Hard to price a car that s a reported 1 of 7. Though for equal dollars you can get a damn-near perfe

Bizarre Biarritz: 1-of-7 1978 Cadillac Eldorado T-Top Get the email Submissions Services Vehicle Shipping BaT Garage Project Cars Gear Clothing florida keys cheap hotels Decals Hats About RSS October 14, 2012 American / Cover Stories / Under $20k 66 comments Bizarre Biarritz: 1-of-7 1978 Cadillac Eldorado T-Top
This 1978 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz has only 34,000 miles and is one of seven built with electric retracting T-tops. The car is said to be all original, save for a recent re-spray and new vinyl top. It s far from perfect, but overall appears to be in very good condition. The second owner is offering it for sale here on Craigslist  in Los Angeles, California for $18,500.
While it might not be the last word in elegance, there s a lot of fun to be had in driving 18 feet of gleaming 70 s kitsch, and the sliding electric T-tops florida keys cheap hotels are just plain cool. We can t think of another car ever equipped with a similar roof system, and with the rather wide center post which the glass retracts into, and correspondingly narrow glass openings, florida keys cheap hotels it s easy to see why. It s probably best not to think about parts availability if the retracting mechanism ever fails.
The interior shows some light wear and discoloration to the leather, but nothing terrible considering its originality. The dash and door panels are uncracked, and with a thorough detail, concentrating on the slightly-stained carpets florida keys cheap hotels and headliner, the interior could be greatly improved. The cushy leather seats, with their button tucked ruched leather and massive proportions look more like La-Z-Boy recliners. Combined with lots of faux wood and chromed plastic fittings, the car is definitely from an era of Cadillac s history they re currently working very hard for us to forget.
The seller says the car runs and drives perfectly and that it s seen a recent tune-up and new tires as well. Being a life-long SoCal car, it s claimed to be rust free. Nothing is mentioned florida keys cheap hotels about the condition of the drivetrain, but from the looks of the engine bay photos the 425 C.I. V8 appears to be leak-free and relatively clean, though a good steam cleaning would definitely brighten things up.
The previously-mentioned respray appears to be good quality, and all panels look very straight with nice fit. Most surviving late 70 s and early 80 s Cadillacs have badly damaged or missing chrome trim parts, especially around bumpers considering these are now most likely impossible to find, their great condition is a nice bonus. For those with an acute sense of irony, there s no better way to cruise florida keys cheap hotels from L.A.toVegas. Related Stories
That s interesting. I had never seen power t-tops before. I remember driving a 76 Eldo convertible way back when. Enormous! And I remember that the steering was way, way overboosted. Wikipedia says an Eldorado was the Indy pace car in 1973. I m hoping they firmed-up the suspension for that duty!
If it hasn t, it was neglected and/or stored poorly, in my opinion. I ve seen only pictures of the retractable T-tops on these, and they are, well, unique. As a big guy, it looks like they d cut into the head room quite a bit. Having said that, judging by the seat position head room probably isn t an issue.
The soft bits (bumper fillers) are easily sourced and replaced. Though the replacement florida keys cheap hotels is a real PITA. Given the repaint vinyl top replacement I d bet that these have been replaced, as they deteriorate discolor quickly in comparison to the (original) paint.
Hard to price a car that s a reported 1 of 7. Though for equal dollars you can get a damn-near perfect, original 71- 76 Convertible in a more attractive color. tomw October 15, 2012 at 4:02 am 1 or Flag as not constructive
Didnt know the sliding t-tops ever made it into production,if you call 7 production. i know Olds experimented with that option in the wrap around rear glass Toronado(XS?) but dont think they ever put it in production.Seems like there is one Toronado prototype out there though. BIGREDTODD October 15, 2012 at 4:27 am 3 or Flag as not constructive
florida keys cheap hotels ASC did the installation, I believe. So not exactly production . Several other Eldorado T-tops are still out there, and I think you re correct about the Toronado XS-R prototype. Only 1, though there are pictures florida keys cheap hotels to support that 2 were built.
It would also explain the repaint (and aforementioned fillers), new vinyl top, and period of time during which questionable care took place. Not bashing the car in any way, just suggesting that the odds of 2 this color being built, florida keys cheap hotels let alone surviving, seem pretty slim.
Buddy s dad had a 76 convertible back when i was in high school. I remember getting pulled over after doing an amazing FWD burn out and then running two red lights. He got off with a warning! Don t know how that worked out he just had all the luck in that area of his life.
@bigredtodd Actually, since cars were sent to ASC for conversion work, it is considered factory, as the Cadillac production line was not set up to accommodate installation of the T-top mechanism. Same thing with any car that went to Campbell-Hurst back in the day. Plus, the power T-top is listed on the Cadillac option list as an available option, IIRC. This is definitely the first one I ve seen in pictures. I like this one a lot!
I also remember the power t top option on the Toronado.It was talked about and listed in the brochures but I was pretty sure none were ever built.I certainly did not hear about this option for the Eldo.Personally,I love that interior,seats feel like at least one big bossomed lady wrapping her arms around you. This car was not built to win rallies but for a cross country florida keys cheap hotels trip on the interstate,even today, you would be hard pressed to find a more comfortable florida keys cheap hotels automobile. If you are a collector of Caddies,this is a must have BUT-take a video of that roof in action because failed live demonstrations will make you crazy and poorer! astrolake October 15, 2012 at 6:29 am 1 or Flag as not constructive
Having owned a 73 Coupe deVille for a few years back in the early-mid 90 s, I can vouch for the road-trip worthiness of these land-yachts. It s akin to driving your living room with MPG to match. coloradodave October 15, 2012 at 7:40 am 3 or Flag as not constructive
Wow, I d love to see the mechanism for the tops. Quite the engineering feat I would imagine, especially in the pre-CAD days of 1978. RogueInLA October 15, 2012 at 7:44 am 2 or Flag as not constructive
I don t think the blue one on flickr has the power t tops, as the photographer shows a cream one with power t tops, and mentions that it s one of six (so who knows?). As he seems aware of the rarity of the power option, I m sure he would have mentioned it in the blue car s caption.
There are seven known 1978 Cadillac Eldorados with Power Sliding T-Tops remaining: One (1) Black Eldorado Cabriolet; One (1) Carmine Red Eldorado Cabriolet; One (1) Cotillion White Eldorado Cabriolet; One (1) Colonial Yellow Eldorado Custom Biarritz; Two (2) Cotillion White Eldorado Custom Biarritz One (1) Two-Tone Arizona Beige/Demitasse Brown Eldorado Custom florida keys cheap hotels Biarritz Classic.
On a personal note, I had a Red w/white top 78 Convertible that I drove from L.A. to Chicago and back one year. They are one great interstate cruiser, quiet and solid with the top up or down. Going east thru New Mexico on I40 at dawn I heard a voice on the CB radio So can someone tell me where that red car is that s in such a hurry? I looked down and saw I was doing just over 100, yikes!. I hauled it down to the speed limit, just in time to see a New Mexico Trooper come over the hill in front of me out of the sun. He went by me, flipped a U Turn in the median, and paced me for the next 5 miles. A red Eldorado convertible sure gets a lot of attention. RogueInLA October 15, 2012 at 7:59 am 2 or Flag as not constructive
florida keys cheap hotels While cool in a factoid kind of way, the power t-top is indicative of a sad time in Detroit in the late 70 s. Style had yet to reemerge from the 60 s hay day and had to absorb florida keys cheap hotels the extra baggage of government mandated safety standards, not to mention florida keys cheap hotels that the engines were strangled by emissions requirements. Not a happy time. Jeff_B October 15, 2012 at 8:30 am 9 or Flag as not constructive
Blaine Jenkins, who was the Olds Interior Studio Chief at the time recalls three Toronados built- Firethorn, florida keys cheap hotels Black and Silver, all for evaluation. They cancelled the XSR based on problems with the roof, primarily the dramatic loss of headroom.
I ve personally seen two of the Eldos, White and Yellow Biarritz models. Never seen this blue one before but there is nothing about the roof that seems incorrect. Can t say as much for the mid-80s steering wheel. OldAlfaGuy October 15, 2012 at 8:54 am 0 or Flag as not constructive
Not Cadillacs fault though. People s tastes change. Now Cadillac follows everyone else with narrowed cars, narrowed windows, and some angular shaping to try to set it apart. When was the last time you saw a Cadillac and went, whoa, now that is a car! Probably right around the time this model was built. Now don t deny it guys!
We can bag on these interiors florida keys cheap hotels and the size and sloppiness of the handling all we want, but at least it s original. At least you didn t see it coming and going. And since the market for these cars was execs and older drivers, they could care less about it going around a mountain turn at speed. They wanted quiet comfort and power, and that is what they got.
My wife has had 7 series and 5 series BMWs in the past. Nice cars. For a drive across country, I would take this Eldorado every time. steve in podunk October 15, 2012 at 9:32 am 0 or Flag as not constructive
These cars are huge! The hoods go on forever; it s like sitting at the foot of a king-size bed when you are behind the wheel. Retracting T-tops seems like a dubious idea when you consider all the malfunctioning electric sunroofs leaky removable t-tops that were produced by GM. It s the worst of both Worlds. If I had this car I d have to buy a velour leisure suit, white platform boots a hat with feather in