Eldorado hood ornament

[Trixie*]

 Well Ive had the 74 home about 2 weeks and in the process of getting a car cover but not before some low-life lifted the hood ornament and the trunk key cover. Im so mad but thats beside the point now. Perhaps someone can point me in the right direction to begin searching for replacements. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Willy B]

I think the hood ornament for the 74 was all chrome with no plastic insert.  This may have been a one year only.

[Johnny]

I think the hood ornament for the 74 was all chrome with no plastic insert.  This may have been a one year only.

I believe the crest chrome hood ornament was used only on the deVille series, and wreath and full color crest was used on the Fleetwood series.  I kinda believe they were optional.

[Willy B]

Ive seen it a few times now...that the wreath & crest hood ornament on a 74 eldorado was all chrome...no plastic.  Anyone else have clues to this mystery?  Was the all-chrome wreath & crest a 1974 Eldorado only?

[Brian Daum, 18809]

To add to this mystery, my 72 Eldorado Conv has plastic insert towards the front of the crest and chrome towards the rear.(On the hood crest). I am quite sure the rear originally didn`t have a plastic insert since it is identical with the trunk crest. I have never seen plastic and chrome used together before, there has always either full plastic insert or just chrome.

I beleive I have also seen different sizes when it comes to hood crests, the Eldorado crests seem to have been larger than some DeVille hood crests? Not to mention the "See thru Crests", when did they come?

I am sure now the the time for our beloved Professor of Crests (whoever that is) to come forward and enlighten us!!!


Brian

[TJ H]

Back in the early 90’s when I had my ’83 Fleetwood Coupe, on one of the many trips to the dealer for a new hood ornament the parts guy sold me a contact set that replaced the spring and hook assy.  You could use the contacts to hook to an alarm or simply wire them to the horn(s). If I remember correctly that contact set was only about $50 and I think at the time the ornaments were closer to $100.  I never lost one after that.  Does anyone know if such a kit still exists?  And where one could order one from?

Thanks!

TJH
clc #20664
St Paul, MN
’73 eldo convert

[Johnny Boy (Professor of Crests )]

Class is in session LOL.  I have always been intrigued by the "gingerbread" used on various models and why.  Things like the cheaper Chevys, Biscayne and Belair, of the 60s having just 2 round tail lights, and the upper level, Impala and Caprice, had 3, lower price Buicks having 3 port holes, higher priced having 4 etc.
In general, starting around 1963, the crest was used for the deVille series, and the crest and wreath was used to designate the upscale fleetwood models, of which the Eldorado is part of.  Hood ornaments didnt make a return until the 1971 Eldorados. Up to that time the hoods only had badges on the leading edge of their hoods.   It was usually the crest with a "V". Starting in 1963 they used the crest and wreath on the Eldorado only.  It was on the rear fender just ahead of the tailight assembly.  In 1964 it was moved to the hood on the leading edge, and on the Sixty Special on the upper rear roof quarter.  The rest of the line maintained the crest and wreath.  This continued for the Calais and DeVille series until 1974, when Cadillac introduced hood ornaments for the DeVille series.  They were part of the dElegance interior and exterior decor option. They were of the see-through type.  It was also at this time, that the Fleetwood series got the same crest and wreath hood ornament, that was only on Eldorados.  The crest and wreath hood oranments always used the full colored crest.  This was the official badges for the models through the years.  Unofficially, there were many variations.  Starting in 1971, many people bought the "Eldorado only" hood oranaments and used them on the other models.  Fleetwood hood ornaments were found on DeVille series models and vice versa! If you want to be correct, you should have the Eldorado/Fleetwood wreath and crest on an Eldorado from 1971 and on.  That is if you want to be correct!  In reality you can use anything you want for an hood ornament, such as the Boss Hoggs "long horns"!  I had a 1977 Eldorado, that I replaced with a repro 1941 "flying lady" from JC Whitney.  IMO, it fits perfectly with the lines of the car, and is proportionly correct, plus it elimates theft of the standup hood ornament.

Class Dismissed.

[David Harrison]

Just to add to Johnny Boys comments:

According to the book Cadillac of the 60s the first use of the wreath was on the seat backs of the 1962 Fleetwood as part of the sew pattern.

In the 70s, the basic rule was wreath on Fleetwood and Eldorado series only, crest alone on DeVille and Calais.  Hood ornaments were optional on the DeVilles in 75 and 76.

The way to tell if a car was ordered with a hood ornament or added later is to look at the front of the hood.  If you see a vee and crest or wreath and crest on the hood front, then it was not ordered with a hood ornament.

For other trivia, the 71s are one of the very few DeVilles, possibly 70s also that have only a crest, and no vee on the car.

David

[Johnny Boy (Professor of Crests )]

[For other trivia, the 71s are one of the very few DeVilles, possibly 70s also that have only a crest, and no vee on the car. ]

Thank you for the additional information.  You are correct, the 70s and 71s were sans the "V".  According to my sources, Cadillac saw no need to state the obvious, since the "V" denoted a V-8 engine.

[Bob Chesnutt 21760]

I have a 1974 Convertable and I checked the hood ornament which I feel is still original.  I purchased the car in 1983 and it has always been garaged.  It has what appears to be all metal with a plastic coating.  I have a NOS in a box and it appears the same.  I junked a 74 Eldo Coupe last year.  I know I have the hood ornament somewhere but I have not been able to locate it yet.  I would think I should have the trunk cover someplace but have not found it yet.  I did find the wreath off of the trunk.

Since I still have a shop in Rochester, Minnesota, they may be there.  I am still moving cars and parts to Tucson and will be back there in June.

You can e-mail me at bobandhelen@aol.com.

[Johnny Boy (Professor of Crests )]

I have a 1974 Convertable and I checked the hood ornament which I feel is still original.  I purchased the car in 1983 and it has always been garaged.  It has what appears to be all metal with a plastic coating.  I have a NOS in a box and it appears the same.  I junked a 74 Eldo Coupe last year.  I know I have the hood ornament somewhere but I have not been able to locate it yet.  I would think I should have the trunk cover someplace but have not found it yet.  I did find the wreath off of the trunk.

Since I still have a shop in Rochester, Minnesota, they may be there.  I am still moving cars and parts to Tucson and will be back there in June.

You can e-mail me at bobandhelen@aol.com.

Thanks for the information.  I think for purposes of accuracy, we should refer to the crest in hood ornaments, as either being full color or "see-through" types.

[Dave MacGregor #18998]

Hi,

On my 77 Eldo the hood ornament is a full color crest and wreath with the plastic coating on it.  The trunk lock cover is also full color, but without the plastic coating.  They are both original on the car since new.  Ive seen 76s and 78s have the same exact ones, but not sure of the 74s.

Dave