This 1967 Cadillac Eldorado has spent its entire life in California. This has allowed it to remain rust-free. It received a bit of a cosmetic refresh last year, and now it presents exceptionally well. If you like your classics with a touch of luxury and presence, then maybe you need to talk to this owner. The Cadillac is located in North Hollywood, California, and has been listed for sale here on craigslist. You can park this Eldorado in your driveway for $12,950. I have to say thank you to Barn Finder MattR for referring the Cadillac to us.
There isn’t much about the appearance and condition of this classic that is negative. It received a repaint in its original Atlantis Blue last year, and it still presents perfectly. It isn’t clear whether the vinyl top was replaced, but it looks as good as the rest of the exterior. There are no visible signs of rust, and a life spent in California should have helped its cause. The chrome and trim look to be in fantastic condition, and the tinted glass is free from obvious flaws. One of the more damage-prone areas of these cars is the hubcaps. They protrude a long way beyond the wheels, which makes them fair game for curb strikes. It appears that this fate hasn’t befallen these.
When you find a car like this one that has had a recent repaint, it does make you wonder what sort of life it has led beforehand. With a prestige vehicle like the Eldorado, the interior condition can be a pretty reasonable indication. That is because neglect can stand out a mile away on plastic and cloth trim. The news here is encouraging, with no real problems in this area. The seat covers show no visible wear or stains, and the carpet has survived well. It’s worth remembering that we are talking about trim and carpet that is now 53-years-old, so its condition is quite impressive. There are no issues with the dash or plastic, and the pad is free from cracks. The only aftermarket addition that I can spot is a radio/cassette player and graphic equalizer mounted under the dash. These are a real nod to the late 1980s, and whether they stayed or went would be a matter of personal preference. This is a luxury car, so it comes with some creature comforts. These include air conditioning, power windows, a power front seat, cruise, a tilt wheel, and a remote mirror.
At 4,696lbs and more than 18′ in total length, the Eldorado is a giant of a car. Getting all of that steel up and moving will take some muscle, and this is a classic that doesn’t disappoint. Under the hood, we find a 429ci V8, a 3-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. This engine should be pumping out a healthy 340hp. I know that this car is all about luxury, but you can’t help but be impressed by the fact that it can produce a ¼ mile ET of a neat 16 seconds. This generation of the Eldorado marked a radical change for the vehicle. The decision was made to adopt the Unified Powerplant Package used so successfully in the Oldsmobile Toronado. That made this the first front-wheel-drive Eldorado. It also brought improvements in interior space, which most owners welcomed with open arms. The engine bay on this one presents well for a vehicle of this age, and this appearance isn’t deceptive. The owner states that the Cadillac runs and drives very well.
This 1967 Cadillac Eldorado is a giant of a car, and it is the sort of classic that would suit someone who wants to isolate themselves from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Its presentation appears to be first-rate. This is one of those rare cars where Hagerty, NADA, and the market itself all seem to agree about values. They generally indicate that a clean and well-maintained example will command a price of around the $14,000 mark, but a pristine car can push beyond $20,000. That means that at the asking price, this one has the potential to be a pretty decent buy. If you’re tempted, it might be worth contacting the owner so that you can perform an inspection. That could be a call that is well worth the effort.
Looks like a great deal. Lose the EQ, add some whitewalls, and presto, you’re Elvis!
To Hell with Elvis, this car has me written all over it.
Now only if my bank account would cough up once in a while I too would be cooler than that dead guy.
P.S. The wheels are fine IMHO.
Bob
Bob, that was harsh.
I’m a Forgotten Rebels fan.
Check out their Elvis song/tune on Google.
:-)’
Bob
You ain’t no Elvis and sure don’t have his bank account
Neither does Elvi$….
He’s worth more now than he was when he was alive.
But if it doesn’t start, do I shoot it in the fender?
Nice find and write-up Adam! I love these ’67-’68 Eldos with the hidden headlights. It’s barely heavier than something like a BMW 750Li. If it had the gears, overdrive and tires of a modern car, it would turn the quarter in high 13s. Throw on snow tires and it would beat the RWD BMW up a snowy hill, not that I would drive this beauty in the snow. Love the blue-over-blue too. Where do I sign?
What a beautiful automobile. How can you not love this styling? This is a great example of a collector car that is priced reasonable and needs nothing but a driver. They are still out there, still waiting to be found. All you need is patience, money, and perseverance. If I was in the market, I would be very happy with this Eldorado. Great find. It will find a new home with a big garage.
Went to buy this…. and didn’t. Not quite as nice as expected. Not an expensive repaint so everything got painted over- screws, wiring, etc. Lots of surface rust and crust underneath, in lower engine compartment, behind trunk panels, etc. Interior is nice but cracked steering wheel, lower driver seat back needs work (pictured), shows 79k miles. Rear bumper is pitted. No hood pad. Drove it around block, noticeable mechanical sound, owner said just a bad tire but I disagree- hopefully just a bearing? I suggest a mechanical PPI. Hope this helps!
Probably was a dog and the seller did a quick cheap paint job to cover up a lot of sin
Thank you for this information. I was very seriously considering buying this, but will pass.
I didn’t say it in my original comment but I think the insert fan Th ic is not original and not correct!
Looks nice, but given Randy’s comments above, perhaps a bit overpriced.
Useless trivia for you:
1) The hoods on these cars were stamped in two pieces and welded together at the center. The windsplit molding covered the joint.
2) There are headlight bezels under the headlight doors, so the cars don’t have that “unfinished” look when the headlights are open.
Taillites may have been based on the rear side markers of the
http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1964_gm_x_stiletto/
The ’68 eldos got the hidden wipers. I would just remove these here for a sleeker look, since the car should only get fair weather use now.
Looking under the hood, cruise control may be electronic in ’67 at caddy?
Guessing that a vinyl roof was std/req’d on these eldos.
I thought that the El Dorado cam with the 501 not a 429.
The 1970 was the first year of the 500cid
It’s a 20 footer. Nice enough to address the cosmetics that were mentioned above but you’d have to own it for $10 grand or less. If you were able to accurately diagnose that “mechanical” noise. Also, funny how small that big 429 looks in that engine bay. I like it.
Nice car, but I’m holding out for the unicorn; 1st gen Eldo with bucket seats…
Can you tell an original California car by the title? I’m in the UK so I don’t know these things, but Randy’s comments suggest the Steelers sticker in the window might have been placed there during a previous life somewhere a whole lot less dry. And as for cheap re-paints, it’s got a decent shine in the photos but when your paint guy puts the lettering back on the driver’s side so it says ELDOARDO, you kind of doubt his attention to detail.
Nigel, Most Calif. residents are from other parts of the country.
It’s been that way since after WWII.
Don’t let the Steelers sticker fool you.
In answer to your questions Nigel, yes.
On the title there is a box with an asterisk and a year.
That is the year the car came in to California.
What’s with the white stuff on the inside door frames?
Check out the pics on craigslist.
Not as nice as it looks, YES, the vinyl top is a replacement and done wrong – it should go all around the rear window. The little curved bright trim at the bas of this one is a dead giveaway that the re-do here was not a well-done restoration, just a quickie repair for sale.
The vinyl top is not correct. Below the back window should have the vinyl below it. If you look at the chrome molding it angles up to the bottom corner of the window. Doesn’t even look right. In fact the chrome molding should be a color coded textured molding to match the top. My guess is it is an added aftermarket top. Most 1967’s did not have vinyl tops. They actually look better without them. I’ve owned many 67-70’s over the years.
Yes, the top’s a mess. Incorrect style (center seam), molding, etc. However, I wouldn’t say “most” 67 didn’t have a VT. Perhaps ‘many’, but the majority I recall from new did have a VT.
I base this on what my father and I owned back in the mid-70’s to early 80’s. We had around 45 early eldo’s and early Toronado’s. Probably 1/3 were eldo’s. None of our 67’s had vinyl but all most all of the 68-70 did. We even had a 1970 with no vinyl but had a factory electric sunroof! As far as the Toronado’s, no 66’s had vinyl. They started in ‘67.
Is that primer on the right lower lip of the trunk? Looks like they missed at the repaint.
My Dad had a new ’68. In the winter I would drive it around looking for the deepest snow drift I could find to see if I could get stuck. Never did, 5000lbs and front drive, the thing was unstoppable by snow. Of course it got about 8 mpg, but was reasonably peppy.
Anyone notice the window cranks in the back seat?
http://images.craigslist.org/00r0r_5hnGODePnnt_0CI0t2_1200x900.jpg
Joe, I noticed that too. Apparently, pw in the rear were an option in 1967. I checked out several 1967s for sale online and only some of them had that option. A bit surprised Cadillac cheaped out on this on such an expensive high end car.
I have a ’67 Eldorado parked in my driveway. These cars are very expensive to repair. Parts for the 429 are getting harder to find.
This car is missing the Auto-Leveling compressor. This means that the original air shocks on the rear have probably been replaced with standard shocks OR with air shocks that you manually keep inflated.
Responding to questions & comments above:
* No matter how it is painted, it is a stunning car to behold in person. So there’s that.
* With good tires, it will do well in the snow. It won’t, however, get better mileage than a Subaru.
* It probably will need more than just a driver.
* Front bearings — as well as other front-end pieces (e.g. brake discs) — are astronomically expensive as they were only shared with the ’68 Eldo and the ’66-’68 Toronado. An “inexpensive” front bearing from China lasted all of about 3 months.
* The dashboard is a one-year-only design. The dash changed in ’68 and again in ’69. Un-cracked steering wheels are almost Unobtanium.
* The hood is so long that they tend to sad under their own weight a tiny bit in the middle. Rust can set in underneath the molding. If the hood pad is in place, you may not see rust until it is way too late.
* Also, the front fenders were too long for Fisher Body to stamp and weld together at the front edge. Therefore there are zinc caps that bring the leading edges of the front fenders to their styling points. Over time, the zinc tends to shrink, leaving front-fender caps that don’t fit well. The problem was solved in 1968 by moving the parking lights up from the front bumper to the tips of the front fenders.
* One plus: Since the headlight doors are closed, I’ll assume that the vacuum system in charge of operating those doors is working. The headlight doors on my car sort of worked, but I’m going to replace the vacuum system with electronic linear servos.
* The ’67 taillights are the most complex of the ’67-’70 run. Their construction was gradually simplified through to the ’70 model.
* The ’67 was the last of the Cadillac 429 engines. It is a one-year-only engine. The high-compression 472 — which was originally intended to arrive in time for the ’67 model year — showed up in ’68. The ’70 Eldorado offered the only high-compression Cadillac 500.
* Bucket-seat ’67-’70 Eldos can be found. But they aren’t as comfortable as the Stratobucket because the center console is too low to function effectively as an armrest.
* Looking at the single engine picture, this does not look like a car that was originally intended for the California market. (25% of the ’67 Eldorado production was sold in Southern California.) The ’67 CA cars have the A.I.R. pollution system. In this pic, I do not see the air-injection manifolds that would distribute air to the cylinder heads (right above the exhaust manifolds). Also, there would be an air pump mounted low on the front of the engine with a hose that ran off to the driver’s-side front fender where an air-intake filter would be mounted.
That isn’t to say that this car didn’t spend its life in CA. But I don’t think it was built as a CA car.
* The vinyl top has been replaced badly. Late 60s GM cars were notorious for rusting underneath their vinyl tops and the Eldorado is certainly no exception. My guess is that the original rear-window channel had rusted away and that it was “repaired” by someone who was, perhaps, in a hurry? I say this because that is the state my vinyl top was in when I bought my car. Repairing a rusty top on a ’67 Eldo is a job that almost no legit body shop will touch. I’d take a magnet and a magnifying glass to ultra-carefully inspect the work that has been done around the rear window and sail panels. On my car, the previous owner had done nothing to stop the rusting process and, instead, simply puttied up the holes and slapped the vinyl back on. I spent nine months working to root out the rust. My car will never again be topped with vinyl! :-)
* Ending on a more upbeat note, this car does look like it has the optional front disc brakes. The brakes work well. But if you need to have the rotors turned, you may face a steep repair bill.
Good luck!
How did the dash change from 1967 to 1968?
* “sag” under their own weight
Excellent tips.