My Cad was delivered. I'm Somebody now!

[71 Fleetwood]

I bought this '71 Fleetwood Sixty Special four weeks ago.  It arrived today in fine shape.  56K miles.  Gotta tell you, bias ply tires are "groovy".  I forgot how they follow the asphalt. 
needs:  passenger side mirror, driver side rear lock sticks.  Failed emissions test by .09 CO.  I'll see about a collector car plate until I can sort out the high altitude adjustments.  Seller says it was tuned but nothing like tinkering our own selves!

[jagbuxx #12944]

That looks like a beauty. I already miss my Fleetwood that left for New York a month ago. Smog test for a 1971? I thought California was bad requiring them back to 1976

[Cadillac Jack 82]

Nice car!  Welcome!  CA has smog tests for vehicles but so does AZ.  I believe its 68 and newer all require emissions tests.

[71 Fleetwood]

Jagbuxx - WTH?  I would have bought your car in a New York minute.  That's beautiful!
I got this one from Erie, PA.  There are very few Cads in Colorado so I planned for shipping but it took four weeks. zzzzzz 
The smog:  Colorado cars 50 years old can skip the test.  I had to take the car to the emissions station for a VIN affidavit anyway.  I'm not upset that it missed by a little bit.  I've had much worse results with Ford 4V and Holly carbs.  I'm not familiar with Quadra Jets but I shall learn.  The idle is at 575 which seems a bit slow, I'll take it up to 650 and see how it sounds. 

Sign of the times: 
Testing tech - "Sir what size engine is this"
Me proudly -  "It's a 472"
Testing Tech - "I need liters, Sir!"

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Saw it when it was on BaT. 

Forget about the mirror which will be a nightmare to install correctly assuming you can even find the correct mirror assembly, cable & joystick in the first place. If it was good enough for the Indy 500 owner in 1971 it's good enough for you so keep your cotton pickin hands off! Thou shalt not mess with original survivors!

Exceptional Fleetwood Brougham & best of luck with it.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Nice looking car. Get some Diamond Back Classics tires on it. Either John Abend, Jeff Burland or Charles Fares will have the
parts you're looking for. Emissions? on a 71? CA?

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Beautiful Fleetwood!!

[James Landi]

Richard,

ENJOY your wonderful car... but, a few words of caution:  please do change the fluids if they have not been changed relatively recently.  It's so easy to be lulled into complacency by so few miles on the odometer, and meanwhile decades old lubricants are satuated with moisture and coolant can turn acidic and eat through aluminum heater cores as well as engine block freeze out plugs.  Also, please check brake lines for age related rot as well as brake cylinders.  Here's hoping all of this maintenance has been accomplished by the former owner...   and welcome to this terrifc club.  We truly enjoy members sharing the joy (as well as the challenges) of these wonderful automobiles.    James

[Carfreak]

Congrats. And you can be sure Reliable took good care of your new car.

[76eldo]

Congrats and welcome!  Nice car!

[71 Fleetwood]

Thank you everyone.  Great advice on the mirror, juices, hoses and cables.  I'll take it in for hoist-level checkup.  Classic cars do have a habit of surprising us with sudden failures that could have been prevented.  I drove the car home and back to work the next morning (34 miles).  There was a carb hiccup during moderate acceleration.  The steering and tires feel a bit loose, brakes are fine, no strange creaks or groans, defroster fogged the windshield and windows so I need to check the AC drain for starters.  Stinky air vents ugh!

[V63]

I have a very nice rt complete mirror assembly... mirror, cable, escutcheon and backing plate, fits  1971-73 $250

[Bill Balkie 24172]

Hello Reavette,
     That is one Beautiful  Fleetwood . Please we need to see more Pictures . Interior and exterior . Does the car have any history ? A beautiful 50 year old  Cadillac Fleetwood is something special  .

   Bill

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

defroster fogged the windshield and windows so I need to check the AC drain for starters.  Stinky air vents ugh!

That sounds like a heater core starting to fail sorry to say. Maybe you can get something back from the seller. At the price it sold for it's certainly worth a try. 

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Hello Reavette,
     That is one Beautiful  Fleetwood . Please we need to see more Pictures . Interior and exterior . Does the car have any history ? A beautiful 50 year old  Cadillac Fleetwood is something special  .

   Bill

All the pictures you could want and the backstory here.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-cadillac-fleetwood-60-special-brougham/

[jagbuxx #12944]

That sounds like a heater core starting to fail sorry to say. Maybe you can get something back from the seller. At the price it sold for it's certainly worth a try.

Yes, my '75 Fleetwood needed another heater core only 16 years and 1,000 miles after it had been last replaced.

[James Landi]

Yours is an ionic car--- a real "stunner."  I owned a sedan de ville of that model year-- but your black Fleetwood is the best.  Mine provided years of excellent service and comfort, especially with the tire pressure  at the specifications set by Cadillac with those big bias plies.   It's good to know that all of the preventative maintenance has been accomplished...  hoping that you don't have a leaking heater core... as mentioned above, the seller may provide some cash back, if you have to face that expense.  Hard not to compare the plastic "toy cars" and trucks Americans are buying-- you have one of the last of an era, and your car will generate a good deal of reaction from all those fortunate to encounter it during your travels.  Congratulations, James

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Given the presentation and the selling price realized, I sure wouldn't be bashful about hitting the seller up for a few bucks back - as in a couple grand or so. Seriously, at 30 large + buyer's fee(!) for a 50K mile 71 FB, the car should've been zero-excuses turn key ready stem to stern with a full tank of premium. Most of the underbidders would've had the same expectations. Now the carb still needs repairs and plus a heater core?  Unacceptable in my book.

BTW if a passenger mirror is still insisted upon, this would be the time to do it since the dash will have to come out. I still wouldn't get involved it doing it though. 

[71 Fleetwood]

I think that I found the AC drain nipple yesterday at the bottom of the evaporator shell.  I ran the air for awhile and shot some orange foam cleaner into the intake vents.  The passenger intake really sucked it in.  The AC is dripping water on the concrete - good.  No more window fogging.

The carpet is still dry.  I replaced a heater core on a Mustang a few years ago, no fun at all.

I'm thinking now that the passenger mirror is waiting for a convex solution if I can think of a way to do it.  Without convex it's just a decoration.  Thank you for the offer.

I'm still good with the seller.  The car is better than expected.  I'm not finding any rust or bogus parts.  Usually, my discovery period is full of horrible cuss words that were banned by the US Navy years ago.  It's looking like I can work through one item at a time to refresh the tired parts.

BTW - I didn't know that you peeps were getting so many thumbs up.  All this time I've been driving cars that instigated stoplight shenanigans.  Everybody just loves old Cadillacs!

[bcroe]

Yes, my '75 Fleetwood needed another heater core only 16 years and
1,000 miles after it had been last replaced.   

Yea, experience has put heater core replacement on my maintenance
list, every 19 years.  About the same as a lot of other stuff.  Bruce Roe