HOWDY!!!!!!!! - New Member - First Cadillac - First Restoration - Sound off ! !

[Rollochrome]

Hello all.

After many months of shopping and research, I made the leap and bought a 1976 Eldorado convertable; red with white leather. It was in need of restoration. In fact, I almost sold it after realizing how much work it was going to need, but I decided to go ahead and get after it. In fact I did sell it, but the buyer had second thoughts after a day or two, and I told him I would buy it back at the same price so he wouldn't be in trouble on the home front. Anyway, I am putting more into it than I could probably ever get out of it, but you only live here in this planet once so I figured I would have a little fun and get it not perhaps award winning show-car perfect, but restored well enough to show and enjoy.

Honest John, the fellow that is doing most of the work for me, has been restoring vintage caddys for over 30 years and is sort of a local celebrity amongst the vintage caddy group. If you are ever in the Dallas / Fort Worth area, make it a point to visit his place. It's a ranch full of old caddys parked all ove the place, with several restored vehicles here and there as projects and drivers. Plus, he is a very nice fellow to visit with and was very patient with my pontifications about different directions for restoration. I am very confidant that what I will have here in the next few months will be something to really enjoy.

Anyway, I just sent in my application to the national club and will be applying to the local club asap. I met some of the guys in the local club at a car show last weekend and they seem to be a good group of joes. One of them had a mint condition '76 eldo just like mine and it got me excited about getting mine out of the operating room and on the road! I would like to use the Eldorado in any charity events and/or parades so my family and I can enjoy the car and help a good cause at the same time. It seems like the local club is like minded in that regard, so I look forward to joining.

Good to be here!!

[Carfreak]

Wecome O.P.

Congratulations on the beautiful Eldo; you should have many miles of enjoyment from your investment. 

Last year when the stocks took a dive, many persons probably lost more than you are spending with devaluation of their portfolios & 401K. 
At least we still have our cars.   

CF

[35-709]

A beauty!  Welcome to the CLC!
Geoff

[Joe Manna]

Welcome aboard!Hope you get much useful info from this great club we belong to.

[Chris Conklin]

Welcome. It appears you bought pretty well, very nice Eldorado! Now, go out and buy lots and lots of books. 

[bcroe]

It looks gorgeous.  Does it have fuel injection?  Bruce Roe CLC # 14630

[Dennis DiNorcia CLC 19071]

Good Luck with your purchase. I owned a 76 Convertible as well. Purchased it for $1,200 dollars and when I got it home and actually evaluated what needed to be done I almost fainted. What drew me to the car was that it had every concievable option except Fuel Injection. I'm someone who likes all the "Toys" a car can come with. It was rare Phonecian Ivory with matching interior. Talking about color matching. I had to have paint custom mixed to match the Ivory Gold interior.  I must say it was a very expensive restoration. About $25,000 later the car was restored and I was so thrilled to drive it and I got compliments everywhere I went as well as several trophies form local car shows. After losing my job a being stuck for money, I sold it for $10,000. I have a 1968 Plymouth Road Runner (In addition to two Caddies, a 2006 and 1989) but it does not get the attention that my Eldo got. There is nothing like a restored luxury boat to draw attention. I hope you get as much pleasure out of you car as I did with mine. Welcome to the club.

[Rollochrome]

Thank you all!

I believe that it is carburated.

I dumped a bunch of cake into an old Ford truck and an old Jeep CJ without any possibility of getting my money out of it a few years back, so I am using the hard lessons I learned with those jalopies to carefully spend on this one. At the end of the day, I'll have around $12k in this one, and the finished product will be a car that will fetch that much money roughly, so I am generally convinced that I am not going bigtime upside down.....or if I am.....not by much...

I am hunting for hubcaps now, which is a daunting task, as most owners of this variant cap are VERY proud of them. I am going to have the caps that came with the car, which are in the silver and I believe to be from a '75, painted firemist red at the same time the car is shot with paint. Then I will have a second set in the original black....and I might even go for a third set in white. Sounds funny I'm sure, but this vehicle is intended to be a local parade rider and a family fun car so why not be able to throw on different shoes as the urge hits me!? 

I also think I am going to slap a set of whitewalls from Coker on it. Looks like P235x75 R15 is the right size. Now all I need to do is figure out what whitewall width is wide enough to look cool, but narrow enough so as not to look like a "hustler".

Looks like my options are American Classic in a 1.6" or 3 1/8", BFG in 2 7/8, or Coker Classic in 3 1/8.

3 1/8 looks way to fat for me and the 2 7/8 may be too...

Any suggestion for sources on hubcaps or widths of whitewall?

[Rich S]

Welcome! Your car looks like a great "foundation," especially the Firethorn and White Combination! As for tires, I put the "Broadway Shadow" white sidewall on my '71 Eldorado and they're made by Goodyear, and I've been very pleased with their performance/ride and looks. Here is a link to see them:

http://www.onlinetiredealer.com/specialty/brdwy.asp

Here is the link to a collector's phenomenal collection, and in his "past cars," there is a Firethorn Eldorado with White Roof and White painted hubcaps--although it has the Firethorn leather interior. Personally, I like the factory-correct Black wheel covers, or possibly using the Firethorn color (and I think it was a plastic, body-colored disc, that was inserted beneath the 'wreath & crest' parts):

http://www.mcsmk8.com/76-ELDO/76-ELDO.HTM

Of course, choose what YOU like! I agree with Dennis that these full-sized luxury cars draw lots of attention, and there is nothing else that compares to them--people will love your car when you're done! Good luck!

[Otto Skorzeny]

I believe the 1.6" was standard and looks pretty good.  Personally I wouldn't put on larger than 1 3/4" or 2" on a 70s car.

[jaxops]

Welcome!  This is a great forum.  Congratualtions on a beautiful car!  I enjoyed your comment about putting " a lot of cake into it."  That must mean money?  Sometimes I think that I live in the past...wait a minute, I am!

[Rollochrome]

Welcome! Your car looks like a great "foundation," especially the Firethorn and White Combination! As for tires, I put the "Broadway Shadow" white sidewall on my '71 Eldorado and they're made by Goodyear, and I've been very pleased with their performance/ride and looks. Here is a link to see them:
http://www.onlinetiredealer.com/specialty/brdwy.asp
Here is the link to a collector's phenomenal collection, and in his "past cars," there is a Firethorn Eldorado with White Roof and White painted hubcaps--although it has the Firethorn leather interior. Personally, I like the factory-correct Black wheel covers, or possibly using the Firethorn color (and I think it was a plastic, body-colored disc, that was inserted beneath the 'wreath & crest' parts):
http://www.mcsmk8.com/76-ELDO/76-ELDO.HTM
Of course, choose what YOU like! I agree with Dennis that these full-sized luxury cars draw lots of attention, and there is nothing else that compares to them--people will love your car when you're done! Good luck!

Awesome websites there. The red 76 Eldo is owned by a guy that I think I met a few weeks ago at a car show. He has a low mileage blue 76 that he had at that show. I emailed him after you posted his info and hope to chat with him soon. That pic sold me on getting a white set of caps. I am scoring four off emay today.

[Rollochrome]

I believe the 1.6" was standard and looks pretty good.  Personally I wouldn't put on larger than 1 3/4" or 2" on a 70s car.

Ahhh thank you. Yes. I'll go the 1.6" route. Anything wider and I think I'll look like Huggie Bear on Starsky and Hutch, then I would have to go buy a fur coat and wide brimmed zebra patterned hat with a plume..

[Pat Caruso CLC #17825]

O.P.
Congratulations on the purchase of a beautifull car!  I wish you many happy - and safe - miles!

Previous posts are correct:  1.6" WW was correct for your year.  For reference, these are 1.6" on my '75, to give you an idea of "the look".

Pat

[Rollochrome]

O.P.
Congratulations on the purchase of a beautifull car!  I wish you many happy - and safe - miles!

Previous posts are correct:  1.6" WW was correct for your year.  For reference, these are 1.6" on my '75, to give you an idea of "the look".

Pat

Perfect.

Thank you!

[jp70deville-CLC #24151]

Looks like my options are American Classic in a 1.6" or 3 1/8", BFG in 2 7/8, or Coker Classic in 3 1/8.

3 1/8 looks way to fat for me and the 2 7/8 may be too...

Any suggestion for sources on hubcaps or widths of whitewall?
[/quote]
I just put the AC 1.6  whitewalls on my 70 CDV and was worried about them being tp pimped up..But I think they really make the car 'pop'

[jp70deville-CLC #24151]

Pat I LOVE your car....she's the same combination as my 70 CDV...the whitewalls, I agree, look great

[Rollochrome]

Here are a few pics of the work so far.

Rust abatement and metal replacement underway.

Carb off and being rebuilt.

Hood and trunk off.

Some trim off.

[Rollochrome]

Few more.....