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85 Eldorado Touring Coupe convertible

Started by 462HO, May 23, 2016, 11:25:13 AM

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462HO

Hi all- I am new to this forum and have a question about this car. What would be a good price for one with 139k miles on it, runs well excellent paint and body, but needs a new convertible top.

Thanks

76eldo

Need to see pics.
Is a real Touring Coupe convert or a Biarritz convert with touring suspension option.

There's a huge difference.

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

462HO

It is a real H&E TC. It has a hole in the top that is misaligned and a rear side widow that is off its track. The miles are high, though. Looks like a recent repaint very good, though.

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

I'll bet Brian is still catching his breath now knowing another of these cars actually exists.  8)
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

Barry M Wheeler #2189

If the 4100 in the car has held up that long, believe it or not, that is a plus, not a detriment. I have misplaced my SNs for when the "good" 1985 Eldos and Sevilles started, but someone should  chime in with them so you can tell whether or not this car was one of the improved 4100s.
Barry M. Wheeler #2189


1981 Cadillac Seville
1991 Cadillac Seville

462HO

That would be good to know- here is the VIN 1G6EL5789FE639806

What would be an excellent price for this car?

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

While it is true the later the better, no 4100 is beyond going south - and with little notice. Even in the final year 1987 standard issue HT4100, head/intake gasket issues persisted and some still had the soft cam problem.

Best chance is if the car got a Goodwrench replacement engine in the late '80s or early '90s. They seemed to be okay IME.

Would need to see a many more and especially close up detail pictures before a reasonably accurate appraisal could be given.



A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

D.Smith

Quote from: 462HO on May 23, 2016, 12:59:11 PM

What would be an excellent price for this car?

This car?    Needs a top, has 139,000 miles?   HT4100 motor?

If someone offered you $5K I'd take the money and run.


462HO

Ok. I was looking as a buyer. So, the rarity is far overcome by the mileage, top problems and 4100?

Thanks

462HO

Here are more pics.

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

Interior photos would be helpful as well.

If very nice and presentable, I would agree with the $5K figure, possibly more. Beyond that, I would defer to Brian's expertise regarding Eldorados of this generation.
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

James Landi

I'll sell you mine-- triple white- has an Oldsmobile replacement small block engine.... it's in storage in Melbourne FLorida--- jglandi@aol.com

76eldo

I have received more photos by email and have offered my opinion and advice, at least what you can determine without being in front of the car.

The one that I bought had low mileage and ran better and handled better than any of these Eldos I had ever driven.  Tight car, no rattles of squeaks, but it did need cosmetics.

I sold it when I unearthed a 1960 Eldorado Seville and needed the space in my garage.

Mine sold for about $15,000 or $16,000 and I had a lot of interest in it.  I would work backwards from there, deducting whatever the car needs.

I don't think I would have bought the one I had if the mileage was this high, but it all depends on the price and what you are willing to do to the car.

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

462HO

Thanks for the advice.
Here is the EBay ad if anybody wants to go for it.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cadillac-Eldorado-Touring-Conv-/331862621648?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4d448dbdd0:g:23wAAOSw8RJXBnhl&item=331862621648
I'm going to pass on it, as I have enough project cars already. I have seen this car in person, but have not driven it.

Scot Minesinger

That 4100 engine is a huge negative, reliability aside.  I drove one recently and timed acceleration with a calendar.  Every red light had people tailgating me because it was so slow.  If you are going to drive it on and off a trailer it should be fine, but using it regularly as a nice driver, would not do it.  It takes a special buyer if you ever go to sell it.  On this forum I asked what oil to use and the response was cement as a joke expressing dislike for this engine.  Let me be more clear - This 4100 engine is no good primarily due to performance, then add the reliability issue, and wow what a dud!

One of my friends had a perfect 1983 Eldorado that had 8k miles and he trailered it everywhere and it won prizes.  I asked him why not drive it, as the value was not super high.  His answer was it is terrible to drive.  He remedied the problem by selling it and buying a 1976 Cadillac.
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

76eldo

The Ebay link indicates sold at $8000.00

I'm in agreement that the HT4100 is the least desirable engine in a Cadillac but I can't say that they are all bad.

The one in the Touring Coupe convert that I owned had really good performance and had no signs of any of the associated problems which is why I bought it.

If I still owned it the car would do a lot of sitting around. The guy that bought it from me drove it from PA to Colorado with no problems and drives the car almost every day.

I don't know the early service records of the car but it was bought and sent to Hess and Eisenhardt by a top salesman at a dealer in NJ.

Maybe the engine was replaced or just maintained well but it felt different than all
of the other Eldos and Sevilles I have driven over the years.

However if you go by percentages the HT4100 era was pretty bad for Cadillac.

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

dochawk

Quote from: 76eldo on May 24, 2016, 09:23:58 AM

I'm in agreement that the HT4100 is the least desirable engine in a Cadillac

Well, there's that Olds diesel engine . . . . and the misbegotten Cinnamon--whatever the engine was, what it came attached to offset anything good about it . . .

:)

hawk
1972 Eldorado convertible,  1997 Eldorado ETC (now awaiting parts swap from '95 donor), 1993 Fleetwood but no 1926 (yet)

TJ Hopland

So does the diesel rate lower than the 4100?   I'm totally addicted to the diesels and have not owned a 4100 for a while so I would not be the best to ask.  The 4100 cars I owned biggest issue was always transmissions, had to rebuild everyone I owned which back in those days meant had to ride the bicycle to work till the next payday or three came around.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

D.Smith

Quote from: TJ Hopland on May 27, 2016, 11:59:01 PM
So does the diesel rate lower than the 4100? 

I was selling cars back in the late 1980s.     The NADA trade in guides had a 50% value deduction for Diesels back then.     50%!     What does that tell you about their reputation?     We used to joke that if you were worried about having your car stolen back then, just put a Diesel emblem on the fenders and trunk and no good thief would come near it.  LOL

But I did take advantage of that and bought a diesel 80 Sedan Deville for half the price of a gas version.   Gorgeous car.   Sounded like a school bus when accelerating down the street not to mention the cloud of black soot.      But it shortly developed a stalling problem that the dealer couldn't fix, so I traded it for a gas 80 Eldorado.   Gorgeous car.  But a bit thirsty on gas for a daily driver.   A few years later I test drove a 84 Coupe Deville with the HT4100.   I returned it to the salesman and said "This car has no balls".  He said "That is normal, so keep your older Eldorado if you want power".   Best advice he ever gave me.  As not long after that the HT4100s reputation for melting down without warning began hurting Cadillacs reputation.

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

Quote from: TJ Hopland on May 27, 2016, 11:59:01 PM
So does the diesel rate lower than the 4100?   I'm totally addicted to the diesels and have not owned a 4100 for a while so I would not be the best to ask.  The 4100 cars I owned biggest issue was always transmissions, had to rebuild everyone I owned which back in those days meant had to ride the bicycle to work till the next payday or three came around.

That's a very good question. My observations have been that diesels today seem to have a moderate lead in value over the same car in an HT4100, all other things equal.

While I'm not a diesel fan myself, I recognize that they seem to have developed something of a "cult" following, sought out by those who are most familiar with the special needs of the engine with the skills to be able to tend them properly. It is really not an animal for those without these talents frankly. However in the right hands, the 350 diesel has been known to be good for mileage in the multiple hundreds of thousands, moreso of 1981 models and up when a number of improvements have been made. The same also applies to any year car that received the better GM Goodwrench replacement diesel which many cars received prior to the 1981 model year.

Many times it had been said 350 diesel was a "gas conversion". It is pure nonsense.
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute