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Land Yacht: 1965 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible

1965 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible

If you want a big beautiful cruiser, then may I suggest this? It’s a 1965 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado Convertible and it even has a long name to match that long silhouette. The seller claims that it was put into storage in 1998 and that they just recently saved it. There are still some areas that could use attention, but overall this Caddy looks ready for some serious summer land yachting! It’s listed here on craigslist for $19,500 and is located in Bedford Village, New York.

Parade Boot

It’s ready for parade day too! The seller mentions that the car includes a two-piece convertible boot cover that is called a “Parade Boot”. This does look like the perfect car to cruise down main street with a beauty queen in the back waving at everyone. I’d just like to see the boot in place instead of in the trunk.

429 V8

You will have plenty of power when you get off main and make your way to the highway because that big 429 is rated at 340 horsepower. You need a decent amount of power just to move this thing down the road, but luckily this engine was produced before emission control laws started to make it hard to breathe.

Luxurious Interior

It’s easy to imagine that those cushy seats make for some smooth sailing, but this photo doesn’t do the interior justice. There are lots of little details and features that you wouldn’t find in most cars from the era. A Cadillac really was something special back when this was new.

Long Convertible

Sheffield Firemist could be the coolest name ever given to a paint color! It does look stunning on this Cadillac’s unique body design. Unfortunately, it has been resprayed at some point. The top was replaced too, but as long as the work was done well, this one might be worth a look.

Comments

  1. Avatar Cool Cadillac Cat

    Oh. My.

    The Fleetwood was nice, but the Eldorado trim was the top of the top. There aren’t many of them, and they were insanely expensive when built.

    $6,600, which doesn’t sound like much, but that’s effectively $50K, today.

    This…I want this car. Too bad I learned week-before-last I’m being laid off the last day of June.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Shelby Guy

    Twilight Sentinel is not the color, but one of the options on the vehicle. Ad states the color as “Sheffield Firemist silver”. Beautiful car, love these old land yachts!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      Thanks fur catching my typo! All fixed.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar ImpalaGuy

    “Twilight Sentinel” is a sensor that turns the headlights on a dusk, a fairly standard item these days. The color of the car is listed in the ad as “Sheffield Firemist”. It’s a beauty, no matter what you want to call it.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      You’re right. I was originally going to write about how cool the Twilight Sentinel was, but ended up talking about the paint instead. Thanks.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Todd Zuercher

    “Breathe”, not “breath”.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      Wow, I struck out on this one! Tanks for catching that.

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Mr. TKD

    I’ve always been a fan of Cadillacs–and this does nothing to change that. Beautiful!

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Robert White

    Nice Caddy, Jesse, I’m buying more lottery tickets tomorrow, wish me luck, eh.

    Bob

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Chris in Nashville

    Anyone got 18,000 to give me?

    Like 0
  8. Avatar AMCSTEVE

    That car is just drop dead gorgeous. 20k seems like all the money on that one though

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Woodie Man

    As a young lad in the mid seventies I had a ’65 Fleetwood…bought it from a pimp behind Madison Square Garden for $750.00……….found some extra license plates from other states under the seat. Beautiful car…I loved the signal seeking radio and the twilight sentinel. Absolutely cherry…..and here we are 40 years later and it’s like minting money……….aargh…..

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Andy Frobig

    I had a ’65 4 door in the early ’90s, probably the coolest car I’ve owned. It was fast, Anna it handled way better than you’d expect. And as heavy as these cars were, with no crumple zones or collapsible steering columns or airbags or ABS, etc., they were actually a lot lighter than their modern counterparts. ’65 was a great year to me because they were much more elegant and understated than the ’64s and before, but still majestic. My car had Auto Dimmer, which isn’t the same as Twilight Sentinel: Auto Dimmer lowers the high beams when it senses oncoming headlights. It never worked that well for me. One time I almost failed an inspection because my highs wouldn’t come on. I showed the inspector they worked fine, after you let the vacuum tubes in the sensor warm up!
    I’d love this convertible if I had anywhere to put it. After Barn Finds is around for a while longer, it’ll be interesting to see if there are any barn finds whose current owner found them on Barn Finds.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar L.M.K.

    Beautiful cars indeed….

    I see a lot of details and detailing that still need sorting on this car. A much closer look is warranted on this one…..

    Better inspect this one thoroughly….

    Like 0
  12. Avatar DrinkinGasoline

    Although I am partial to the ’64, this ’65 is one pretty Verty Eldo Lac!
    Any bits could be sorted out directly.
    A tiny airbrushing on the decklid of “S.S.Eldorado” and all is well. It would be right at home next to Mom’s ’90 Brougham at 32k (airbrushed “S.S. Ruby”). Our Caddy ship yard…lol

    Like 0
  13. Avatar DrinkinGasoline

    ANY vehicle is like an onion. Once You start to peel it, it reveals more layers. Sometimes those layers are intact, sometimes not. Vehicle restoration is a passion that few understand.
    Drinkin’ Gasoline with grease in the joints and sometimes not so pleasant, loud exhaust…..it’s in the DNA.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar DrinkinGasoline

    OK,OK ! We all get that Jesse should have deployed Spell Check…
    Enough of the petty “whatever” already !. He DID get the story across as intended……geez.
    Wow, He who is without sin….need I continue ?

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Don Dimble

    Curious to know, Can you run unleaded in these old high compression motors? Or do you need to use additive?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Roselandpete

      In a 71 Chevy brochure, it says that the engines were now designed to run on low lead or no lead gas so the 65’s probably were not but a lot of people must be using the stuff in their cars. My concern has always been the ethanol in the gas. Back in the 70’s, I had a 60 Vette that I used to fill up with Arco. It ran “OK” but one day I filled up with Shell SU2000. It was like a new motor was put in the car. I later found out that Arco put ethanol in its gas but Shell did not. Pumps were not required to disclose ethanol content at that time. When Shell finally started adding ethanol, the gave out a brochure saying that older cars might be “sensitive” to the ethanol which meant that the ethanol would eat the rubber. I have some early 70’s cars so now when I fill up, to dilute the crappy new gas, I put in a few gallons of pure gas racing fuel and fill up the rest with the ethanol stuff.

      Like 0
  16. Avatar Fred

    I’ve got a ’66 Tbird with a 390 that seems to do fine without an additive. As long as you hear little or no pinging on acceleration you are fine. If you do hear some you can try retarding the timing a bit, sacrificing a little power for the greater good. Even though I don’t use an additive, I do run ethanol free gas , alcohol is tough on the old rubber fuel system parts.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Vince Habel

    I ran Amaco in my 64 Olds 98 all the time and it was over 100k when I sold it.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Oldcarsarecool

    The 1965 Cadillac will always be one of my favorites. I had a ’65 Deville convertible many years ago and miss it tremendously . . .

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Mike Simpson

    Where did he get a parade boot to fit I have a 66 and can’t find one to fit my car

    Like 0

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