New to Cadillac ownership

[manxie]

Hi guys. You may have seen a question I asked in the general chat section but thought I`d ask this question here ... sorry if I`m in the wrong section.

I have never owned a Cadillac before, and although I`ve just bought one, I`ve still not taken delivery of it (hopefully the 5th March?). I`ve bought a 1978 Eldorado Biarritz Custom Classic, the two tone biege and brown one. Please excuse my ignorance, I`m still learning about these cars,  but can someone tel me what other models are the same as the 78 Eldo ... to help broaden any parts / literature searches? Many thanks, Steve ... on the very windy Isle of Man 

[Scot Minesinger]

Great news, you will enjoy your 1978 Cadillac.

Go on e-bay or other sources and purchase the 1978 Cadillac Factory Shop Manual, the dealer literature, and the Fisher Body manual for GM 1978. This will be your best investment.  This will answer all your questions.  Basically Cadillac built only one FWD car in 1978, the Eldorado in various trim stages and you own one of the fancier versions.  The majority of he Cadillac production was the CDV, SDV and Fleetwood all RWD on same chassis with 425 engine.  A commercial chassis RWD for limo's and etc. was a factory production.  They also had the Seville which was a smaller RWD with 350 engine.  All wonderful cars even today.

[manxie]

Hi Scot, thanks for your reply.

The car is coming with a couple of books I believe, but not sure what they are yet. Thanks for the info, greatly appreciated.

Steve. 

[Jakes]

Hi Steve... Welcome to the "club".  Not only the CLC, but to the 1978 Cadillac Eldorado Custom Biarritz Classic "club" -- I have the same car and another CLC member, Joe Caristo, too.  The colors are called "Arizona Beige" and "Demitasse Brown".  Leave it to GM to come up with these descriptors!  I bought mine about 2.5 years ago with an astonishing 13,800 miles on it.  The last of the big, heavy GM land yachts (that's why it has a 27 gal. tank) and it's a lot of fun.  How may miles on yours?

You'll note that even though it's a FWD car the engine is set fore-and-aft, like RWD.  As a result, the transmission torque converter at the rear of the engine has a link belt that drives the gear box sitting on the left side of the engine which connects to the "rear end" that turns the front wheel drive axles.  The tranny is called the TH425, a modification of the workhorse TH400 used in RWDs.

Definitely follow Scot's advice about getting the various manuals.  Be sure you get the shop manual for 1977 Cadillac and the 1978 Supplement.  Most of the services are the same for 77 and 78, but there are some important differences, so be sure you have both books.  Perhaps that's what's coming with the car, as you mentioned.  Does the car have a sun- or astroroof?  If so, it's a very rare model because out of the only 2000 of these cars produced, only 500 had this option.  Actually, one or two less because a couple of units had an electric T-top, which may no longer be in existence.

Right now, look at www.automotivemileposts.com.  Find your way to the 1978 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado and you have loads of info, tech. specs., etc.  It'll be an excellent introduction to the car and will help you get more enjoyment out of it when it arrives because you'll now be somewhat familiar with it.

Two safety issues.  First, if it comes with the original tires, replace 'em!  You don't want to ride on 39-year-old rubber no matter how good they look.  Second, examine the brake fluid in the master cylinder.  If it's transparent/translucent and light tan in color, it's fine.  If it looks like black coffee, get the brake system flushed and refilled ASAP.  If it must be done, you'll first need to determine if the existing fluid is silicone (assuming the fluid had been replaced a long time ago) or if it's the standard glycol formulation. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure how to tell the difference, so I leave it to others to advise on that, but don't get the two fluids mixed!  Probably to avoid any problems with that is to make sure the system is very well flushed out... and well-bled and if that's done, use the regular DOT 3.  And, of course check the condition of the calipers, pads, master cylinder and brake lines for overall operation and absence of corrosion and leaks

Do you know the condition of the plastic fender extensions (aka "bumper fillers"), front and rear, and the rear bezels between the trunk and the bumper?  Don't get upset if they're cracked.  This problem is pretty much par for the course for these cars.  They were formulated with latex to take paint better, but latex becomes hard and brittle over time which accounts for the typical cracking of these parts.  There are after-market replacements and I can advise you on that, if necessary.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have from a fellow '78 "Custom Biarritz Classic" owner.  Actually, you can put my knowledge on the head of a pin compared to some of the other "family members" who stand ready with sage, expert advice.  All the best of luck with the car.. and enjoy!

[manxie]

Hi Paul,

great to hear from you and all of your advice ... thank you. The mileage on the car is 50k but to be honest, I don`t know how genuine this is? I`ve read about "astro roof" but again, excuse my ignorance but I`m not sure what this is? It is 1 of the 500 with a sunroof but sadly it doesn`t work. The owner tells me it did work until one day he closed it and the rear of the passenger side didn`t close properly, so he pushed it up into position and has not used it since.

The "filler" sections have already been changed and it has modern tires on it so at least there`s a couple of things I wont need to do  It also has the built in CB radio 

The seller has told me a couple of bulbs have blown on the "warning light" part of the dash and I`ve been trying to find out how to access them for replacement, with no luck, maybe you could advise? I`ll try to attach a picture of the car (hopefully) so you can see it.

Thank you again for your contact, I WILL BE in contact with again, if that`s OK as I`m sure there`s a lot to learn about these cars, which I haven`t a clue about at the moment. 

Steve.

[Chas]

Manxie.......Best wishes and good luck with your new Eldo! I'm sure you'll enjoy her. Two quick questions: my only experience with your country has been some time I spent in the London and Brighton areas. Now, I'm not talking about the motorways (what we call Interstates). I'm thinking about the little side streets that populate most towns and villages. They are NARROW! How would one take a huge Eldo like that out for a Sunday cruise?.......just judiously plan your route? Lastly, your photos appear to show a New Jersey license plate on the car. That's where I'm from! Is that where your Eldorado came from? Was it purchased through a private sale, dealer, or broker? Again, best wishes, and welcome to the "family".

[manxie]

Hi Chas,

yes, I will need to plan my journey carefully, as on the Isle of Man (if you look on a map, we`re a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea 100`s of miles away from the area you would be familiar with) we don`t have motorways or interstates  but I love a challenge!! 

The car has been in the UK over 20yrs and the plates are UK plates in American style. I believe the car came from New Jersey but I don`t know if it came from a dealer or a private sale, however, I will find out. It would be good to trace the original owner to try and find out some history on the car too.

All the best, Steve.