If you have long harbored the desire to undertake a first restoration project but have worried about sinking thousands into purchasing a candidate, this 1985 Cadillac Eldorado may have ridden to your rescue. It saw active service until recently and is a survivor with a genuine 76,000 miles on its odometer. However, its greatest strength is that it is cheap. And I mean, dirt cheap. That makes it worth a close look, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Mitchell G. for spotting this promising project.

Downsizing became one of the buzzwords of the 1980s, applied liberally to everything from company staffing levels to automotive design. Cadillac was part of the movement with its Tenth Generation Eldorado range, which was significantly smaller than its predecessor. Our feature car rolled off the line in 1985, with the seller indicating that it saw regular service until recently. Its Medium Gray paint is quite faded and matte, and the horizontal surfaces exhibit dry surface corrosion. However, what this classic seems to lack is obvious penetrating rust. The history is unclear, but its appearance carries the hallmarks of a car that may have spent years in a dry climate like Arizona. I have spotted rust stains near the back window, but the lack of visible holes may indicate that any potential problems are minor. The bumper fillers have succumbed to UV exposure and age, but the trim and glass look quite good.

It wasn’t merely the physical dimensions that became smaller with the Tenth Generation Eldorado, because the giant V8s that were a staple of the badge were also consigned to the history pages. This car features the 4.1-liter HT-4100 V8 producing 135hp and 200 ft/lbs of torque. The power is fed to the front wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission, with power-assisted steering and brakes as standard features. Early examples of the HT-4100 earned a reputation for unreliability, but ongoing development eliminated most of the nasty surprises by the time this car rolled off the line. The simple fact is that if an engine has lasted for nearly four decades without major problems, it must be a good one. The seller claims that this classic has a genuine 76,000 miles on its odometer and that they hold documentary evidence. The car runs and drives, and until recently, saw regular service.

This Caddy’s interior isn’t perfect, but the photos suggest it won’t take much to lift its presentation significantly. Job One will be to perform a deep clean because it looks like it hasn’t received much recent TLC. The armrest on the driver’s door is badly cracked, with replacement the only option. The outer seat piping on the driver’s side is worn, but with no gaping holes, an upholsterer might be able to treat it to prevent deterioration for a few dollars. Otherwise, it would take more time than money to transform this interior into an acceptable state for a driver-grade classic. The Eldorado has luxury leanings, meaning the buyer receives climate-controlled air conditioning, power windows, power locks, cruise control, remote mirrors, and a high-end AM/FM radio/cassette player.

This 1985 Cadillac Eldorado isn’t perfect but is far from being a lost cause. The seller has listed it here on Craigslist, and if it takes your fancy, you will need to head to Staten Island, New York, to collect it. You will struggle to find one as solid and complete for the asking price of $1,500, and that fact alone makes it worth more than a passing glance. Do we have any interested readers?