We’ve recently seen a few promising classic Convertibles cross our desks at Barn Finds, and this 1971 Cadillac Eldorado sits high on the list. It presents superbly following a recent repaint and is in excellent mechanical health. It is ready to provide a new owner with enjoyable top-down summer fun. The seller has listed the Caddy here on eBay in Apache Junction, Arizona. Bidding sits below the reserve at $7,755, although there is a BIN option of $16,000 for those who find this classic irresistible.
Finding anything to criticize about this Eldorado is almost impossible. It spent its life in a dry climate, making its rust-free status unsurprising. The panels are as straight as an arrow, and only around a year has passed since the seller treated it to a repaint using a bare-metal approach. They just applied the first coat of wax, leaving the paint shining like glass. The car’s recent history means there are no significant paint flaws or defects, and the new White power top looks perfect. Cadillac slightly increased the Eldorado’s length for 1971, and the rear fender skirts accentuate its low and sleek appearance. The exterior trim is in excellent condition for its age, the tinted glass is crystal clear, and the narrow whitewalls provide the ideal finishing touch.
The Eighth Generation Eldorado represented a significant shift in engineering philosophy for Cadillac, abandoning the traditional rear-wheel drive configuration for front-wheel drive. It utilized Oldsmobile’s Unified Powerplant Package (UPP), allowing it to work with a proven product. It continued that trend with the Ninth Generation in 1971, with this Eldorado sending the 365hp and 435 ft/lbs of torque from its 500ci V8 to the road via the front wheels and a three-speed automatic transmission. Naturally, power assistance for the steering and brakes was standard equipment. The drop-top’s curb weight of 2,272 lbs was about average for a vehicle of this type, and its performance was quite spirited. The seller indicates the car is in excellent mechanical health, which is unsurprising considering the money they have recently spent. It received new front shocks, lines to the rear air shocks, and new axles, seals, and boots. The tires are new, as are the brakes, exhaust, power steering pump, and alternator. Potential buyers can consider it a turnkey proposition, with the seller stating they wouldn’t hesitate to drive it anywhere.
The positive vibes continue inside this Eldorado. Hiding a substandard interior is virtually impossible with any classic Convertible, but this Cadillac has no significant worries. A couple of plastic pieces show discoloring, and the radio is missing. The dashpad sports a cover, and given the car’s location, it may hide cracks. Otherwise, the upholstered surfaces look good, there is no significant carpet wear, and the timber trim isn’t faded or lifting. Occupants can sink back into the leather seats and enjoy the ice-cold air conditioning, power windows, power locks, cruise control, and tilt wheel.
This 1971 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible is a gem, and the timing of its listing is almost ideal for those contemplating parking a classic soft-top in their garage. It has no immediate needs, and its overall condition has seen it attract seventeen bids. The seller states that the BIN price is their expectation for the figure the bidding should reach. Considering it received a few bids during the past hour, I won’t be surprised if it gets there. Would you consider pursuing it further?
Beautiful car but I am a little skeptical at your assertion of 2200 lbs curb weight. 😁
2272 pounds? Is that a typo? This car is massive but I like it. Sixteen thousand BIN price seems reasonable.
It’s actually 2272 kilos…. almost 5,000 lbs. Honest mistake. Great write-up! And the price seems dandy for a Cadillac of this vintage with a new top and refreshed paint.
Eldorado convertibles from 71-
76 are listed at 5135 lbs. i believe.
Looks like a nice Caddy convertible. Great cruiser. Take the grandkids for a ride, they would love it.
Aside: my suggestion to the seller would be to spend just an iota more of effort in photographing the car. Even the basics: the background should focus the attention on the car, not detract from it.
I find the ’70s Eldorados to be baroque and bloated compared to the crisp ’67-’68 versions. That being said, the convertible made a nice addition to the line. It was made possible by the close relationship between the E-body Eldorado/Riviera/Toronado and the B-body Impala/Catalina/Delta 88/LeSabre. The two bodies shared a common cowl and windshield, with the convertibles taking the relationship further with matching top mechanisms and side glass. So, you could argue that this Eldorado convertible has more in common with an Impala convertible than other Cadillacs.
I have a ’71 Eldo convertible in my collection. They are great cruising cars.
I do like the car for sale here. Great colours, and no rust. Unfortunately, someone has butchered the dash where the original radio went, which often means more wiring and speaker related issues…. I see there is a cover on the steering wheel and dash, so they are probably cracked. The top is nice, but the parade boot is missing. Given these issues, I think this car is more in the $12K range.
Wasn’t the parade boot an option? The ’71 brochure shows an Eldorado with a 1-piece boot, the ’72 brochure refers to it as the “new hard boot,” and the ’73 brochure calls it the “available hard boot.”
Faults noted by Cam sure drop the price a lot! Whoever did the top seems to have done a good job, but is it vinyl or canvas? Presents beautifully.
That is not only a horrible color of blue, but the paint job looks cheap. Even if it wasn’t, it LOOKS cheap and awful.
I had a friend in the late 90s who had one, a pretty sort of pale blue mist. He also, had his cheaply repainted, in a slightly darker blue. In my opinion, he just messed it up.
Between the dashboard butcher job and te horrible repaint, I agree it’s overpriced for the BIN.
Agreed Angel. This (beautiful) car has somehow been made ugly.
Anyone else notice the 1973 Eldorado convertible in the background of the picture of the rear of the car?
Wonder if that is also for sale?
These cars could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Yes any car can but with the Eldorado a young driver without much experience could lose control easily because of the power and inability to take hard turns or bends. When you were clipping 60-70 mph and you hit that pedal down to the floor that car becomes a monster Grrrrrr!
I did see the 1973 after you mentioned it Angel. My guess is anything is for sale if the price and timing is right. My father bought a new 73 El Dorado convertible white with blinding red interior when the top was down. I acquired two in the late 70s a 71 & 72 convertibles blue/white interior and all black. The white 71s interior began to harden and show it age. The black interior was soft supple and beautiful.
This blue does look odd as mine looked more along the lines of the Corvette blue. I’m always leary of new paint jobs IMO the seller should provide before and during photos. Bare metal paint jobs are especially prone to acquiring surface rust if not treated immediately and since there’s a lot of real estate here that possibility may exist. And even then there’s no guarantee. So I fail to see the logic of stripping a “rust free” car down to bare metal. You’re opening up a can of worms.
Take a closer look at the front seat sitting area material. It looks to be a cheap vinyl replacement of what I think was leather from the factory and does not seem to match the buttons and the sides. Maybe I’m wrong, but the cracked, and butchered dash hints at a rough history that along with the fresh paint may be hiding more trouble than you think.
@D
I don’t understand why people think they can get away stupid 💩 especially when their vehicle is posted on a site like Barn Finds! This site is loaded with very knowledgeable people who are going to see right through the bull…..
In my head, the price of this vehicle is rapidly going down, down, down.
The paint, the dashboard, the hard boot, the front seat. It’s obvious to me at least that everything done to this Cadillac was done as cheaply as possible to present well and get maximum profit. I understand that this is the premise of this country, I don’t agree with it though.
Ya’ll know I love Cadillacs, but this would be a NO for me. Find a sucker who knows nothing about cars.
I think sellers often find out the hard way that their car is featured here. They are not listing it here themselves. I’ve seen sellers on eBay or CL get very defensive about the comments made about their car on this site and they often chime in to express their displeasure of being “outed.”