns heads but
the shade isn't quite as ostentatious as pink or yellow, because
after all you don't want be taking beauty supply orders every time
you pull over, do you? The paint does show some signs of respray
but still has a very original, survivor-like finish, and it's in
good driver-quality shape, in particular the mile-long body panels
that are nice and straight. All that real estate is hard to keep in
tiptop shape, and with only fine scratches to speak of, the
evidence is clear that this Caddy has always been well-cared for.
You can also tell a good Eldo from a bad one by checking out the
plastic bumper fillers: those rather delicate panels tend to
quickly disintegrate on cars left out in the sun, but this
droptop's are still intact and good to go. The convertible top
needs a deep scrub, as most white tops do, but structurally it's
very sound, with no rips or tears to speak of and rear glass that's
in great shape. The original chrome is in great shape too, with
only fine scratching and light pitting to speak of, and all the
original stainless and silver trim has held up very well too.
Lights and lenses are clear and bright, all the badges are still
where they're supposed to be (including the famous hood ornament),
and the iconic egg-crate grille up front shows very well up front.
All in all, this car looks just as sweet sitting as it does
cruising the boulevard.
Acres of blue leather (which Cadillac called Antique Light Blue)
provides the ultimate complement to the matching paint that's a bit
more subtle than the more common white interior found in many of
these cars. It's as nicely preserved as the rest of the car, if not
more so, with supple hides on the seating surfaces with most of the
light wear relegated to the driver's seat, along with only modest
wear on the carpets thanks to a set of factory embroidered Cadillac
floor mats. The door panels are in great shape, including the arm
rests which are notorious for cracking and splitting, and the
woodgrained trim and upper padded areas still look great. This Eldo
was loaded with just about every option you could get, including a
power seat, automatic climate control (upgraded to R134a although
the blower needs to be serviced to push the cold air from the lines
to the cabin), cruise control, interval wipers, power locks, power
windows, power top, and a power antenna. An original AM/FM/8-track
stereo is still in the original dash, but it has been supplanted by
a modern Sony AM/FM/CD/AUX unit that's been discreetly stowed away
inside the glove compartment. All the wood grain is still in place
on the dash and looks fantastic, as is the original 3-spoke
steering wheel that's mounted atop the tilt column. Out back, the
big trunk houses a full-size spare and jack set and is not at all
compromised by the folding power top, so it'll carry all your gear
for any cross-country trip that you can imagine. And speaking of
the top, the white power scissor top folds neatly and includes a
glass rear window.
Cadillac's big 500-inch V8 makes the kind of effortless torque
you'd expect for a land yacht this size, and the big block under
the hood of this Caddy is the car's original, numbers-matching
engine. It turns slow but once it gathers a head of steam, it'll
happily cruise all day at 80 MPH. It's extremely clean under the
hood and defies its age and mileage with careful ownership and
proper maintenance throughout its life. The TH425 3-speed automatic
drives a set of highway-friendly gears through the front wheels, so
the big Eldo feels light on its feet and pulls through corners
surprisingly well. A single exhaust system ditches the restrictive
catalytic converter and likely adds a good bit of horsepower as a
result and the power steering system and power front disc brakes
are surprisingly effective for a car this big. The original steel
wheels wear hubcaps with correct light blue centers that look
slick, and they're all wearing wide whitewall radials that finish
off the period look.
Big ragtops like this will always be fashion statements, and the
last of the 500-inch Eldos are only going to get more desirable in
the coming years. Call today!
