When the seller first spotted this 1975 Cadillac Eldorado, he barely gave the vehicle a second glance. He thought it was just another brown Caddy, and it didn’t interest him. However, after walking past it several times, he gave it a closer look. What he found surprised him. Its original owner had parked it in a barn thirty-four years ago, and it was remarkably well preserved. He also determined that it wasn’t brown, and its paint shade made it something special. He purchased and revived the vehicle and now feels that it needs to go to a new home where a new owner will appreciate it. Located in Spokane Valley, Washington, you will find the Cadillac listed for sale here on Craigslist. The price of admission for this classic is $18,000.
Once the seller had washed away more than three decades of accumulated dust, he revealed that this Eldorado rolled off the line wearing Mandarin Orange paint. It is complemented by a matching landau-style vinyl top. The owner claims that this is a rare shade, but I’ve been unable to determine precise build totals in this case. The paint holds an impressive shine, with no significant problems or issues. The panels are laser straight, and the gaps are as tight and consistent as you might expect from any classic wearing the Cadillac badge. It seems that the storage environment must have been close to ideal because there is no evidence of surface corrosion anywhere on the vehicle and no signs of penetrating rust. The chrome glows warmly, with no flaws or defects. The tinted glass is spotlessly clean, and there’s little doubt that in this color, the Eldorado will turn heads wherever it goes.
It is pretty common to find cars that have spent decades in a barn exhibiting signs of rodent infestation. That hasn’t been the case with this Cadillac. It seems that the original owner liked his cats, and they patrolled the barn, keeping Mickey Mouse and his friends at bay. The seller says that the interior smells new, and when you look at its overall condition, that claim is easy to believe. The Orange leather upholstery shows no wear or flaws and remains soft and inviting. The dash is flawless, with no cracks or problems. It is a similar story with the wheel, while the carpet and headliner are in as-new condition. The vehicle features climate control air conditioning, but this isn’t working at the time of writing. However, the seller is investigating the problem and hopes to have it functional before the car is ready to go to a new owner. It also features power windows, power locks, a remote trunk release with soft-close, a tilt wheel, cruise control, an AM/FM radio 8-track player, and a power antenna. Apart from the A/C system, everything works as it should.
At more than 18½ feet in total length and tipping the scales beyond 5,100lbs, the 1975 Eldorado is a genuine 1970s “land yacht.” Therefore, it needs something pretty mighty under the hood to get this giant up and running. Those duties fall to a 500ci V8 that produces 190hp. Those horses find their way to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic transmission, while the Eldorado also features power steering and power brakes. Considering its size and weight, the 19.3-second ¼-mile ET doesn’t look bad. Most Cadillac buyers in 1975 weren’t that concerned with fuel economy, which is a good thing. It might offer travel in splendid isolation, but it does so while chewing through fuel at less than 10mpg. This Caddy would not make an economical daily driver! When the seller dragged this classic out of hiding, he thought that reviving it would be a pretty daunting undertaking. However, he found that the original owner had serviced the car just before parking in the barn and that the engine turned freely. He squirted some Mystery Oil into the cylinders and let that sit for a few days. After flushing the fuel tank and lines, replacing the fluids, and slotting in a new battery, that mighty V8 roared into life easily. It made no odd noises, nor did it produce smoke. The tires were pretty sad, so a new set now graces this Caddy’s wheels. The owner says it runs and drives perfectly, with no issues or problems. Sadly, he doesn’t provide any engine photos. He does indicate that the Eldorado has a genuine 44,700 miles on the clock, and the service stickers appear to confirm this.
Many classic cars have a story to tell, and the tale for this Cadillac has been one of isolation. That it has emerged from hiding in such good condition is proof that there are still some fantastic finds lurking in barns and sheds across the country. The overall condition of this Eldorado, when combined with this paint color, makes it a genuine eye-catcher. After decades of inactivity, it seems only fitting that the seller has returned it to our roads. I hope that whoever buys it drives and enjoys it as its makers intended. That seems fitting in a case like this.
The horses would find their way to the front wheels in this Eldorado, it’s front wheel drive.
Beautiful car! I learned how to drive in a 1975 Eldorado Convertible in another rare shade, Emberust Firemist. Luckily the top was down when I had to back it out of the driveway.
Looks to be well worth the price. Nice find.
WHO ever took MY advert and posted it here 1) please ask first 2) Don’t change anything I wrote, you don’t have my permission. 3) learn that 1975 Cadillac Eldorados are FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CARS
FAIR ENOUGH? THANKS!
Klaus, I pay to be a member of this virtual community. When I have a vintage car for sale, I pay even more money to advertise it on this website. I have sold a fair number of cars here.
As with any social media, you get people who have no lives, who critique the cars. But there are serious buyers here.
So, someone from this virtual community recommended posting your car here FOR FREE!
That is free advertising! Yet you sit here and talk about the write-up, you taunt the audience by referring to us as armchair quarterbacks, and you are generally condescending towards us. With an attitude like that, I doubt anyone will buy the car, because no one wants to deal with you!
So, it is free advertising for your car. Leave it at that, sit down and shut up lol. I mean that in the nicest way possible!
And the author of the article lives in Australia. He doesn’t know much about American cars, so the fact that he didn’t know it is front wheel drive should be excused. I doubt he has ever seen these grand beasts in person.
It may be officially called Mandarin Orange, but I would call it Butterscotch.
Too fast on the posting?
“Those horses find their way to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic transmission, while the Eldorado also features power steering and power brakes.” Not correct.
And this is why I like to read the comments more than the commentary.
The mileage is shown on the odometer. The time is shown on the clock.
190 horses from a 500ci?? Such travesty, especially from a Cadillac!
Unlike most flippers on here, this guy took the time to clean the car up and get it running. Translation. He makes more money. Beautiful car. Well worth what he is asking.
Those 190 Ponies PULLED (FWD) these Big Girls, Better than the same 190 Ponies would’ve PUSHED (RWD) It.
It’s the 380 ft. lb. of torque @ 2000 rpm that gets these barges moving…
A few years earlier these 500’s had 500+ ft. lb. of torque.
The torque output is actually very close given the difference between gross and net power and torque figures. HP is much reduced due to the lower compression, the catalytic convertor, the single exhaust, etc. Opening up the exhaust provides the single biggest bang-for-the-buck power increase.
I don’t see the fuel delivery system mentioned, so it could be a Q-jet or Bendix FI which has precisely 0 potential for a performance increase. If it has the carb, one can tune the Q-Jet, give it a modern cam, recurve the distributor…maybe even install a modern EFI unit (Sniper or FiTech) which would provide much better fuel economy and drivability. There are quite a few options here to get better performance, economy, and reliability.
I don’t know if I would want an Eldorado to sound like a souped up Chevelle by opening up her exhaust.
I think he means to open the exhaust in the flow sense, not necessarily with more noise. These are the definitive cruisers to my memory, and I include the ’67 DeVille shown elsewhere on this site.
@Jake Thesnake neither would I. A true dual system with 2 1/2” pipes, turbo mufflers and a crossover (and even dual cats if you want to play nice) would be perfect for a car like this and provide just enough tone.
Or you could have this one and feel like you’ve been hit in the back by the hand of G-d every time you release the transbrake https://youtu.be/ewe-jylQE3s
@Jwzg
OMG
That is the way to sell a barn find. Displays beautifully.
It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.
These cars are great cruisers, but have limited popularity, mainly due to size(won’t fit in many residential garages). Hardtops like this have even a smaller following when compared to the convertible model.
I have seen several Eldos of this vintage with similar miles/condition in my area over the past 6-8 months. Some are still for sale, with decent coupes struggling to get $10K, and nice convertibles about $20+K.
In todays market, the car in question is overpriced. While the owner goes into detail about washing and detailing the car, there is little info of substance regarding mechanical condition. There are no pics of engine, or undercarriage.
The engines in these have plastic-coated timing gears, that must be replaced, regardless of mileage. The plastic eventually breaks down, and can lead to catastrophic engine failure. To properly change the timing chain in an Eldo, the engine Must come out. It is a big, heavy job. It can also get more complicated when exhaust bolts break off in the heads etc. Pieces of plastic from the gear also usually end up blocking the oil pickup, so the pan must be removed to get to it.
These cars also have factory air suspension. The air pump is operated by engine vacuum, with a levelling valve over the rear axle, and air shocks. These systems are now quite old and Always need service. Problem is the pumps, and many other parts NLA. There are few shops that genuinely know how to repair or maintain these systems properly. If originality is not important, there are alternatives.
The A/C and automatic climate control systems also require (typically expensive) specialist attention.
I have had experience with these cars since they were new, and currently have two in my collection (a ’71 convertible, and a ’77 Biarritz coupe).
If you are considering an Eldo of this generation, I suggest the earlier versions that have significantly more horsepower, and smaller bumpers without the brittle fender extensions.
So if you’re in love with this car (and it would be easy to get that way) and you have to pull that motor to replace the timing chain anyway, why not while you’re at it, put a healthier cam (and maybe a longer stroke crank) in it and solve all this car’s horsepower problems at one time? With the rest of the car in such excellent condition, you could drive this bad boy for years without having to do anything else to it.
Pulling the engine before its needed is a huge undertaking and more than most would like to do unless it’s warranted. Same thing with air pump controlled suspension. Again, only if needed. If it did, I would consider air bagging her, as opposed to rebuilding the old one. If I bought it I would try and enjoy driving it as long as I could before tackling such enormous and expensive repairs.
My car. If you’re interested, really interested, I’d be happy to send you more photos.. engine bay included.
In realtionship to price….. find another 44,000 mile 75 coupe in Madarin orange. There ISN’T one. So, you wonderful arm chair quarter back…what would YOU sell the car for? 😁
Well this guy did a great job cleaning this one up inside and out! He deserves what he’s asking for it. Petronix module instead of points will make a big difference too.. Those leather seats look like butter and hope he gets the AC working for the next owner. Great find
The Pertronix modules work great in earlier cars, but 1975 Eldos came with HEI electronic ignition. It was an option in ’74, but standard from ’75 on.
In looking at the first photo, my thoughts were ho hum. After the owner’s excellent jog cleaning and prepping it, I rather like it. Nice, different, and unique.
Kudos also to the owner for at least continuing to work to fix the remaining issues. It is a lot of money, but with absolutely nothing being made anymore in this genre of vehicle, it probably isn’t a bad investment decision. GLWTS.
Elderadosaurus!
I would drive it accross country if my name was Getty.
Early HEIs in 1975 Cadillacs also need replacing over time, and Pretronix makes great aftermarket upgrades from modules to full distributors for this year car. Had a friend with a 1975 like this one and we replaced the unit with a Petronix and it worked great.
What a beautiful boat! My dream is one in this shade of orange with a white interior & a top that goes down.
There is no such thing as getting the AC charged with R12. The valve and system will be have to be refitted to a 134 system. Not something you can do in a home shop, but a refit that a AC guy will have to do.
My car. If you’re interested, really interested, I’d be happy to send you more photos.. engine bay included.
In realtionship to price….. find another 44,000 mile 75 coupe in Madarin orange. There ISN’T one. So, you wonderful arm chair quarter back…what would YOU sell the car for? 😁
If one has the gauges, the R12, the ability to evac and charge the system, one does not need to do a darn thing with the service valves. Does one… 😁
No they don’t Klaus. But finding that R12 will be your first challenge. Most of it is gone unless you know some sold shade tree mechanic who has some squirreled away in his garage. The second challenge will be finding someone who knows how to evac and re-charge the system who doesn’t have a license he wants to jeopardize by charging the system with R12 which is now an illegal substance to use according to the EPA. I would be safe and just go R134.
Converting from R12 to 134 will make anyone’s life easier on Older cars, and also make it more serviceable. Not everyone has the equipment in their home shop to do that does one? R12 is not only expensive and nearly impossible to find, its also damn near illegal
Finding a car this original, I think it paramount to stay that way.
Folks…. I need to apologize for being rude. When I was told my car was posted on this site, without permission, I was not pleased. I am glad you all seem to like the car, it really is quite something. Thanks for that.
To the barn Find folks: PLEASE ask first. I had submitted the car to an auction. Now that the story (and asking price) have been disclosed, it may limit how well the car can possibly do. Not appreciated. truly not. I think it would be appropriate to ask the seller before posting ANY car on your site as you do not know what the owners plans may be…. not cool.
Not the point Stevieg
The seller should be asked before any car is posted. period.
The site has no idea what the owners future marketing plans may be and that by posting without their knowledge and authorization may negatively effect those plans, how the car may be marketed and could very well limit just how well the car may do in relationship to value in the future.
Common courtesy would dictate obtaining prior authorization or is that asking a bit too much? The car was scheduled to post on an auction site (No, not Bring a trailer – not ever) When that posting was to go live, anywhere else the was listed the listings would be removed as per agreement. I can’t remove THIS post, meaning I cannot fulfill my end of the agreement, meaning I have wasted time and money. Thanks for the FREE advertising….
I am flattered that so many appear to like the car. It is truly unique in color combination and most certainly in its originality and lack of miles driven. It really is a stunner…hell, given its color, brilliance and size, you could see this car from space :) Again, thanks for the great comments, they really are much appreciated.
KKindor, once you explained why you got upset, I get it. I apologize to you for getting snappy with you.
Maybe the administration or the writers can do some reaching out to the sellers before posting. Just a suggestion.
I really enjoy this website & most of the people on it, I would hate for it to get a bad reputation because of situations like this.
Beautiful car sir! I love the color & the condition. Good luck with the sale of her…ya can’t keep them all (unless you are Leno lol).
Stevieg,
Thank you. Normally, I’d be truly flattered that so many like the car. Truth be known, I’m a Porsche guy, always have been. I love driving this car..shhhhhhh !!! I could drive a million dollar Ferrari, this car would get far more attention :)
This mandarin Eldorado is one of just a few cars I was able to obtain from what was a private collection of over 150 Cadillacs. ALL had been in that same barn for nearly 4 decades, some longer. All have now been sold but, I have 3 more cars that will turn out just as nicely as the Orange ’75, all have less than 50,000 miles and all three are rare as hell. What we have been able to determine from the other cars is that “grandpa” a wheat farmer, was really good at taking care of things. We believe all of the cars were freshly serviced, oil, trans, coolant before they were parked. The first day I actually saw all of the cars in this EMMENSE barn, I really could not believe my eyes…truly not, it was an ocean of Cadillac’s.
Now that I know this site exists, I may just post the cars here….rather than being surprised :)
I like the site, it is new to me and had I been asked before-hand, hell I may have listed the car here instead.
Great 75 Eldorado and it cleaned up nicely in the process. It’s certainly worth the money the seller is asking for her. Whoever winds up getting her will be a happy camper. IMO