With sufficient time, money and resources, any car can be transformed from a rusty hunk into a concourse level show car. Cars were built to be driven and used for transport and that they were, but every once in a while we come across a very low mileage original car that was not subjected to the wear and tear associated with regular use. Originally purchased in Indiana, and owned by a widow, this 1976 Cadillac Eldorado sat stored and unused in the garage for years. The convertible was driven just over 2,200 original miles between 1976 and 1997 when it was purchased out of an estate. At that point, the car was sold to a couple that lived in Pennsylvania who over the course of 13 years managed to put on another whopping 1,600 miles! The car saw yearly oil changes, a new set of tires, new belts and hoses, new plastic filler panels and a new show quality, wet sanded paint job. We have affidavits from the 2nd owner in regards to the mileage and the window sticker from the dealership that sold in to them in 1997 stating the mileage.
Starting with the quality of the metal on the car, we have never seen a straighter 1976 Cadillac Eldorado. The quarter panels on these cars are absolutely massive and are just asking for dents and waves, however on this cream puff they are laser straight. We’ve seen a lot of Eldorado engine compartments but never anything this pristine. The engine compartment looks to be totally untouched with the exception of new belts/hoses, spark plug wires, a new alternator, and a repainted air cleaner. The unpainted/unfinished metal parts on the car have the appropriate amount of light surface rust just as we would expect to see an any low mileage original car. The windows on the Eldorado are the factory originals and mint. Speaking of survivor cars in general – we have never seen such high quality original glass. The front window is totally free of any stone chips and the side glass is totally free to the typical scratches that begin to occur on older cars. Glass is only new once but this glass is still pretty close. Speaking of the windows and the top, the electric motors on this cars are notoriously slow after years of use and wear, even on a car with say 30,000 original miles. The electric motors in this beautiful example perform as new, and the alignment between the front and rear windows and the top could not be tighter. Chrome is hard to keep nice. It’s oh-so-vulnerable to stone chips, pitting, and scratches. The chrome on this Eldorado is showroom quality. We’ve photographed it an an angle so that you can see how clear it is and how remarkable the condition is.
Our favorite part of the Cadillac is the interior. The leather on these cars fades and shrinks fairly quickly when faced with sun’s harmful UV rays. Not only is the leather in the Eldorado still soft and supple, but it literally looks brand new. We’ve sold a lot of these car but nothing this nice. We’ve taken extensive photographs of all the seams and surfaces and have yet to find and wear areas, any cracks, any dried areas, or any leather with faded color. The same goes for all of the door panels which really never fared well over the years on these cars. The all the interior panels are totally wear free, both from human use and from sun exposure. The same goes for the dash and the steering wheel which look new and have no evidence of any sun damage, cracks or general wear. All of the switches and knobs in the car look virtually unused. It’s usually easy to spot how often switches are used by the varying amount of wear that plastic takes on, but on this car, they all look the same – new.
Finally for the driving experience. Turn the key and the car fires right up – or does it? Wow… it’s running, but the car is so quiet you might actually miss it (no exaggeration)! When sliding car into gear the shift linkage feels perfect and barely used. After hitting the road, it’s business as usual and what we expect from these cars; smooth, quiet and luxurious – even to compared to current car standards. All functions on the car work as they should and she’s ready for your collection.
Pictures tell one story on the Cadillac but actually being able to respect the quality of the car in person is an entirely different story. Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase one of the lowest mile land yachts available.
