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1973 De Ville Convertible

Started by 73 DropTop, February 13, 2018, 10:56:56 PM

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The Tassie Devil(le)

It would be easier to simply get a '70 Convertible and graft all the '73 external body panels and parts onto it.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

73 DropTop

I agree but the quarter panels on a 70 are quite different than the 73.

73 DropTop

However if its all the same underneath then yes, sounds simple nuff!

The Tassie Devil(le)

I didn't say it would be easy, but probably a lot easier than trying to but a convertible guts onto a '73.

Plus, the frame of the '70 is designed for the flexing of a roofless vehicle, whereas the cut off roof of a '73 takes all the torsional strength with it.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Eldorado James

Food for thought....if you wanted to leave the original windshield in, perhaps you could graft in the top piece of an Eldo conv windshield so that it would mate with the Scissors header. 
~Eldorado James~

Currently:
1972 Eldorado Convertible
1975 Eldorado Convertible

Past Cadillacs:  Too many to remember.

73 DropTop


76eldo

You need to make extensive measurements in order to figure out which way will be easier and less costly.

Personally I think for the amount of cash you are going to spend to pull this off you could buy a pretty nice 70 Convertible AND a super nice 73 Coupe and enjoy BOTH cars as they were built.

Cutting up the 73 to make it into a convertible is going to be tough.  Why the thinking to go with Eldo parts?  If you are really going to try this you can buy a 73 Coupe and a rusty 70 Convert.  The front fenders and quarters always rot but the convertible top assy and rear tubs are usually in great shape.  The Eldo is a completely different shape and windshield frame is completely different where it meets the cowl.  Apples and oranges.  I would think that adapting a 70 convert rear tub to the 73 coupe makes more sense.  The 70 windshield frame should be a closer fit and you could also re-upholster the 70 rear interior panels to match the rest of the 73 interior.  You really need to get measurements of the rear seat width and height on both models.  That's a starting point.  Also the width to the outside at the tops of the quarters in the center of the rear window openings. If these dimensions are close you may have a shot.  It would also look and work as-if Cadillac actually built it.

Non of this is easy or possible to do as a driveway mechanic.  I don't know what your skill level is with metal fab and welding but it's a major project and I don't see any credible shop doing this for $5000 unless it's going to be just the rough cut and weld.

Good Luck,

Brian

PS... If you have never driven a 70 DeVille convert I would suggest doing so.  You may just fall in love and save yourself a whole lot of time and money. 
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

Eldorado James

Random thoughts on customizing the 1973 Deville convertible...

It's the dreamer in us that makes our pursuit of something unique a rewarding experience.  Although I enjoy helping people restore Cadillacs with "original" perfection in mind, I also help dreamers make something special for themselves.   Personally I think the idea of creating a 1973 DeVille convertible will be a fun challenge...it might of been an idea Cadillac proposed for the 1971 lineup before going with the Eldorado. 

"What if's" make a great personal statement if done tastefully...especially if it looks like GM actually did it.  That is one reason I suggest the Eldorado Scissor top...it would fold behind the seat and hide, rather than rest above the body level atop the wheel housing..and it was a legit 1971-76 GM product for the 1973 year.  A lot of the early custom-convertible guys (1980's and 1990's) took parts from other GM cars -- My fav was a 1965 Buick Riviera convertible (I owned at triple black 1965 at the time).  I spoke with the owner, and he told me how he used the upper windshield & convertible mechanism from a 1965-66 GTO convertible as part of the 1965 Riviera conversion.  His conversion was stunning and made you wince that GM never actually made one.

I just finished getting a very enthusiastic Cadillac investor set up with a legitimate wheel skirts-conversion for his 1976 Eldorado convertible......he mentioned that he loved the 1971-74 skirts and wished Cadillac had kept them on the 1976 model.  I told him what it would cost to revise his quarters to use the skirts....he was thrilled!  (Car going in for new paint this week, I will add pics later).  Our passions with the automobile take us to great places, even to the dreamy realm of creating what was never created....and taking pride that you did create it.   :D :D

EJ
~Eldorado James~

Currently:
1972 Eldorado Convertible
1975 Eldorado Convertible

Past Cadillacs:  Too many to remember.

Chas

I'm more of a bored and stroked 500 c.i. block with aluminum heads "dreamer", in an XLR, if I do say so myself!
1967 Coupe DeVille
1970 Coupe DeVille
1976 Coupe DeVille
1983 Coupe DeVille
1977 Harley Cafe Racer
1991 Harley Fat Boy
1957 Harley Hardtail
1949 Lusse Bumper Car
If you're 25 years old and not a liberal, you have no heart. If you're 45 years old and not a conservative, you have no money!

Eldorado James

LOL.... I love it, Chas.   Check out this link.....an Eldorado 500 in a Fiero. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWgcth25crI
~Eldorado James~

Currently:
1972 Eldorado Convertible
1975 Eldorado Convertible

Past Cadillacs:  Too many to remember.

Scot Minesinger

The custom convert a 71-76 CDV to a convertible is difficult to avoid the baby buggy look of the folding top mechanism.  I would go with a top mechanism that folds into the body like a factory would design it, well GM/Ford/Chrysler anyway.  The RR and VW of that era convertibles looked terrible in my mind in down position - baby buggy look.

If you hire out a convert 70 to 73 DVC you can easily hit 100k with not much imagination.  Labor on custom body work done well is expensive.  Since there is no sense in making this conversion unless it is executed extremely well, you will be into major money if you hire it all out.  If you do it yourself, it will be just your time and materials will not be too bad with a nice donor 1973 CDV.  The details will be very difficult.  Convert a 69 to a 70 easy, but 70 and 73 have too many differences.

Anyone who has done a job like this, and it came out stunning, add up your hours honestly and ... 
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

76eldo

#31
EJ,

I'm not sure you get that the Eldo body and the Coupe body are vastly different.
The scissors top is an extremely complicated mechanism. I think even the most skilled coach builder would have a tough time figuring out where to locate the inner structure of the rear tub so that it will line up with the windshield when the top mech is extended to its closed position.

The tolerances are not even a quarter of an inch.

The 73 Coupe and 70 Deville are more closely related than any of the 71-76 Eldo bodies.

It's going to be a very difficult job no matter what.

I have a 70 DeVille and a 76 Eldo, both convertibles and there are vast differences between each.
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

The Tassie Devil(le)

One option that nobody has seemed to mention is the thought of getting a '73 Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick or Oldsmobile Convertible and transplanting all the '73 Cadillac exterior panels.

And even putting the Caddy drive train into the Chev.

Probably a lot easier than using a '70 Convertible as the base.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

73 DropTop

@ Bruce, I thought of that, however I figured B platform & C Platform was an issue.

73 DropTop

Thanks to all you guys for your input, VERY HELPFUL!!!!!!

73 DropTop

OK SO................ How's this one, 73 CDV front clip on a 73 EL DO?

73 DropTop

@ D. Smith, do your photoshoppin magic, lol

The Tassie Devil(le)

#37
Quote from: 73 DropTop on February 15, 2018, 05:51:16 PM
@ Bruce, I thought of that, however I figured B platform & C Platform was an issue.
Don't forget that the Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick Convertibles are on the same platform as the Cadillac Coupe deVille.

You have a convertible chassis and the scissors top, and convertible windscreen all in one, and I would think, without actually seeing the C,P,O & B next to a CDV, knowing how GM works, the underpinnings would be pretty close.

Bruce. >:D

PS.   I am not saying to forget about the Eldorado Convertible, but there is a whole lot of difference between the Front Wheel Drive chassis and the Rear Wheel Drive chassis and drive train.
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

I think he needs to send it to Oz. Turn Q on it & do a RHD at the same time. What do you think Bruce??
1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

73 DropTop

Sounds like the best choice Bob. But I will see if Jeannie can help me first.