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Thoughts on this local 76 Eldorado and advice for purchasing one

Started by cjbenson, February 15, 2021, 11:32:57 AM

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cjbenson

Hello new to the forum.   I have been wanting a 76 Eldorado for many years and now that 40 is right around the corner the wife is cool with a mid-life crisis purchase.  I have been looking at these cars for some time, and have a budget around 20K.  Was supper excited to find this car located close to me (DC area) so went and looked at it.  Have to admit Dunbarton Green is my absolute favorite with Greenbriar coming in second.   I am looking for something to use once a week, take a kid to soccer, take the wife for dinner.  Love this car, great previous owner, the right amount of wear and tear for me.  Interior all there, some discoloring, some fading.  Paint is new and fillers seem to be nice.  Dilemma is pretty obvious, the mileage!  Don't even see many for sale with over 80K let alone this many.  For the asking 20K there appears to be much lower mile cars out there but tough to find the greens.   Any advice with the high mileage, price, finding another?   Can't begin to explain how excited I am to have one in my garage.  Sold 3 motorcycles, a car, and 3 bicycles to make room. 

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/cadillac/eldorado/2450911.html

Thank you,
Colin

Dunbarton Green '76 Eldorado Convertible

Matti R

Hi! When considering a car that is 45 years old, the condition of the car is far more important than the mileage. Looks great, go for it!
Best regards,
Matti
CLC #33333
67 DeVille convertible Sudan beige
79 Seville
64 Sedan DeVille
66 Calais Coupe

MaR

On these cars, the steering wheel tells all. It looks as if the inlay is intact and the steering wheel is in good condition. Either the mileage is actually 36k or it was meticulously cared for. Either way, it worth a serious consideration.

Jeff Moffo

My 76 DeVille is Dumbarton green. Turns heads everywhere I go. Most people say, “ Is that color original?  Seems strange for a mid-seventies car!” The color in person is more stunning than in pictures. Good luck.
Jeff M
North Jersey
Best of all, it's a Cadillac....
'76 Coupe DeVille - Claret (Sold)
'73 Series 60 Fleetwood (Sold)
'76 Coupe DeVille-Dunbarton Green

Leary75

That’s really not a lot of miles for the condition.   If the pictures do it justice, that car is in really nice condition.   I would look closely at a few areas mainly for rust, and any evidence of previous repairs.   Specifically check all areas of the trunk, and both the leading and trailing edge of the rear quarters for evidence of rust or rot from the roof trough.   Check the bottom edges of the doors, beneath the trim piece to make sure the doors drain properly.  If you can get under it, inspect the oil and transmission pans for any evidence of leaking fluids, hoses for cracks, etc.   at that price, I would have a trusted mechanic look at it as well, but you are really looking for how it was maintained.   
20k for a 76 is on the high end.  I looked at a near perfect one up here for closer to 13 a couple of years ago, But that being said, 20 is not astronomical.   With a car that old, something will eventually go wrong, so you really need to just inspect every inch, and look for evidence of neglect.   Heck, even ask if you can have the oil changed and pull the plugs to look at engine condition. 
Best of luck, the car is pretty awesome, and the ride of a 76 Eldorado is simply amazing :)
-Brian
1976 Eldorado Convertible

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

#5
The chrome edges are missing from the filler pieces.  Personally, repaint on any 70s Cadillac is a non-starter for me since it will always be outshined by originals of which there are still many. Same holds for mileage. Worn/faded interior is another detriment.

All things considered, $20K for a repainted '76 ELC and 136K seems rather bold and the color combination (while admittedly a matter of personal taste) is not the most desirable in one of these.

Sounds closer to a $10K car at most.
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

TJ Hopland

Unless your game is low miles and not to drive it I don't see that miles really matters especially in a car that looks good.   The kinds of things that the mileage would kill on a 10 year old car will have died due to age on a 10 mile car.   If we were talking 300k on a car that also needed everything else then ya I would say its a lot of miles. 

This is where a folder full of receipts would be helpful.   Knowing if / when the trans was rebuilt would have or take away value.  If you were just going to stare at it it doesn't matter.  If you are going to drive it you will want to know when it was done or do it.  There are some hard parts that are getting more expensive and hard to find for transmissions this age so you don't really want to burn one up running it on almost 50 year old soft parts.  Timing chain is another thing, if its been done great if not might as well set aside a few thousand for the job.   Just trans and timing chain and a few might as wells while you are there could be $5000 to have done so you could look at that as a $15,000 car that needs it done.  If its not done then you have a $25,000 car. 

Hows the top and rubber weatherstripping?   You can pretty easily spend $3k having a top replaced these days.  IF it needs that stuff you are down to a $11,000 car.   How's the tires,  date codes are usually more important than the tread on classics and the days of $100 tires are pretty much gone so you easily got $1000 in tires.     

How about brake lines, cooling system, fuel and vacuum hoses?   That can be another $1000 if you had to pay for the work.

CV boots rot with age and if not replaced will destroy the joints.  That's maybe a $500 job if there isn't anything else while you are in the area.   These cars destroy front wheel bearings and lower ball joints so you can easily end up with $3000 of work replacing that stuff with the CV's and doing the front brakes while you are there.   That also doesn't address the rubber bushings that will be shot for sure if they are original.   I have never priced that out at a shop but I would guess easily another $2000 because its going to take them some time to improvise some tools so its going to tie up a tech and a lift for a while. 

If all that has been done somewhat recently $20k could be a pretty decent deal.   If most of that needs done I would say keep looking.  A real low mile car is likely going to need all that stuff so would be a bad choice for someone that wanted to drive.  Higher miles means someone has driven it so some of that has to have been done question is just when.     You can see some stuff fairly easy just by looking like say the lower ball joints were riveted from the factory so if they are now bolted in they have been replaced at some point.   Timing chain can me looked at with a bore scope by removing the fuel pump or distributor.   Transmission is a lot harder to tell till you actually take it apart.
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

hornetball

Quote from: Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621 on February 15, 2021, 01:23:01 PMFillers under license plate flap should be body color (not silver/gray)

Do you have a source for this?  I've never seen an original '74+ car where that particular filler wasn't silver to "blend" into the bumper.  ??

Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373

Just because you have $20k, doesn't mean you have to spend $20k. As you mentioned that your wife was ok with it, that is something you need to keep in mind. No matter what, you will need to spend $$ on it once you really start driving it. You don't want to buy something at your max budget and then have to either tick your spouse off by spending more, or it will have to sit.  Leave yourself a little wiggle room.
That said, just because it is offered at $20k, doesn't mean you have to Offer $20k.
Good luck
Jeff Rosansky
CLC #28373
1970 Coupe DeVille (Big Red)
1955 Series 62 (Baby Blue)
Dad's new 1979 Coupe DeVille

KOKNEYELDO

From the small number of photos, as "MaR" mentioned, the steering wheel tells it has been cared for.

As "TJ" mentioned, it would help if you know more about the current/past owners repairs and maintenance, to see what has been done and when.

I am in southern CA so very little rain, but the front fenders on my 75' Eldo both needed to be replaced, which is a common problem (see the pics).

The trunk floor and bottom of the rear fenders may have some rust, so check under the truck mat and look for any rust bubbles at the bottom of the fenders.

You can buy replacement front and rear seat covers, door upholstery would cost around $3K (not in leather, which would double the price).

If they have not been replaced, take the time to replace all of the rubber on the suspension, which is not expensive.

Check the grease points DIY.

The price is not unreasonable, but if you can get $5K off it will pay for some of the work you want, or probably need.

Good luck!
Present cars:

1975 Cadillac Eldorado convertible
1957 Ford Thunderbird
2007 Jeep Commander Overland
2018 Audi A3

Come On You Blues!

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

Quote from: hornetball on February 15, 2021, 02:36:01 PM
Do you have a source for this?  I've never seen an original '74+ car where that particular filler wasn't silver to "blend" into the bumper.  ??

Strike that. I was thinking of something else... :-\
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

MaR

The rust areas on the front fenders that KOKNEYELDO mention is in the area where the vertical reinforcements at the rear edge meets the bottom of the fender. Leaves and dirt collect in that area and can get between the reinforcement and the body sheetmetal causing it to rust out from the inside. The rust starts in the area under the rocker moldings and can stay hidden behind them until there is quite a bit of damage.

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

I always pay close attention to the narrow strip of body color between the upper and lower rocker trim pieces on the front fenders. If there's rust starting, it will usually show up there first (this side of taking moldings off).
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

cjbenson

Thank you all for the great feedback.  Talked to a local gentleman who buys and sells Cadillacs and said many similar things.

Few things making it tough,
color (I love it, have heard from a few its not a desirable color, but that's kind my life story)
price at the peak of my budget and I know money needs to be there to address future issues 
Looking to drive it, not just for parades and shows but to enjoy it.  So totally originality, pristine quality, and value not the biggest concern.
The car appears to be in better shape than many I have looked at even though the miles are high.

I think I simply just don't know enough and would be a good idea to pay to have someone look it over.

I won't pretend to know some of the issues that were mentioned on the above posts.   What I do know is the wheel and pedals showed limited wear for the mileage.  Just paint rubbed off behind the spokes of wheel from hands and a little bit of worn down rubber on the pedals.   Car repainted, new distributor cap, plugs/wires, alternator, ac compressor, exhaust were all visible to me.  Top was in nice shape, functioned properly.  All electronics/windows in working order, antenna up and down, unfortunate aftermarket CD player mounted under dash.   Current owner has had the car for 7/8 years and story was the car was dealer owned prior. 

After seeing vehicle I had thrown a 15K offer with thoughts 18 as a high.   I just love the car and keep on looking at it.   I would stop and move on if an expert finds some issues so think that's the route I should go.   

Thanks again for the great feedback and maybe I'll have some expertise advice someday.

Best
Colin
Dunbarton Green '76 Eldorado Convertible

cadillacmike68

Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

TJ Hopland

Don't forget to include location in your value equation.    Driving or flying a long ways to see a car in person then driving it home or paying for transport could easily be a couple thousand.   
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

cjbenson

Cadillacmike68,  The car appears to have very few options.  Someone appeared to not even have wanted to pay for the passenger side mirror.   The current owner has purchased one for that side but hasn't had the heart to punch a hole in the door.

I am only about an hour away from the car so I have already looked at it in person.  Contemplating having  Auto Appraisal Group Inc send someone out to access the car. 
Dunbarton Green '76 Eldorado Convertible

79 Eldorado

Colin,
I often like colors which are not traditionally that popular. If it's a fact most would prefer a different color then it's something which will naturally lower the final price. When I went to the link it does say OBO so I wouldn't hesitate to ask for a lower price and I would explain exactly why. Don't be afraid to walk away if you don't think it's a fair deal and remember the best deal is one where both sides were pretty happy when the deal was done. There are a lot of good points already listed but to really know you should have someone look at it for you. It would be great to find a person who knows body/paint and mechanical; like hitting the lottery if that person knows the '76 Eldo well.

I don't have a '76 but I can say the build-up of debris behind the lower fender brace is common to more than just the Eldorado. I've seen that issue on fenders which are otherwise in very good condition. The point regarding trapping debris behind lower moldings is also common to multiple cars. If it's been repainted maybe that's one positive if they did a good job of repairing that area or catching it before it got bad. Take a really close look at things like trim and mirrors so you can see what was removed when it was painted. The comment about he passenger side mirror is interesting. Was a passenger side mirror still an option in 1976? I can say I have a car larger than my '79 Eldorado and mirrors on both sides are certainly desirable.

The car presents itself pretty well in photos and am I crazy or is that Don Shula riding in a Dolphin's light blue/green car?? If it is he seems to be enjoying the ride!

Scott

Cadillac Fleetwood

It is an attractive car in an unusual color combination.  Of course, you want to check out the condition of the top fabric and the glass rear window as well as the engine, exhaust system, cooling system, and brakes.  The ad states "OBO" so there is certainly some room for bargaining.

A few other observations:  The car does not have, and never has had, the two-piece hard convertible top boot.  The hardware in the rear quarter interior trim associated with this option is not present.

Eric is correct.  The condition of the steering wheel is a major indicator of care and condition; these go bad even on low-mileage cars. Besides the missing "plasti-chrome " trim on the rear fillers, there are also four stainless pieces of trim that fit at the junctions between the inner rear quarters and the taillamp fillerss.

Mitch is correct.  The filler at the gas door/license plate is supposed to be silver or argent.

This car, curiously, was not ordered with the outside RH rear view mirror. These were commonplace by then.

The choice of an antique buckskin interior was unusual, since cars this color usually came with antique dark blue-green (322) or white with antique dark blue-green dash and carpeting (312).

And, Don Shula appears to be sitting squarely where the rear lamp monitor is supposed to go...

A beautiful replacement lamp monitor fixture and lens can be obtained from Joe Caristo on this forum.  I can provide the RH rear view mirror and all of the associated hardware.

-Charles Fares
Forty-Five Years of Continuous Cadillac Ownership
1970 Fleetwood Brougham
1969 DeVille Convertible
1989 Fleetwood

"The splendor of the most special occasion is rivaled only by the pleasure of journeying there in a Cadillac"

tmdeturck

Just FYI, there are a couple 76 Eldorados for sale on the Facebook group "cadillac cars and parts"  including one in the same color with 69K miles, located in OH:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/144174424200865/

You might need to become a member of that group to see the ads.  But I think the one you found compares favorably in price to the one on FB.

There is also a white and a black one on there for sale, the black one is a coupe in FLA.

It never hurts to compare, sometimes it helps me to reinforce the one I think is the best value.
1963 Series 6229
1937 Series 6019