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39 Years Without A Pickup: 1974 Eldomino

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So you want a pickup, and a Cadillac, and you only have enough room for one vehicle? Have a Eldomino! This 1974 Eldorado was professionally converted in the late 1970’s to a pickup and has been off the road since 1987. It’s  been hiding out ever since in Nevada, Pahrump to be exact, and is up for sale here on eBay. Thanks to Cadillac R. for this great find!c3

Like a typical Cadillac of the period, the end caps are broken in the rear. If you overlook that, this doesn’t look too bad, although I think the designer worked a little too much with a meat cleaver and a block of cheese. What else would explain the vertical rear window and opera window that would look so much better if it were tapered at the top. Now, the next question I’m sure you are asking is what the heck are the 18-wheeler horns doing on the roof? Hey, what do I know? Maybe they wanted to move the cows out of the way when delivering hay?

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Thankfully, there’s no rust visible and the underside of the car looks good as well. Now, imagine this vehicle in a truck’s natural habitat! That’s right, just imagine using this as a “real” pickup. Yup, shovel that manure into the bed, drive over the yumps in the back 40 and fend off those steers with the fenders, right? I can see it now! Git into the bed, hogs! Nope, I can’t see it either.

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Somehow, I doubt that too many folks have slid across these velour seats with mud on their jeans. But if they did, they could listen to that groovy 8-track tape player in the dash! The dash isn’t even cracked! Not only that, but it runs and drives as well. The seller does specify that their is an exhaust manifold leak, so that’s one thing that will have to be looked into. I wonder if they sell toolboxes to fit an Eldomino?

Comments

  1. Avatar Walter Joy

    I’ve seen a similar one, but it was the Cadillac Mirage, which 204 were built by Traditional Coach Works in 1975 and 1976

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  2. Avatar George

    Eldorado base allows for more of a useful bed than many of these conversions. I also like the jump seats inside. Although not exactly comfortable or useful looking. Definitely remove the airhorns and lights on the roof! Beef up the rear suspension and add a fifth wheel hitch?

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  3. Avatar Woodie Man

    That velour looks disease ridden.

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  4. Avatar piper62j

    I’ve seen these years ago as open casket hearse in funerals.. They were black obviously.. This one may have been one of those vehicles and then re-painted…

    Great find.. Different for sure..

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  5. Avatar grant

    Open casket hearse? As in the caskets open while the hearse is in motion? Or just exposed? That’s wild. I know how I want to go out.

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    • Avatar MeToo

      Fill the back with flowers, put a hidden driver on the passenger side, prop my corpse in the driver’s seat with my hands on the wheel. That would be going out in style.

      For you? Prop you in a sitting position in your casket in th back. Work out a way to mechanically have your hand doing a “royal wave”. With both of us at the same time we could save our loved ones big bucks on costs.

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  6. Avatar Tom Member

    Man, in 74, in Nevada, in this car, you were the SH__! Then the car was treaded like SH__ for the past 4 decades, and now it is just a semi interesting piece of SH__. Clean and solid, at least it has the Nevada desert to thank for that! Throw some bull horns on the hood and make it complete! Reupholster in some funky leopard or cow look and run with it! Cowboy Contractor Cadillac! YeeeeeHHHaaaaa !!!!

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  7. Avatar Bill

    Could have been a funeral “Flower car” as well, but whatever it’s past, I think it deserves a re-do! This would be fun.

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  8. Avatar Rando

    That thing is HORRID! The design is awful. But that’s just me.

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    • Avatar MeToo

      I think it would look much better if the body/tailgate were blended to the same height as the taillights. The difference makes that of it look very ugly, in my opinion

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  9. Avatar Fred

    Looks more like a homebuilt than factory conversion. Agree with Rando.

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  10. Avatar Howard A Member

    Oooo, Pahrump, home of “Art Bell”. Is he still around? Used to listen to him and his conspiracy theories late at night. I believe Bill is right, these were “flower cars”, and Walter nailed it, called the Mirage, built by Traditional Coach Works in Chatsworth Cal.
    The Mirage differed from other conversions as they had rear 1/4 windows and padded roof. ( not sure if this still has a padded roof) Not sure about the air horns on the roof, but a set of bulls horns on the hood, and Texas here we come. YEE-HAW!!! Pretty rare, for sure.
    http://www.facereplace.com/mirage/History%20of%20the%20Cadillac%20Mirage.htm

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  11. Avatar Allante

    Flower cars were almost always done on the commercial chassis as they were longer (and cheaper to build) and were “usually” not as well finished as these custom projects.
    Mirage used a Coupe-DeVille chassis.
    The Eldorado conversions like this were done by at least 4 or 5 different coach builders as customs builds to order versus the Mirage, which were ordered only through the Cadillac Dealers so they cost a bomb.

    Cool pickup – someone will have some fun with it

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  12. Avatar Charles

    For my money a stock Eldorado is a better choice.

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  13. Avatar George

    It needs some seats in the back ala Brat.

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  14. Avatar Mike

    I was gong to say I have seen these used as flower cars for funeral homes.

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  15. Avatar JimZ Member

    The Eldo-Camino resurrection is about done. This car has been a lot of fun. About ready for a new owner…watch for pics!

    Like 0

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