Hubcap for 1979 Eldorado Biarritz (where?)

[T.Skytte]

Hi,

Does anyone know where I can find a single hubcap for 1979 Eldorado Biarritz?
I have searched high and low and no luck so far.
Please see attached photo.

Some rascal stole one (I'm pretty sure) 

Best regards,
TS

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

If you are running the basic clip-on-the-edge wheel weights, then the cap most probably fell off.

These wheels need the CAX Wheel Weights.

Bruce.

[TJ Hopland]

He has the optional factory aluminum wheels that just have a center cap.   I'm not sure if they were available in 79 so they could be from a later car.  I think they stayed an option till 85 on both Eldo and Seville.   The Eldo touring coupe had different wheel. 

79's went back to a more typical gripping wheel cover on the steel wheels and standard clip on weights.   Aluminum also could use a clip on but I think it was slightly special because the lip was thicker than steel.   

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Was available in 1979.

[bcroe]

He has the optional factory aluminum wheels that just have a center cap.   I'm not sure if they were available in 79 so they could be from a later car.  I think they stayed an option till 85 on both Eldo and Seville.   The Eldo touring coupe had different wheel. 

79 touring option used different wheels?  I converted my 79 Eldo to
touring suspension, but just put a size bigger tires on stock rims.

Bruce Roe

[smokuspollutus]

The rims were optional regardless of suspension package (1979 only had one package though)

[TJ Hopland]

The different wheels were the last couple years and I think came with the special all black sport touring option.   I think you got white letter sidewalls and painted bumpers too.  The catalog lists them as 'spoked aluminum alloy wheels' as opposed to the cheaper option of 'aluminum wheels'.   If I remember correctly they had the more sporty center cap that either showed the nuts or had fake nuts on it.   

I looked at one a few years ago, I think it was an 85.   Just didn't care for the overall look.  To me it just didn't work with the sharp lines of the Cad.   I think it may have also had black bucket seats and a center console.  The Riviera version I thought looked much better.    There used to be a Car and Driver or similar review article online that had some good photos of one of the all black ones with the fancy wheels.  I just searched and can't find it anymore.  Anyone else remember it?  Seems like there may have even been a thread here about them a year or two ago.  They must not have sold many of them, I have only ever seen the one in person and they hardly ever show up online.   Among other things I don't think HT4100 and sport go together even by 80's performance standards.   

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Eldorado Touring Coupe wheels were different altogether.

Wheel shown was simply the optional cast aluminum wheel for Eldorado in 1979 and 1980.

[bcroe]

OK, so apparently the optional wheels were the same size.  I only use
plain steel wheels here (that no one would steal) with a plain wheel
cover.  At this age they get straightened, sand blasted, and painted
before going back into service. 

No fakey wire wheel covers here; I have enough trouble accepting real
wire wheels.  Bruce Roe

[smokuspollutus]

It does get very confusing, as a lot of these rims look extremely similar in pictures but are different in person. It is pretty safe to say that both the Eldo and Seville each got tweaks to the mags every year or two, I can think of 6 different versions off the top of my head, and I'm sure that's not all of them. So many people say 79-85 for most parts on these cars, when it really isn't the case.

OP, I think you'd be best served on car-part.com, or possibly even ebay in locating your missing center cap. Stick to a 1979 Eldo to be absolutely safe, these wheels were fairly common then and not that popular now, so the odds are in your favor more than they would ordinarily be. The next most similar would be an 84-85 Seville.

Bruce, what steel rims do you run on yours? 1979 spec with the triangle holes or 84-85 round?

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

79/80 center cap the same for OP's wheel.    1981+ (?) alum wheel had burgundy cap.

[smokuspollutus]

1980 was the first year for the burgundy centers

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

1980 was the first year for the burgundy centers

Possibly a reflection or printing error. Never happened. Pre-production catalog illustrations not always correct.

Here's an '80.

http://www.mcsmk8.com/80-ELDO-WHT/80-ELDO.html

[bcroe]

Bruce, what steel rims do you run on
yours? 1979 spec with the triangle holes or 84-85 round? 

Huh, what is a triangle hole?  Have run 79 Toro or Eldo here for over
3 decades, they all seem to use the same wheel, which includes the
spare.  Round lug holes, sort of D shaped holes near the rim. 

The original owner did me the favor of ordering regular wheel covers,
no spokes or retainers.  And a plain roof. 
Bruce Roe

[smokuspollutus]

The correct center cap for a 1980 has a burgundy center just like this ~10k mile car


That 1980 is beautiful, even with the 1979 caps. 1981 has the burgundy center with a slightly different rim that is more flared at the edges.

Bruce, I am referring to the outboard holes, I say triangle, you say D. In 1984 they switched to lighter ones with round outboard. holes

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

He has the optional factory aluminum wheels that just have a center cap.   

Oops.   My fault for not looking deeper into the picture.

Bruce.

PS.   I wonder if a set of those caps would fit my own wheels?   They would most probably be a better fit than the flimsy/soft ones I have already

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

ts23-

I have four of these hanging around the garage. One or two have slight damage, but all are presentable.

I bought them years ago to use the crests on my Allante, but I never did.

If you are interested, $50.00 plus shipping.

[kevinanderson]

There is a YouTube video of a 79 eldo with these rims and caps polished. Looks nice in motion.

[TJ Hopland]

Found a video of the 84, it was by MotorWeek.   Its got the exposed nut caps but other than paint looks like the same aluminum wheels.  The 'spoked' ones must have been 85 only.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf0o-Rj0wmQ

[smokuspollutus]

TJ, the spoked aluminum wheels were for the 85 Biarritz and Commemorative Eldos, or all models of Seville. They were made to look like the genuine appliance wires for the rear wheel drive. Kind of a weird setup compared to the other phony wires of the day.