News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

New to 78 Cadillac Eldorado ownership

Started by manxie, February 18, 2017, 03:08:54 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

manxie

Thanks fellas. Also, just had a look on Faxon literature, nothing there  :(  Thanks again, Steve.
78 Eldorado Biarritz Custom Classic

WTL

Welcome manxie, ...looking forward to seeing pictures of your eldorado on the Isle of Man...
I honeymooned on Skye and Lewis, wish I could have had my fleetwood brougham, but had leave it in the states.  Actually, considering the left side driving, maybe that was a good thing!

grandads59

I too vote for the book manual.  I have found it more convenient than the CD.  Oh and try to stay away from those parts from China.  They sometimes look ok, but are sometimes of worst quality than the take out.

Jon

dochawk

I'll weigh in on CDs, at least the newer *searchable* versions.

I just take an old iPad to the garage with me.

And I'm probably going to highlight "inch-pound" after this water pump job . . .

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

manxie

Thanks fellas. I`ve not used my Eldo yet. A mate is going through it, checking everything over before I put it through our "road worthiness" test. I can then register it locally (the IOM is a very different place to England) and hopefully then get some use out of it ... cant wait  ;)
78 Eldorado Biarritz Custom Classic

J. Skelly

Hi Steve,

First, congratulations on your first Cadillac purchase!  I suggest including a description of the car in the subject line to get more responses whenever you post a question.

I had a similar problem when I got my '77 Eldorado in 1998.  The light for the gas gauge didn't work.  It wasn't difficult to repair, but take your time.  As I recall, the wire connection was weak or had slight corrosion.  I cleaned it up and may have added a bit of solder.    I did not replace the bulb as I figured it was of higher quality than what was on the market 21 years after the car was built.  It still works fine today.

I believe I had to remove the top cover of the dashboard.  There are screws on both ends of the dash, another above the speedometer, and another in the glove box.  I think there were also some screws to remove in the defroster grilles at the base of the dash.  The dash pad is sort of clipped on to the dashboard, so that has to be carefully pulled away. 

It may be easier to remove some ac outlets to remove some fasteners and pull out the center padded section that holds the ac outlets instead of pulling the dash pad.  Hopefully someone else will chime in.  In any case, have a helper to remove the dash pad if you got that route as it's very difficult to do alone.  Definitely get both service manuals (chassis and body).  Good luck and enjoy your car!
   
Jim Skelly, CLC #15958
1968 Eldorado
1977 Eldorado Biarritz
1971 Eldorado (RIP)

manxie

Hi Jim,

thanks for the advice, good tip too about putting more detail in the title of my question. I`m going to get the books but the postage / shipping is expensive in my opinion. A friend of mine is heading to the US soon, returning back to UK in June I think? He said he would bring them back for me which will save a few £/$ but means waiting.

Thanks again, Steve.

PS. your surname sounds very Manx (Isle of Man) do you have relatives over here?  :)
78 Eldorado Biarritz Custom Classic

dochawk

Quote from: manxie on April 15, 2017, 02:25:38 PM

thanks for the advice, good tip too about putting more detail in the title of my question. I`m going to get the books but the postage / shipping is expensive in my opinion.

The CD is another possibility.  The version I got is searchable PDF, and included the body manual.  (Come to think of it, it's the Fischer manual, iirc, and my year Eldorado is a Fleetwood.  I *assume* it's covered, but have never looked).

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

J. Skelly

Hi Steve,

These Eldorados are fairly easy to work on compared to new cars.  You can get under them easily and the engine is quite accessible, too.  Plastic interior trim parts can be difficult to get, but other parts are readily available.     

I don't know of any relatives on the Isle of Man.  My Dad's ancestors were from Ireland, and I think my great grandfather changed the spelling from Scalley.

Jim


Hi Jim,

thanks for the advice, good tip too about putting more detail in the title of my question. I`m going to get the books but the postage / shipping is expensive in my opinion. A friend of mine is heading to the US soon, returning back to UK in June I think? He said he would bring them back for me which will save a few £/$ but means waiting.

Thanks again, Steve.

PS. your surname sounds very Manx (Isle of Man) do you have relatives over here?  :)
[/quote]
Jim Skelly, CLC #15958
1968 Eldorado
1977 Eldorado Biarritz
1971 Eldorado (RIP)

joecaristo

To replace any bulb in the telltale area of the dash both sections of the dash have to be removed. I could go on and on about how to remove them but its probably best to refer to the shop manual for instructions and diagrams. The 1977 shop manual is the one you need to buy. Also... if your sunroof / Astro-roof dosen't "lift up" when closed, most likely the spring and C fastener fell off. I had this happen to me and the sun screen has to be removed and the Astro-roof has to be taken apart to access the rear of the glass. Once again the shop manual will show you how to do it. It would take to long to explain it here and there will be pictures in the manual to help.
Joe   
Joe Caristo

manxie

Hi Jim,

distant relatives in Ireland explains it  ;)

Thanks for the info Joe, when the weather gets a bit better here I`ll have a look at the sunroof / Astro-roof.

A good friend of mine who is also into classic American cars has removed my dash board and repaired my idiot lights.  ;D ;D Very happy!!! The problem was two blown bulbs and the others were dirty connections  ;D A fellow Eldorado Biarritz Custom Classic owner in the US, very very kindly emailed me the pages of the manual needed for the task. A BIG BIG thank you to Gerald.

I will be ordering my manuals when I can get them this side of the pond for sensible money  >:(

Thank you all for your help, I WILL be asking more I`m sure, in the near future. Great bunch of fella`s  :) :) Steve.
78 Eldorado Biarritz Custom Classic