Here’s a blue-on-blue bruiser that’s been napping for the last quarter-century. Listed as a barn find with just over 78,000 miles, this 1971 Cadillac Eldorado has emerged from long-term storage and is now looking for a new home. With a 500 cubic inch V8 under the hood and classic front-wheel-drive architecture, these big Eldorados offered some of the smoothest road manners of the era. You’ll find this one here on Facebook Marketplace with a $6,000 asking price and open to offers.
The seller notes that the car had been tucked away in a barn for more than 25 years before being pulled out recently. A new battery and a splash of gas were enough to get the big Caddy to fire up briefly, which is a promising start for anyone looking to revive it. There’s no mention of how much further it will go without more work, but the fact that the massive 500 V8 turned over and ran is a good sign. No details are provided on the brakes, cooling system, or fuel lines, so expect to go through the usual recommissioning steps.
The body is described as straight, but the photos reportedly show paint issues, which is to be expected after sitting for a few decades. There’s no obvious mention of rust-through, so with some careful inspection, this might be a solid foundation for either a preservation project or a full respray. The Eldorado’s styling is unmistakable, especially from the front, and there’s no denying the curb appeal when one of these is cleaned up and rolling on fresh whitewalls.
Inside, the original blue interior is said to be in very good condition. That’s no small thing, considering how age and heat can ravage plastics, upholstery, and dashboards in stored cars. A well-preserved cabin can be a huge bonus for a project like this, especially with factory trim and seating intact.
Whether you want to turn heads at the cruise-in or just enjoy the floaty magic of early ’70s GM luxury, this Eldorado could be a great starting point.
Would you bring this barn-stored Cadillac back to its former glory or drive it as-is for that survivor vibe?
That’s a Beast of a vehicle with the 500 cubic inch engine!!
Yep! That’s the one I want! And though I’m not a big fan of front wheel drive cars, these have always called out to me ever since I saw a convertible painted pewter with a grey interior in a ’71 dealer brochure. If I only had the cash, I’d have Derrick Bieri of Vicegrip Garage to go with me to get it running and driving so I can bring it back here to Florida. My girls may not like it, but I certainly do. I’d have get it cleaned
up before I decide whether or not to go for a respray. I’d also
put on some tastefully wide whitewall tires. From what I can
see, she looks pretty solid for a 54 year old car. Just needs
a good steam bath and pressure wash. That would about do it for me. I think Angel’s really gonna like this one. Once cleaned up and running, it would be a wonderful gift to set before our Queen.
Hi Kenneth, perhaps a set of bulls horns on the hood would seal the deal with Angel,,
I like ’71 Eldos, and I currently have a convertible version that gets enjoyed regularly. Decent driver-quality hardtop Eldos of this vintage can be had for $10K, and often less.
Speaking from experience reviving several of these, I can tell you that costs add up quickly. Even doing most of the work yourself, just getting it to somewhat presentable condition will be more expensive than buying a good one.
It is maybe a $2,500 car.
LAMO Howard! That would be great! Just the hull horns and a wider set of whitewalls would do it for me. And yeah, I hope it doesn’t get donked or pimped out. It’s waaay too nice a car for that. Can’t wait to see what Angel says about it.
Always have some idiot that gets hold of an old Cadillac (or any lesser car), stored 25 years and they “throw” a battery in it and gas down the carb and try to start it, worse thing you can do.
@TCK
What do you recommend?
I would think changing the oil and spark plugs first would help. But how else do you find out if the car will run without trying to start it?
Hi Ken, hi Howard,
As an unknown entertainer used to say when her backup dancers came out on stage….. “dems my boys!”
This is a very nice Eldorado and my favorite year for one. Had a friend in NJ who bought one just like this only his was a convertible. Same color same interior. Only he ruined it putting a cheap paint job on it. Changed the color to a darker blue, didn’t remove the chrome, just taped over it. It was very disappointing.
This one is nice and even though it’s a hardtop, I certainly wouldn’t throw it away for being one and as a gift I’d cherish it. (Hint hint) LOL
Only, Howard, no bull horns. I get enough “bull” on my life as it is.
In the era of Corolla Hybrids (which I own) it would be a lot of fun to own one of these insanely huge monsters. Fill it up and drive it sparingly.
I used to work for someone that had a yard full of ELDOS OF VERY SIMILAR VINTAGE THIS. THEY ALL NEEDED RESTORATION including the one drove all the time, there was a very restorable 69 Coupe de VILLE. IT has been almost 25 years since i was there. Everything is now gone. Very strange owner and so was the business. Back in the sixties they made piles of money selling speed equipment, When I was there most of speed business was gone but the building was full obselte hot rod parts all gone now. This was in Portlandia.
First thing you do is to put a breaker bar and socket on the crankshaft pulley and turn it over by hand. And yes Angel, you DO remove the plugs and while you’ve got them out, spray some
Marvel Mystery Oil into each cylinder to free up any sticky rings
you might have. And yes dear, you might wanna change the oil
BEFORE.you even start it. And then pull the pan to get to and clean the screen in the oil pump too. Doing this will give you an
unobstructed flow of slippery sauce to every part of the engine.
And let’s not forget Mr. Tranny either. CAREFULLY pull the tranny pan and inspect it for metal fillings and worn bands. Also inspect your oil pan for metal fillings and sludge. And BE SURE you clean the oil pickup tube when you clean the oil pump screen. Replace the tranny filter while you’re there and make sure the pump is working. When finished with replacing all parts that need replacing,, clean ALL areas where your new
gaskets will go. This will ensure a proper fitment of said gaskets and create a tight seal. And if you want a tighter seal, cost your new gaskets with Permatex before installing them. Next, re- install all bolts CAREFULLY so you won’t damage those new gaskets you just put in. Finger tighten them at first and then torque them 8-10 pounds with a torque wrench to avoid stretching the threads. Remove the carb and COMPLETELY clean it. Soak all parts in a degreasing solution to remove all sludge and reassemble with new gaskets. Replace points, rotor, and condenser. Check coil to see if spark is present.
Drain cooling system and replace all hoses and belts. Test thermostat by dropping it into boiling water to see if it will open.
If it doesn’t, replace it. Replace all air and oil filters. Add a fresh
battery to ensure a quick and easy start. Now I know it sounds
like a lot of work, and it is. But by doing these things BEFORE you crank it over, you’ll have a more joyful time when the engine
is finally turned over.
.
I agree with Ken s write up!
I agree with a few additions.
Always rotate the engine 2 complete turns to make sure there are no mechanical restrictions internally. Then carefully mark the distributor positions and the rotor and remove it, install a rod that meshes with the oil pump gear and hook the other end up to a cordless drill and run it for several minutes circulating the oil and monitor the oil, pressure light or a pressure gauge that you can install. Continued:
Continued: finally put everything back to normal except for the spark plugs. Remove the fuel line going into the pump and the fuel line going into the carburetor no sense pumping around dirt. Crank the engine over intermittently for two or three minutes, giving the starter time to cool off. This is now a good time to check compression.
Install the plugs in the wiring, put a little bit of gas in the carburetor and always put the air cleaner back on as it acts as a fire arrestor. Started and be careful of flying debris out of the exhaust.