Long gone are the days when GM could produce works of art such as this vintage 1978 Cadillac Eldorado! Now, in 2009, GM is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Ok, granted, building huge tanks like this 78 Eldorado may not have been the wisest decision GM ever made, but, alas, these cars are a part of our history & heritage.
Right or wrong, GM DID make these cars, and in the late 70's, people LOVED them! Certainly GM could have redeemed itself if it had pressed on with it's electric car program in the 90's. Perhaps it wouldn't be in the situation it finds itself in today if it had continued on with the program.
Not familiar with GM's electric car? Oh, it definitely DID exist- for a short brief period- until GM pulled the plug! Look for EV1 videos on YouTube, or look for the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" at your local library, or on ebay (I think that's the correct title). The EV1 stood for Electric Vehicle 1 (the prototype that GM had developed and was testing out west in the late 90's)
It's doubtful we will ever see such classy vehicles as these older Cadillacs gliding down the freeway, almost effortlessly, and entirely gracefully.
The vehicle shown in this video is one from my private collection. It's only got 33,900 original miles, and the condition of the vehicle accentuates this low mileage figure. The car was rarely driven (obviously), sheltered definitely, and cared for religiously. How else would it have survived for 31 years in such immaculate condition?
Sure, it does have its' flaws, and myself being the proud owner of this classic, know them by heart, although I am quick to discount them. They are, after all, almost an afterthought- almost insignificant- in car with this age and spectacular condition. Fortunately, the camera doesn't pick up most of the flaws! :-)
I'll add some info here about the vehicle and video, because there is most certainly to be some questions and comments! The original AM/FM/CB radio is in the trunk, having been replaced with a newer CD player. I couldn't go all out for a top-of-the-line stereo, obviously, because I certainly wouldn't want someone breaking in to this beauty merely for the stereo!
The 2x4 in the engine compartment was to keep the hood from closing and latching completely. To open the hood in ordinary circumstances one would almost need two hands. I didn't have two free hands: one was holding the camera. So, I opened the hood before I started recording and placed a 2x4 inside to keep it open until the time came to show the engine running.
Nothing is lit up on the dash, indicating any problems (except the test lights at start-up).
What kind of mileage and I getting? About 16 in town and 20 on the highway. I know, the environmentalists will cringe and send me nasty emails and comments. I am somewhat of an environmentalist myself. It's one of the reasons why I hardly ever drive the vehicle, due to its poor fuel economy and high emissions. I only drive it maybe 20 or 30 times a year. Another reason is that spare parts would be nearly impossible to find, if someone were to run in to me!
In the video, I paid particular attention to the aftermarket add-ons: one was an early predecessor to todays' GPS systems- a bolted-on floating magnetic analog compass. I was not crazy about the placement, but I also wasn't about to remove it and expose the holes in the dash. Also of interest is the add-on engine monitor. When the car is running, it is monitoring engine performance at idle, low speed and high speeds.
Just underneath the driver side mirror is an outdoor temperature gauge- analog, of couse!
Everything works, except the AC, and I can live without that. Even the analog clock on the dash works. In fact, if you watch closely in the video when I am focused on the clock, you can see the "seconds" dial slowly rotating.
The car measures an astounding 18 feet long. Huge by any measurement, and gargantuan when compared to todays' tiny cars. The hood looks large enough to land a helicopter on!
The car has absolutely nothing digital on the thing whatsoever, except the CD player I had installed after my purchase. The temperature control and speedometer are both done by analog means: the speedometer has an ordinary dial, and the temperature control was by means of a disc inside the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel. The driver would rotate the disc until the desired temperature was legible. And the cruise control is a two-step method: first, a switch on the dashboard needs to be flipped, and then a button on the tip of the turn signal control is pressed.
The paint is still original and mirror-like, in most cases. There are some areas of surface rust which will need some attention. The vinyl top is nearly flawless as well. Not a hint of fading, drying out, peeling or cracking, and the same can be said for the dashboard and leather seats.
And finally, no, the car is not for sale! Enjoy the video.
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1:421976 CADILLAC ELDORADO CONVERTIBLE RUST FREE FL...by byndsl3,843 views
25 videos
Looks just like my mother car but the only thing i use to hate was trying to get the car started because you had to open the glove box and move the magnet around while turning the key.
kaybee808808 9 months ago
@kaybee808808- What magnet in the glove box?
CincinnatiGifts 9 months ago
youse is pimpin pimpin, playa!
arnold84500 10 months ago
@arnold84500- You know it! This car makes all the brothas turn around and stare!
CincinnatiGifts 10 months ago
I didn't laugh until I saw that you were white
ShepperdW 1 year ago
@ShepperdW- LOL.... what? White guys can't own vintage Caddy's???
CincinnatiGifts 1 year ago