I have a line on a 1968 eldo that has been setting in a garage for along time until last year. It runs and drives, in very solid but has fading paint and needs vinyl top. Are there any inherent problems that I should look for in this car?
I'd recommend checking the CV joints up front, over time the rubber boots can go bad and eventually can make them liable to break if there in bad condition. If they are bad, they arnt too hard to replace, however its difficult to find a set. When we got the ones for my 75' they were the last ones in stock for a long time.
I also recommend looking at the vacuum lines, usually if one or two are bad most of the ones are bad, and vacuum runs just about everything on that car other then the radio :P
I think brakes would be the biggest area of concern, I'm no expert for sure but I think its been a long time since rotors have been available and calipers have also got pretty scarce too. You could end up having to find a 69 or 70 donor car and basically swap a bunch of stuff to us the single piston calipers that were used much longer.
There are lots of other things that can be difficult to find but they are not exclusive Eldo things, just old car stuff that isn't a mustang or camaro.
I would be looking really hard at the Vinyl Roof covering to see if there are any bubbles under the material. These would indicate rust. Mechanical stuff is easier to fix than rust.
Bruce. >:D
These club members have mentioned all VERY important concerns. So I'll add several more: Any decades old car absolutely needs new rubber brake lines. Invisible to visual inspection, these can clog internally and lock up a brake causing the car to swerve and/or destroy the brake mechanisms because of extreme heat. Idler and pitman arms wear so there is looseness in the steering--- on a lift that suspends the car from the chassis, push and pull both wheels with outstretched arms... if those parts are worn, you'll immediately see and feel the wheels moving sideways. Also check ball joints-- lowers are subject to wear. Also, antifreeze that's been left and not flushed can corrode freezeout plugs... a simple litmus test kit to test for acidity is well worth the price. You'll absolutely need to have the entire cooling (and especially the radiator) system seriously flushed and checked for leaks... of special concern is the heater core. And then there's the functioning of the hvac... dozens of small vacuum hoses and servo-mechanisms control these functions, as well as some electronics and switches that can be a huge challenge. If you want the a/c to work, the compressor and associated dryer and expansion valve will need to be replaced. If you can find someone to renew the operation of the climate control (that's a big IF) you're looking at big bucks. Then there's the vacuum actuated rear air shocks. If that system is broken, the car, which has single leaf rear springs, will ride very low in the rear and will not provide the ride quality you want.
Any tune up will likely require a new vacuum advance on the distributor--- so often overlooked by car techs. Then there's "all fluids" flushed and changed. These are durable, well made cars...I owned a '67 for 15 years as my daily driver... part of my positive experience no doubt was based on the fact that I used it every day and serviced it regularly, and I NEVER pushed (viz:floored the accelerator) the car. I did that once when I first purchased it in 1974, and I ripped the front motor mount, so that the engine put a dent in the hood--- never again--. a car that's been sitting for years can be a real challenge. Keep us in the loop. We'll try to help. James
I highly recommend you contact and converse with George Kyritsis AKA Eldorado George. He is easy to find on you tube and the internet. He is an expert on these cars and he has produced replacement parts for them also. A 1967 or 1968 Eldorado is a increasingly expensive car to own if you want to drive it.