1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible - Buy or Walk Based on These Issues?

[djrobnyc]

Just looked at one... overall mechanical condition seems good. Some surface rust around lower front fenders, but the area(s) that concerned me most were inside the wheel wells - bottom parts behind and front of the wheels showed some rust; 2 out of 4 were pretty well eaten away. I had it up on a lift -- the frame itself is not bad.

So are the areas of concern easily repairable? If I leave them as is, could the car be a safety hazard down the road? I'm look for a "driver" car and maybe in a few years do some repair work - but if this is major, super expensive stuff, may not be worth it to buy this car.

Thanks for your help

-Rob

[TJ Hopland]

Maybe its just the way im looking at the pictures but it looks to me like its just some sort of undercoating coming off with some surface rust under it.  Looks like at least a solid driver to me.

The one pic with the wheel looks like a Toronado wheel.  The first couple years the Toronados came with chrome wheels that had a center cap with the Olds emblem on it.  I didnt think those early wheels would fit on the disc brake cars.  Maybe the chrome was an option for later models?  I never saw em on anything other than a 66 and 67's

[Jeff Wilk]

From the pictures I'd tend to agree with the undercoating theory but would check a little further to make sure the undercoat was not simply sprayed over rusted out sections a few years back.  The frame looks quite crusty which makes me a bit nervous about whats under the undercoated sheet metal.  What state is the car from?  Snow Belt?  Stored inside or outside?  How is inside the trunk floor pan, and the floor in front of the rear seats?  There are many of these out there so don't overpay, even for a driver......

[djrobnyc]

Thank you both for your reply. I've attached some additional photos below.

I think you may be right regarding the undercoating. There was a "Bodyguard Rustshield" -- or something like that - sticker on one of the windows. I'll do a little more digging into this.

As for the wheels, the owner says they were an option - but I know this is not accurate because all 1976s came with those black hubcaps - or white if it was a Bicentennial edition. So they must be some sort of dealer add-on or the Toronado versions as indicated in your post.

So what would you all think would be a realistic price that I should pay for this car? I know I've given you only a limited picture - but assuming the mechanics are in good shape - except for a fuel gauge that always reads full -- probably a sending unit, the car needing a new set of tires and maybe some brakes, plus all fluids removed/replaced and a tune up.

Don't want to lowball the owner but don't want to offer too much either. Thanks.

--Rob

[Aaron Hudacky]

Looks like that car had a poorer quality repaint based on the incorrect side molding and the painted fender shims in the door jamb photo in your second post. The rust proofing plugs in the jambs are not painted, so I wonder if the rust proofing was done after the repaint but still some time ago. There is perforation in one of the rear wells and some considerable rust bubbling in both of the jamb shots, so I wonder how much rust damage was covered by the repaint, and I also wonder how much larger those areas are under tha undercoating and paint.  It doesn't look unsafe to use as a driver, but bodywork on that car could get extensive/expensive quickly. Tacked on vinyl moldings tell me the shop didn't care much for attention to detail when painting, and I expect you would find a similar approach in areas you can't see if you were to attempt to fix the rust. Bodywork costs would probably quickly exceed what you would spend to find a nicer example in the future, but if you just want a driver and like it for what it is rather than what it coould be, it could be a fun car.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

Judging by the heavy rust on the frame parts I saw and the wheel wells, I'd
stay away from this one.

I imagine what you DON'T see is likely much worse than what you do.  The
rust is hidden by the "fluff & buff" paint job.  I've seen many cars like this
in the "rust belt" where I live in PA.

There are much better Eldo's from that era available for reasonable prices.
Once you start repairing a rust bucket (been there) there's no easy stopping
point and the $$$$$ add up fast.

Mike

[76eldo]

I agree with Mike.  The way the inner fenders look, the rust in the jamb, and the overall look suggests a lot of bondo under that blue repaint.

I guess it depends on the price, but these cars are out there in every color with much less potential for problems.

Brian

[62droptop]

if it is something you like and really want ,make what you think is fair offer, i wouldnt worry about lowballing a seller, all they can do is say no and at least you have a starting point in the negotiations


if you can try tapping on areas in question with a body hammer or pick to see if area is soft

it is not uncommon for undercoating to flack off a perfectly solid area that has developed a slight surface rust coating under the coating
hard to tell from the pictures of the car you are looking for
make the decision on what others have said
depends what the purpose of the car is,decent driver,really nice driver or restore

any way you plan on using it, but the best possible example,spending more $$ up front  to buy a better car will save tons more $$ down the road

iu

[C.R. Patton II]

Be patient and selective. It's a buyers market so find a great car from California or Texas. Consider appreciation and depreciation. Buy right so you can sell right vs left. Get it inspected by a knowledgeable CLC member. Fools rush in where wise men tread softly. When your wife is mad at you you have to be able to sit in your car and "feel all better". Be patient and selective.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Dj: There are few investments worse than a tired, worn out and rusty '70s Caddy.

Move on.

[Barry]

Does not appear to have been a " Loved Eldorado " . There are many to choose from-buy the absolute best you can justify and you will be much better off !

[waterzap]

You can spend a bit of money on an old 70's cadillac, but you probably wont lose your shirt. For that you need an old Mercedes or Porsche. Actually most 70's European cars are orders of magnitude more expensive to maintain than 70's American cars

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

You can spend a bit of money on an old 70's cadillac, but you probably wont lose your shirt. For that you need an old Mercedes or Porsche. Actually most 70's European cars are orders of magnitude more expensive to maintain than 70's American cars

Hmmm. I'd say you'd lose your shirt trying to do up the Caddy; shirt, shoes and firstborn on a European luxury car.

[mgbeda]

I agree with the concerns mentioned here.  If this is the same car that we earlier figured out used to be black that also concerns me; because in my mind the only reason to change a black car to a lighter color is to make iffy bodywork harder to see.  (Of course maybe somebody just liked blue)

BUT...

I wouldn't be 100% scared off if the price is right.  It depends on what you want to do with it.  If you want to make it a show car, I'd agree you should forget about it.  But if you just want a fun, good looking car to drive around for the next few years, then don't you think it'd be worth at least $5,000?  Just don't get started trying to fix every little thing.  That way lies madness.

What do the rest of you think about that price for a running bondo-buggy?

-mB

[waterzap]

$2000 or so. Maybe $3000 on a good day, but then again, I am cheap.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

The thing is, regardless of how attractive the initial price, it's never going to remain at that price. Just to bring the car up to fully functional can easily run into the multiple thousands. And that's before we even start addressing body, paint and cosmetic issues. And no matter what- once a car develops serious rust- completely eradicating it is near impossible and almost certain to reappear before long.

Speaking as someone who's been there, done that more times than I care to remember- I wouldn't get involved with this car if it were free. There are tons of nice '70s Cadillacs out there to be had <$10,000. Even if you got a well maintained closed car that always had a good life, you'll be far ahead of the game and have something that you'll be far happier with.

Restoration projects are something you never want to get involved with where '70s Cadillacs are concerned. There are simply too many nice examples available for reasonable money and the costs of restoration can exceed the final value by multiples.

[pauldridge]

I couldn't agree more with Eric.  Please, please, listen to all the other advice, and forget about asking what is a good price.  Most all of the responses are telling you this isn't a good choice, even for free.

These model cars will never be worth a whole lot.  If you haven't done it before, you have no idea just how quickly you can sink 10 grand in an old car like this.  Just a decent paint job alone is going to set you back $5-8k, and that doesn't consider what appears to be some considerable needs for rust correction.so why not just spend that 8-10K on a really nice one instead and save yourself all the headaches and disappointments?

EVERY knowledgeable car collector will tell you to seek out the absolutely best condition car you can find, and pay what you need to get it.  In the long run, you will find it was the most economical purchase you ever made, and you can be enjoying a car you can be truly proud of!

With some 15 vehicles currently in my garage, I've tried both ways, and have never won out when buying what seemed to be a "bargain" car with "just a few needs".

Even on those occasions when I've purchased a car that looks almost perfect, I seem to wind up dropping a good 5 grand into it just to get everything right.  And that is with me doing all the labor/grunt work!

Just sayin'  !

[waterzap]

But that is IF he ever intends to spend a lot of money on this car. What if he just buys it, makes sure it is safe and drives it. No painting, no prettying up. Just enjoy it for what it is. An old Cadillac.

So basically if you want to make this a show car, no way. If you just want to drive it around with rusty pieces falling off now and again and making sure your AAA is up to date. Then why not?

[76eldo]

My advice would be to buy a really nice driver and spend a little more up front, but have a usable, enjoyable car.  No one enjoys visiting their car in the body shop getting rust holes welded up.

But...

What is to become of these rougher drivers?  I like the post above, buy it if it's at least safe and roadworthy, drive it, make sure you like it, and either slowly upgrade the car or sell it and get a better one?

I don't know the answer and really, the photos posted don't show a whole lot of the car, so it's hard to say.