How fast have you driven your classic Cadillac?

[richardbergquist]

What’s the fastest you’ve driven your classic Cadillac according to the speedometer? What year and model do you have?

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

Back in 1958, I had been going with a girl in Noblesville, IN. She was a tiny thing, so much so that I carried her once about a quarter of a mile on a country road. In any case, I was headed back to Indy on a new two lane road. A car came up from behind with its brights on and passed me. As it did, I noticed that it was a 1955 Ford convertible. It made me kind of mad so I started chasing it. I think I got up to about 93/94 indicated and noted that I was gaining on them before I let off.

(A friend had a brand new 1956 Chevy 210 two door. Under the hood was a V-8 with overdrive. Once when I was driving it, I found out that it would do about 95 in second overdrive...)

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

I'll take the 1970 up to 80ish without batting an eye. I once had the 1955 up to about 70 but I really wasn't comfortable there. I likes 55-60. It's the only time I ever drive in the slow lane. Thats pretty fast if you think about it-that was before the hi way system came to be.
Jeff

[Caddyholic]

I have had my 61 convertible to 100 with the top down.  It felt like going 150.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

Oh yeah.  The older I get the faster I was.
Greg Surfas

[Scot Minesinger]

I routinely drive my 1970 Cadillacs with the flow of traffic on the highway at 70-75 mph with top down.  The fastest I ever drove it was on my trip back from 2007 GN Savannah, GA on Rt 95N in Carolinas, and I drove her just past 90mph. 

When I was a teenager in 1979 I drove 115mph with 1968 Thunderbird on the highway and there was a lot of pedal remaining.  That 429 engine was so fast.

My 1995 Cadillac RWD Fleetwood (daily driver for me back in the 1990's), I drove to 105mph and it seemed like 65mph.  Someone told me it was governed at 106mph, but it seemed like it had lots of room to go much faster.

[Jay Friedman]

I've once had my '49 up to 80 mph on an empty straight interstate, I-64, in Illinois east of St. Louis.  Depending on conditions, I usually go between 55 and 65 mph on interstates, occasionally 70.  I've never felt comfortable driving faster than that, even when I was young.

[Carl Fielding]

'71 Eldo : steady 113 for extended periods. '95 F'wood Bro' fuel cutoff is abrupt at 107. '02 STS fuel cutoff abrupt at about 129. My '70 CDV often exceeded 100 on long lonely stretches of Western roads. As a kid, we would push Max's '39 61 4 door pretty close to 100. It was in very good shape. I rented a new '93 and infuriated a CHP lady who had to call ahead for a roadblock. Said she had spotted me, but couldn't catch me. I had been moving North up the Owen's Valley on 395. She was not amused when she asked me if I knew how fast I was going. I don't think fast enough. I should have said "yeah : 85. Well, that's what the speedometer said". If the speedo had read properly past 85, I expect it would have read 115-120. But I had to get escorted back to Mammoth Lake and post $405 for "speed in excess of 100mph". I lucked out on my record. The entry was miskeyed, and the printout read "improper lane travel". I am really old and dilapidated these days. I am a worse slow driver now, than I was at speed in my prime. I have had to drive my '27 up at around 60 for a very short period. I didn't like that at all. The '24 has been close to 50. Never again.  -  Carl

[cadillacmike68]

I'll take the 5th on this one.

[76eldo]

Tri Power 60 convertible will blast to 90 with lots more to go but I didn't want to risk blowing anything up.

70 convertible will do 100 with more to go.

85 Eldo with digital dash used to make 85 and still accelerate but the 85 just keeps flashing so it doesn't indicate more.

Fastest was my 99 Eldo. That one has a message that says "speed limited to 111 mph" but I bet it would have done 125 at least. Those coolant puking oil dripping  piles of crap are fast as hell until they blow up.

Brian

[Caddyholic]

I have had my 61 convertible to 100 with the top down.  It felt like going 150.

I had my sons 09 CTS 3.6 to 144. I was like damn when does this car shut off. I had to look it up it’s 156. Unreal

[chrisntam]

My '70, had it 80 to 85, smooth as buttah.

When I was younger, I would have gone much faster.  These days, I'm much more of a weenie (or much more aware of things to go wrong and liability) and don't try to push the envelope...

[Scot Minesinger]

Yes, in my old age, have slowed down a bit.  My 2007 CVPI has maybe seen 90mph by mistake (try not to drive past the speed limit plus 8 mph), and the former owner bragged about 130mph, because when he was driving 100 mph it was boring.  The last 100mph plus drive was in 2006 in my Dodge Charger with Hemi, a month after I bought it, on the NJ turnpike by mistake.  So the fastest ever is 115mph in my 1968 Thunderbird when I was 18 years old - seemed super smooth with gobs of unused power on tap.

[cadillacmike68]

I had my sons 09 CTS 3.6 to 144. I was like damn when does this car shut off. I had to look it up it’s 156. Unreal

If you have an STS with the Factory W or Y rated tire options, there is no cutoff, but the car won't go much past 155 or so because of air drag. I have this on pretty good authority.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

The fastest my 73 CDV goes (because of the rear end gearing ane a 6000 rpm limiter) is 112. But, that ois in the quarter mile.  Driving back from the strip I see no need to go over 65.
When my 72 Eldo was new (and I of course was young and stupid) I floored the pedal and kept it floored on HWY 111 from Palm Springs to I-10.  Speedo was buried for about 10 minutes so who knows.  It wasn't any great deal. The car feltlike it was glued to the road. I was fortunate no desert gusts decided to pop up.
As an aside in regards to speed. I was taking a tour of the Charlotte Motor speedway, and we were driven around the track in a 14 passenger van.  The driver wasn't making a big deal of it but when I asked him if the speedometer which was reading 135 MPH was accurate, he stated it was.
S[peed is not necessarily a measure of skill or ability but just a number. My Mooney 201 did just that and it was nothing to do with me.
Greg Surfas

[z3skybolt]

Drove my 1940 LaSalle with a Cadillac 346 at 75 mph for about a mile on I-70. It had plenty of power left but I didn't want to push it further.  Was steady and smooth with a deeply satisfying rumble.  Probably won't drive it that fast again.  She loves to cruise at 45/50 mph. 99% of my driving is two lane blacktops.
 

Bob

[nixiebunny]

Way back in the olden days when I was slightly under 25 (the age at which we start to feel mortal), I got my old 1959 Sedan DeVille up to 110 on the freeway between Tucson and Phoenix. It was handling quite smoothly, but I ran out of room and slowed back down to 55.

The 1940 LaSalle hearse has gotten up to about 65, downhill of course. It has a 50 mph redline painted on the speedometer.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

1970 Fleetwood Brougham, MA State Police finest said he clocked me at 80mph. The Ark started to sway a bit in front approaching 90 so I backed off to 80. Reading my license and registration he asked if I was heading to the Falmouth Car Show, replied I was, he recommended I drive this nice old car more carefully.
Yes Sir, thank you Sir.

\m/
Laurie

[Bob Kielar]

I have driven Annie (55 Fleetwood) at 80 mph smooth as silk.

Keep Cruzin,

Bob Kielar

[35-709]

Big Red will do 80+ with ease but that big old boxy body just doesn't lend itself well to that kind of wind, so I've not pushed it beyond that.  70/72 on the interstates is comfortable and is as fast as we go under my wife's watchful eyes.