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1961 Eldorado Concept Motorama Show Car

Started by Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621, August 31, 2012, 09:59:11 AM

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0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

cadillacmike68

Quote from: N Kahn on September 07, 2012, 12:44:53 PM
Trust me, I am more than capable of restoring this car, including repairing the front bumper, I have taken a 56 Chevy wagon three piece bumper welded it into a one piece, closed the bumper bolt holes and had it chromed by Spacecoast Plating, who are the best.
I cannot do the top or upholstery.
I've been doing this stuff for a long time and I'm not letting it out my hands and into a shop. 

Looking back at this statement, you were absolutely correct in your assessment of your capabilities and of the car's potential!  :)
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

N Kahn

Quote from: cadillacmike68 on April 02, 2013, 11:55:41 AM
Looking back at this statement, you were absolutely correct in your assessment of your capabilities and of the car's potential!  :)

I'm no pro, I'm very enthusiastic, I have basic tools only. I strive to be better than I am but i'll never be as good as the ones I truly admire.

okccadman

Nadeem, you have done more work in less time than a lot of us ever dream of being able to do!  On top of that your work is great quality as well!  I think you greatly underestimate your skill.  I don't know anyone who could take a barn find like that and have it one of the stars in a Concours in such a short period of time.  Hopefully its place among its concept car cousins has helped squash any doubts some folks had abouts its true provenance.  Keep up the good work and keep inspiring the rest of us.
Jim Jordan CLC# 5374
Oklahoma City, OK

55 Series 62 Sedan
56 Series 62 Coupe
56 Fleetwood 75 Derham Limo
59 Fleetwood Sixty Special
66 Fleetwood Brougham
66 Superior Hearse/Ambulance
67 Fleetwood Sixty Special
68 Fleetwood Eldorado
76 Coupe de Ville d'Elegance
90 Brougham
92 Fleetwood Coupe
93 Allante
94 Fleetwood Brougham
02 Eldorado Commemorative Edition

N Kahn

Quote from: cadillacmike68 on April 02, 2013, 10:51:23 AM
Check your control arm bushings. They can look tight but move under strain. Strange handling if they are not good, sort of like Mr Toad's wild ride! Could be the steering gears as well.

Ar you in or near Orlando? I'm over by Tampa - when I'm home.

What you have done in such a short time is absolutely amazing.  Your varied and accomplished skills are unsurpassed. Are / were you a master body finisher & welder?  I've not seen someone do that much on something that quickly.

I'm in Orlando, if you are near by, stop in, this goes for any and all members here.

cadillacmike68

OK - when i get back home.

We'd like to have you in the regional chapter of the CLC as well. Let me see if i can get someone to write to you via here.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

N Kahn


76eldo

Since this whole topic was moved into the restoration area I have not been keeping up. 

I just caught up and saw the photos of the car at the show.

From finding this car on Craig's list and the original photos, the transformation of this special car in such a short time period is amazing.  You really did an amazing job and should be very proud.

Any chance you might have the car at the Boston National?

Brian
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

N Kahn

Quote from: 76eldo on April 04, 2013, 09:22:52 AM
Since this whole topic was moved into the restoration area I have not been keeping up. 

I just caught up and saw the photos of the car at the show.

From finding this car on Craig's list and the original photos, the transformation of this special car in such a short time period is amazing.  You really did an amazing job and should be very proud.

Any chance you might have the car at the Boston National?

Brian


I wish Brian, but I just can't swing it this year, I'd like to go since I've never been to Boston.

J.C.

Quote from: N Kahn on September 28, 2012, 02:30:06 PMit was originally designated the Le Mans

I've seen a picture dated May 19, 1961 of this car with a "Le Mans" script plate on the rear just to the left of the passenger's-side taillight.  So, I'm not doubting that someone at Cadillac thought, for some reason, to call this car a Le Mans.  But Cadillac didn't mass produce a car in the 1960s called Le Mans that I'm aware of.  Does anyone have any information about discussions among - or plans made by - Cadillac's people to build a test model, a show car, a concept car, or a car for general production called "Le Mans?" 

Google searching through the 'Net I found references to Cadillac's Le Mans concept car of 1953, but I could find nothing about a Cadillac Le Mans during the 1960s.  Furthermore, according to Wikipedia, Pontiac offered a Le Mans trim package in 1961 and then added a convertible version in 1962, eventually making a separate Le Mans model in 1963.  So, given these circumstances, can anyone suggest why anyone at Cadillac may have thought to call Nadeem's car a Le Mans?  It seems to me that doing so would be like, today, seeing Cadillac coming up with a car with design elements it wanted to test and show and calling that car a Cadillac LaCrosse, even though, as we know, Buick already sells a model with that name...
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J.C.

Perhaps the 1961 Pontiac was well into production and the Le Mans name was attached to it very late - once this happened, Cadillac dropped the Le Mans name from the test car but left the script Le Mans plate on it up to or even after May of 1961, just making sure to remove it by the time the car was shown at the Chicago Auto Show in 1962.  It just seems odd to me that anyone would've thought to call the car anything other than an Eldorado...
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65riviera

Just read the most (I'll admit to some skimming) thread over a couple days.

LeMans name replaced "The Solid Gold Cadillac" that some of the builders had named this and one other just like it - according to one unreliable(?) source that the owner shared.

A more reasonable explanation is that GM did this sort of regularly with their concepts and prototypes.  If memory serves, Cadillac also had an El Camino and I would guess there were various name switches here and there between GM designs.


And a comment on this ancient thread- I'm new to the forum, but this was an excellent read.  I appreciated the praise and criticism the owner received and believe both contributed to an excellent preservation/restoration.  I'm quite envious of the owner but am glad its being well taken care of.

N Kahn

I think the Le Mans name will remain a mystery. There were many fanciful names bandied about for concepts and one offs, names were changed, colors were changed. The whole realm is fascinating as well as confounding, that's what makes it so much fun.


Thanks J.C for the pictures you took and the time you spent.

2manycars

I'm fairly new here too, and haven't checked in in a while. I found this thread, and it was an incredibly fascinating read.

Nadeem, I must compliment you on the fine work you did to preserve this car. It's a lot more than I could have done, and I've been playing around with cars for most of my life. I think the car wound up with just the right owner for it.

Have you done anything else with it since, or are you just enjoying the car now?
1964 Coupe de Ville
My Current Projects:
1957 Ford Thunderbird
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS Convertible
My Special One:
2001 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (bought it new)

Jon S

Just found this thread. 

Besides the Lemans (Pontiac) name discussion did anyone else notice the corregated britework on the rockers is precisely what Pontiac used on the 1966 Grand Prix and Bonneville?

Also, the shift knob/button is the same as the 1966 Pontiac Grand Prix and the center console very similar.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

N Kahn

Quote from: 2manycars on June 04, 2016, 05:35:56 PM
I'm fairly new here too, and haven't checked in in a while. I found this thread, and it was an incredibly fascinating read.

Nadeem, I must compliment you on the fine work you did to preserve this car. It's a lot more than I could have done, and I've been playing around with cars for most of my life. I think the car wound up with just the right owner for it.

Have you done anything else with it since, or are you just enjoying the car now?

Just enjoying it, she gets regular use, just pottering around town.

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

I just scanned through this entire thread all over again. What started as a Craigslist ad for a "1961 Eldorado Convertible" needing restoration soon turned into a roller coaster ride of twists and turns ultimately resulting in an Amelia Island feature car.

As it's just under 4 years since this thread began, how about a fresh set of photos of 50110 as it appears today Nadeem.  8) 

I hope you will be able to show it at next years' GN in Washington DC.
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute