FOR SALE: 1966 Eldorado AACA Senior car!

[Greg McDonnell]

In 1966, Cadillac built the last convertible Eldorados of the decade and the last (ever) rear-wheel-drive Eldorados.  With only 2,250 produced, these ultra-luxurious open-air cruisers-all were convertibles-were a rare sight on America's roads and highways even when new.  Some were painted in the exclusive shimmering firemist colors but all were trimmed with Fleetwood wreaths and crests, additional bright work, finely meshed rear grilles, genuine American Walnut door/rear quarter panels and maximum leather interiors. The '66 Eldorado is considered by some Cadillac enthusiasts to be one of the most simple and elegant designs ever to come out of Cadillac Studio.  Aside from their understated good looks, the two 'lasts' mentioned above have caused these cars to be quite sought after today from a collector's perspective! The end of model year 1966 was truly the 'end of an era' for the rear-wheel drive Eldorado-never to built again!  The 429 cid engine coupled with the Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission gave these Eldorados unbelievable torque and power!  There was nothing like having genuine 'GM muscle' in such a beautiful package!  At the same time, thanks to the perimeter box frame and improved suspension system, the ride was comfortable and smooth.  With the new for '66 variable-ratio power steering, the car handled beautifully!  And the Eldorado was certainly a wonderful road car as well.  It was indeed the 'ulitmate convertible Cadillac' in '66-nothing short of spectacular!

This example (Eldorado body #430) is a beautifully preserved/restored car in excellent condition. Work has been ongoing since I acquired it in October of '95.  It is a multiple AACA award winning vehicle, receiving the coveted Junior and Senior level National First Place awards in 2006.  If authenticity is important to you, this Eldorado is as close to a factory original as is humanly possible-right down to the reproduction triple stripe bias ply tires and Delco Energizer battery (modern components in a period case-the best of both worlds)!  The original lacquer paint (Cobalt Firemist) was tired and needed to be refreshed.  In 2001 I chose the more modern base/clear system and had the body stripped to bare metal, block sanded, epoxy primered and painted with two coats of color and three coats of clear.  After nine years, the paint still looks wet!  The new paint contrasts nicely with the replacement black convertible top and stunning original black leather interior.  This car has many of the optional accessories offered in '66 including, but not limited to, automatic climate control, am/fm stereo, tilt/telescopic steering wheel and Guide-Matic headlight dimmer.  Other features on the car were standard equipment on the Eldorados.   Many NOS parts were used in the gentle restoration including emblems, wreaths, side view mirror and the individual E-L-D-O-R-A-D-O letters among others.  The stainless trim was removed and any scratches, dings or scrapes were removed by a professional.  It now gleams as new!  The rear bumper and taillight housings have been triple plated.  The front bumper did not need replating.  The engine compartment and undercarriage have both been thoroughly detailed and with the help of the CLC Authenticity Manual for '65/'66 Cadillacs as well as vintage archival photos, I was able to reproduce the look these areas had when the car left the factory.  New shocks and exhaust system (NOS 'y' pipe) were installed in the late '90s.  The automatic level control system works properly thanks to an NOS compressor.  The dash pad and instrument panel look new-no cracks, tears, warps, scratches, etc.  The clock has been converted to quartz movement and keeps perfect time! There are no cracks in the steering wheel and the center horn pad has been restored.  The trunk compartment has been completely restored using new cardboards and (nearly impossible to find) NOS fabric!  The original stereo speakers were replaced with correct NOS AC/Delco speakers from the period and the power antenna mast was professionally rebuilt in '07.  The carpeting was also replaced about the time the paint/body work was done.  The weather stripping was replaced as needed over the last ten years.  The preservation of this car is ongoing.  When something needs to be refreshed or replaced, it is done.  I've never had the engine opened other than to replace valve cover gaskets.  It runs as smooth as silk!  The transmission shifts smoothly.  By the same token, I've never had to have any work done to it other than flushing and replacing the old fluid and replacing the filter.  The Automatic Climate Control system works as it should but needs a charge of R-12 or Freeze 12.


Documented actual miles from new: 53,330.  Arguably this Cadillac has been driven sparingly over the last 45 years but the miles have been put on the car over that entire time. This is much better than most of those miles having been put on the car during the first 10 or 15 years and the rest of the time the car sat with little to no use.  The latter definitely was not the case with this car.  First and foremost, this is a machine and it needs to be operated as intended by the manufacturer.  

I have a large file containing the car's restoration and repair/restoration receipts.  I also have the Protect-O-Plate issued by Cadillac documenting the original owner.  From the research I have done, I believe it to have been a specially ordered Eldorado for '66.  Built the first week of November, 1965 the original owner took delivery November 15, 1965.  The original owner's manual and convertible top manual are in the glove box along with the Protect O Plate warrranty booklet.

Serious inquiries only, please.  I have other cars waiting their turn at the restoration shop.  I would like to see them completed in a more timely manner.  Having owned my Eldorado the longest and having done about all there is left to do to it, the time has come for it to go to a new home.  I am located in Southwest Alabama (Mobile).  Be sure to click on the photos below to enlarge them. Thank you for taking the time to view this ad and if interested, please contact me for additional details/photos.

$48,900

For comparison:  An Eldorado in similar condition to my car and with the exact AACA awards, recently sold at the RM Auction in Scottsdale for $63,250!   http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=AZ10&CarID=r149   Less than a month later, this same car was offered on EBay with a Buy It Now price of $84,900! It is currently on Ebay with the same Buy It Now price.  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250670871573
Greg McDonnell
CLC#20841
66luxuryliner@bellsouth.net
251 421-2303  

[Broughams by BO]

Greg,is it still for sale??
Thanks,BO
PS:Would you take partial trades?

[Carfreak]

16 days remaining on the ebay auction - Buy it Now $84,900

And I thought $58,900 was steep... 

[Chris Conklin]

16 days remaining on the ebay auction - Buy it Now $84,900

And I thought $58,900 was steep... 

This car was just purchased at the RM Auction in Arizona for $63,250. The Arizona auctions were what... about a month ago? I don't see any changes to the car from the RM catalogue to this listing, an extra $20K for bringing it to California I guess. Now they can stick some black plates on it and they'll get a buyer! 

[Greg McDonnell]

This car was just purchased at the RM Auction in Arizona for $63,250. The Arizona auctions were what... about a month ago? I don't see any changes to the car from the RM catalogue to this listing, an extra $20K for bringing it to California I guess. Now they can stick some black plates on it and they'll get a buyer!  

The triple black '66 Eldorado on Ebay appears to be in very nice condition although it is an older restoration (early Nineties).  It has some issues (missing badges/Eldorado letters on rear deck lid, some incorrect colors in the engine bay, etc).  It also has over 25,000 more miles on the odomoter than my car does.  The auction was on January 22, 2010-not quite a month ago...I emailed the seller asking what improvements had been made to the car to warrant the current Buy It Now price.  He did not respond to this question.  )  

Greg McDonnell