5th Apr 2020, 16:36
A 70's Caddy would be a nice toy to have, but it's probably not a good idea to try to daily drive anything from the 70's these days unless you can tolerate breaking down. These cars are 40+ years old now, so everything that can go wrong - will go wrong.
6th Apr 2020, 18:24
I have a friend with a 1974 Cadillac Eldorado. Even though it was well taken care of and has had the engine, transmission and drivetrain overhauled, it's not exactly the most reliable car. The issue is that these came with a LOT of luxury features, and in his experience these are constantly having issues. The worst part is that during that period the "ingenious" idea was to simply hide all of the gauges and instead have a big bank of "Idiot lights" that are supposed to come on if there is an issue. That system is an intricate system of sensors and it's hardly reliable. In fact early on the car overheated because the sensor for that light failed and he was totally unaware that the thermostat had failed. That and yeah - the huge engines in these things just guzzle gas. In that he's lucky to get 9 MPG on the freeway.
8th Apr 2020, 01:00
Tell your friend when he turns the key to the "on" position, all dash warning lights briefly come on. If there are any that don't, then you know there is a sensor problem or even a bulb could be out.
29th Jul 2021, 17:48
I have found a 1974 Eldorado convertible with 67000 miles I’m considering buying. Asking price $15500. I will take it to my mechanic first. Everything seems to work, interior in great shape. Paint is peeling on the trunk but I see no rust anywhere. The car in recent years has only been summer driven. Any thoughts what I should look out for?
30th Jul 2021, 02:26
Make sure all the front suspension parts are in good order. These cars have a lot of weight up front being FWD.
11th Aug 2023, 18:45
I bought one in 1995. It was like new, everything worked. White, white convertible top, red interior. Not split front seats though which most definitely would have been better.
We drove that from NC to Sarasota fl and back; from NC to PA (and Gettysburg), and Cleveland OH and back. No problem. A subsequent trip to PA rendered a blown AC evaporator during a dark and stormy night. I still shudder.
After that, the car sat still in storage for 24 years. Glad it had Mobil One oil in the engine. So for the past two years I've been bringing it back to life. All of the usuals in draining and replacing fluids, battery, brakes and calipers, fuel pump, filters of all kinds. The AC compressor belt is replaced with one that bypasses it. The cooling system has been double cleaned, but I have doubts about the radiator so it will be replaced, as well the heater core and water pump.
For whatever reason the previously working windshield washer motor is not making a peep. Even the radio makes only a hiss, though the 8-track still works fine. Seat electricals work and windows go up and down. So, I have a goodly number of miles going up and down the streets nearby and I LOVE the ride. That is addictive! Apparently this car had some passenger damage in the past and that body work is flaking off some paint. Meh. So, yet one more bother.
DO note that all of this vintage year had the 4 corner fender extensions made of something flexible. Well, they rot. They can be replaced with a fiberglass substitute which I have done on this car over the years. Yeah, bother, but yer gonna have 'bother' with any car, new or old anymore. So, there I am, going into dash removal for radio and heater core (clock too?), radiator and water pump; then looking into total AC replacement. Yep, fun...
11th Feb 2020, 20:33
The Cadillac family of engines from the 70s (472, 500, 425) were reliable. So you have nothing to be afraid of there. My question is why would you want to daily drive one the distances you mention? With the price of gas and the mileage those power plants get to the gallon, you will go broke.