Buying a 1960 Biarritz. What to look for?

[bobash]

A friend of mine wants to buy a 1960 Eldorado Biarritz, and I'm helping him with the purchase. We have located one example that looks good and seems to be reasonable priced, but we need to know what to look for before we buy it. How do we tell it's a real Biarritz and not a fake? Are there any tell-tale signs of a true Biarritz? Does "cloning" happen offen with such cars? I'm more familiar with Mopar muscle cars where every other car is something else than it pretends to be...

Or, is anyone here able and willing to help us and check the car out for a fee? It's in SoCal...

Thanks a lot!

[Otto Skorzeny]

Post a photo of the cowl  id tag here and you will receive lots of information about your car.

As many pictures as possible will help, as well. Perhaps you should try to contact a CLC member in your area familiar with the 1960 model and have him inspect it for you.

[76eldo]

As stated, the trim tag will tell you what you need to know.

The Eldorados had a very different interior, the additional stainless side trim, the rear bullet style "grille" above the rear bumper, and the Q code tri power engine.

I would look at the body mounts and inner rockers as well as doglegs and quarters for rust or previous rust repair.  If there is a lot of new looking undercoat, look out.

The trim tag on the cowl will have the paint and interior colors, options, and define whether it's truly an Eldorado, or was "upgraded".

There are a lot of VERY knowledgeable people here, and they will help you figure it out.

Brian

[bobash]

This is a picture of the trim tag, I'll post more pics later...

[76eldo]

6467 designates the car as being an Eldorado Biarritz (convertible).

Paint 12= white, and trim 19= red interior.

I had a nice original 60K mile one recently, and it was white, red buckets, and the trim tag showed 6467, Paint 12, trim 19B, so I am basing the info on that.  By blue Biarritz also had 6467 on the trim tag.

I am not an expert on these cars by any means, but I think the car you are looking at is for real.

Brian

[veesixteen]

I had one of these.  I'll be happy to answer any questions.  Make sure it has the full leather trim, seats, armrests, door panels ( ...not like today's so-called leather inserts!).  Seats, seat-backs and door panels have oval shaped buttons; make sure they are all there; these can be costly to reproduce.
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[Chris Conklin]

This is a picture of the trim tag, I'll post more pics later...

Some more on the codes, the top 1 = Ivory. A couple things I found interesting, one of the few tags I've seen without "E" = EZEye Glass. And Yann would know for sure, but I believe the "P" = Optional 3.21 Gear Ratio. Not sure that would even be posted on the cowl tag.

[wrefakis]

vin 037011 body 801?? in 59 vin 037201 is #509?

[veesixteen]

What's the question, Bill?  This is a '60 Biarritz, not a '59.
As to the "P" accessory on the tag, Chris, I admit I've not seen it before; that does not mean it isn't genuine, nor is the absence of E-Z-Eye glass; perhaps the first owner lived in a "sunless" part of the country?!!

[wrefakis]

no question,i am sure a build record would be interesting