1974 Cadillac Eldorado

1974 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible These are our unique personal luxury cars - even more glamorous for 1974. The dramatic superfine grille, bolder striping and new wheel discs accentuate the classic Eldorado lines. Yes, Coupe or Custom Cabriolet, the most lasting pleasures of Eldorado come with the driving. With that superb combination of features that is the Eldorado experience, front wheel drive, variable ratio power steering, Automatic level control, that exclusive Eldorado engine. From the 1974 Cadillac brochure.   For consignment, a 1974 Cadillac Eldorado convertible showing 97,564 miles, but the true miles are unknown. This car was recently prepared for sale with lots of new parts including the ever important motor for the automatic top.  Exterior There are few cars with the presence of a convertible Eldorado and this one lives up to the rep with Dynasty Red two stage paint and a contrasting white canvas top. No, it was not named for the television show about opulence and wealth, but maybe the show took the name from the paint because that's what it conveys. More than the paint, the long panels of Detroit steel steal the show, at any angle, an enormous car. The grille wears a chrome crowns for accentuation while the dual headlights sit back to let the marker lights capping the front fenders lead the car. They are not fins necessarily in back, but extended fenders with chrome housed vertical headlights with all the subtlety of an ax head, flanking a sea of red on the trunk lid and more lights and reflectors towards the center. White walls are the move with this car and they wrap 15-inch wheels and full disc covers. Imperfections include cracked or missing bumper fillers, inclusions in the paint, light scratches, touched up chips, a few long, linear scratches, and a few random chips.  Interior White materials mix with simulated woodgrain and red carpet to dress the massive inner doors and both show some aging, particularly on the white armrests that also house the switchgear. You might be expecting a big bench seat, but this car is equipped with broad buckets in white leather, with the driver's showing some age and compression. The rear seat also has generous space and while not perfect, are in very good shape. In front, the red steering wheel has some patina and it fronts a horizontal instrument cluster and dash with long vents, and an A/C panel and AM/FM radio in a carved wood motif. Plush red carpet flows on the floor while the trunk houses a spare and shows usage.  Drivetrain Lift that big stamped steel hood and you'll find the 500ci V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor and a horsepower rating of 190. It's mated to a THM425 3-speed automatic transmission that routes power to the front axle and 2.73 gears. The bay presents in driver quality but clean condition.  Undercarriage Other than some metal oxidation, surface rust, residual oil, and a wet steering gear, the underside is solid and trouble free. A single exhaust runs along the bottom and finds a stock style muffler before exiting. Power brakes are divided as front disc and rear drum and suspension consists of torsion bars up front with a torsion beam and coil springs in back.  Drive-Ability Land Ho! We set sail in this baller of a land yacht, the ultimate cruiser, and find a comfortable ride, adequate power underfoot, and an open air feeling even with the top up as there is no B-pillar.  We note the A/C and clock are not working but all other functions operate as they should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. Amazingly, this was the only American convertible available in 1974 and was a symbol of some wealth as they were about $56,000 in today's money. This is one of just 7,600 that were built that year and a fine, running example you could hit the show circuit with tomorrow. As we write thi