Man, if you had a Cadillac Eldorado Brougham in 1958, you were stylin’! No more beans for breakfast, you were up there in the rarified air with the Monopoly Man. Regardless of its one-time exalted position, this particular Eldorado is a project, and a pretty big one at that, let’s examine further. This Caddy is located in Dallas, Texas, and is available, here on eBay for a BIN price of $26,500. There is also a $30,000 option where the seller will throw in an additional, partial ’58 Eldorado body. Thanks to Larry D for this find.
Costing about $13,000 in 1958 dollars (beyond $120K today), the Eldorado Brougham wanted its owner, and everyone else, to know that they had arrived. The Brougham’s stylish roofline, stainless steel roof panel, curvacious fins, and reverse-opening rear doors cut quite a swath. It was a car that was hard to miss but that could easily happen as according to Autowise, only 304 Eldorado Broughams were assembled in model year 1958.
Another standout feature of the Eldorado Brougham is its triple carburetor fed, 335 gross HP, 365 CI V8 engine. Unfortunately, we are told that the motor, in this case, is “stuck”. The seller claims 54K original miles as this Caddy’s total use but there is no verifying documentation to support that claim. A Hydramatic automatic transmission channels power to the rear wheels which were cushioned by this Eldo’s optional air suspension.
The body and structural integrity of this Cadillac is where things get hinky. Last registered in New York state in 1972, stored for years there and then sent to Texas, where it was stored again, this Eldorado has still seen a lot of outside exposure time. The listing mentions, “RUST IN FRONT FLOOR. RUST IN REAR QUARTER, AND REAR WELL AREA . AND ONE DOOR EDGE“. Note the bottom portion of both quarter panels, they’re both missing though the lower stainless steel overlay panels, which appear to comprise the lower quarters themselves, are both included. The underside images show very heavy scale but there is no mention of compromised integrity. The seller also mentions that the stainless steel roof panel is dented.
And that’s where the extra $3,500 comes into play – interested buyers can buy Eldorado number two and use its remains to repair the quarters and roof of the subject car, Eldorado number one.
The interior is a mixed bag. The seating upholstery is distressed and appears to be coming apart in places, but the artwork instrument panel still looks fine other than some surface rust that is bleeding through the painted lower portion. The biggest issue, of course, are the rotted through floors. Not surprisingly, the headliner is earthbound and one has to imagine that the miles of wiring will all probably need to be replaced. A standard Brougham feature, and optional on other Caddilac models, was air conditioning – this Eldorado’s compressor is still under the hood but appears to be unattached.
So, worth saving? Almost every old car is worth saving in my book, even though it’s not always feasible or even possible. An Eldorado Brougham’s necessary survival goes without saying. What can be said, however, is that this Cadillac’s restoration will be a significant undertaking, wouldn’t you agree?
no doubt significant $ an time to restore this but I didnt even know caddy had a 3 deuce setup… If thats factory and add in ac, gota be on the rare side. I had a 3 deuce setup that came off 58 buick nailhead, never seen another one….Everyone told me it was a pontiac tri power setup, but, sorry I know what a nailhead buick looks like, I bought in a junk in early 70’s for $5 as long as I pulled it myself. I had that and triple carb 406 setup that I stored in a friends garage where we all partied back in the day…they both somehow “disappeared”…..
’58 Eldorados were all tri-power. Prior year they were all dual quad.
No factory Buick tri-powers tho; there was a 2×2 in ’41, then 2x4s starting in ’64, so any nailhead tri-power was aftermarket.
thats interesting about the eldorados, I never thought about caddy and multiple carbs. the buick intake was in a junkyard owned by an old fella that would be a goldmine to people today. my older brother an his friend were pulling a hemi out of a I think a desoto while I perused the junkyard. It was like an automotive adventure for a 16 yr old every time you popped the hood on a car and seeing what lay there…I remember a mid 60’s mercury wagon that had a 410 in it, something you dont come across very often now…I think they had the same crank as a 428 , at least the same stroke. The hemi they pulled they figured was a 392 an they’re grand plan was to put it in a 64 nova and be kings of the street in our area, well they got it to my brothers friends barn and tore it down, I measured the bore an stroke as best I could with a ruler and calculated 280 something ci, they said I was crazy and didnt know what I was doing , it had to be a 392. well about a week later the project was suddenly abandoned.I think someone in the know told them it was a 287 or 291 and worthless for a hot rod, they never did say anything to me about it….the old guy must of been laughing his a** off knowing what it was and getting a 100 bucks for it…
The engine with 3 deuces (Q code) was standard for the Eldorado Biarritz, Seville and Brougham. The standard engine for all other models used a single four barrel. The Q code was available as an extra cost option.
“And after we get good and greasy
Baby we can come back home
Put the cow horns back on the Cadillac
And change the message on the code-a-phone”
“Memphis In The Meantime” John Hiatt
There’s some serious “weight reduction” on this old Caddie.
Spent a lot of time at the Tin Worm Race Prep Shop. Yep.
Every part is different from the other Caddies in the line so good luck with parts!
The carbs are the J2 setup from other GMs.
The interior should be the decision maker on these. It’s incredibly detailed and difficult to restore.
These cost more than a Rolls Royce in 58. If I had the funds and ability I would restore it. They are so beautiful done properly. But it would probably be less expensive to buy one that is already done. I hope someone saves it.
Hats off to anyone brave enough to tackle this one. I hope someone with deep pockets, and no illusions about recovering their “investment” takes it on. My Dad was a Cadillac man for decades. (Until a Diesel Eldorado, in his words, “broke him of Cadillacs). In ‘61 he wanted to upgrade from the ‘53 Sedan de Ville. He didn’t want to take the hit on a new ‘61, but he really didn’t like the monster fins on the ‘59 and ‘60. I remember that both Mom and Dad thought that the late ‘50s Eldos were weird (their actual term) Ended up buying a ‘58 Series 62 extended deck Sedan de Ville- followed by a ‘64 Sedan de Ville, ‘64 Fleetwood, ( fix & flip) ‘67 Sedan de Ville- and the infamous ‘’81 Eldorado Biarritz with the disposable 5.7 diesel. Lincolns after that.
I have mixed emotions on the late ‘50s Eldos- but I can appreciate them. GLWTS
I had a number of diesel Caddy sedans and coupes from late 70s to late 80’s, but never an Eldo.
Didn’t know that the diesel was ever offered in an Eldo….?
Restoring one of these is not for the faint of heart.
Or checkbook and credit card
Even if you do have a custom made 3 piece pool cue Jim Croce
Growing up I remember my neighbors having one, it was a nice car, rode good. My dad couldn’t afford one, so he drove a 58 Buick Roadmaster, it rode good too
My retired neighbor in Vermont in the late 60s also had one, possibly light green?
Oh how far this has fallen…
Maybe the engine wouldn’t be “stuck” if they had left the air cleaners on. That’s always a mystery to me.
Or checkbook and credit card
Many years ago I was having some pieces chromed for a Morris Minor I was redoing.
The shop had both bumpers and the lower rear “skirts” from a Brougham in for plating. They are all die-cast aluminum, and in the late 60’s they were $10,000 to redo, I doubt the cost has gone down since then.
Still my favorite car, and as soon as Ed McMann drops off my check I will get one.
The rear fender skirts are made of stainless steel. No need to chrome them.
My father owned three mint 1957 Eldorado Broughams stainless tops in the 70’s.
That’s Pete…..he knows his Eldo’s !
As soon as I saw Dallas I knew it was Pete. Went over to eBay and sure nuff it was ol’ Pete.