@@brandonsmisek Have you ever seen these podcast 'shows' pop up your TH-cam Shorts? Oh I would give anything to see Bill be a guest on a radio show or podcast! Maybe he could explain why all these snowflakes need to wear headphones to hear people sitting right next to them!
@@ajay-xjs 2 questions: 1) Has Bill ever produced a quick, straight to it video? Aside from those drunken Coutach clips at Mecum, no. 2) Are you the 'Andrew' with the Ferrari that Bill has reviewed? What an honor to hear from ya!
My old man test drove one of these, looking to trade his 81 Eldorado ( absolutely beautiful car, silver- sky blue paint, dripping with chrome even had the Rolls grill and the uni color cab top, not to mention that damned 8 6 4) in 1987... He told the car salesman, it drove and looked like a ( and I quote) a " whored- up Chevy" 😂😂😂 .. He kept his Eldo.. Always a great time car shopping with Pops.. Damn i miss that man.. Thanks Bill! Hope all is well, brother! Cheers from Tampa town..
I remember walking into the Cadillac dealer in 1986 looking to trade in my '81 black Eldo for a new one. When I saw the new '86, I choked back vomit and walked out of the showroom, got back in my '81 and drove away. I drove that '81 a few more years and eventually traded it in for a black Lincoln Mark VII LSC, which was a fantastic car! Thanks for the memories, Bill!
It wouldn't be that bad if you took that horrid mismatched Continental Kit off the rear bumper.....and painted the grill silver....and the trunk rack black.... A weekend's worth of de-pimping would make a world of difference on this car. Even if you had to have mounting holes in the rear bumper filled and painted....it would be worth it. Do love the cars and reviews Bill! Glad to see the new ones!
When I was a kid my Aunt Carol bought one new. She loved the power pneumatic lumbar support seats. The fully pressurized air bladders helped keep her rolls of fat from spilling over the sides of the seats when she took turns.
If the relatively humorless TH-cam were Naples weather, you're that rare cold snap that manages to get an honest laugh out of me. For that I'm thankful, god help me.
"but Wasn't All That Bad a Car" really is not a good selling point! Thanks. Enjoy your vids. BTW - You show this thing, then insert a pic of the stunning 1957 Eldo...and my heart just sank...
My Grandfather had the last of the 1985 Eldorados (despite it's HT4100 - my uncle rebuilt it at 80,000 miles, resleeved it and used the heads from a 4.9 right before it was stolen). I loved that car. It was going to be his last car but it was stolen in 1993 and he replaced it with a boring Sedan deVille. When these '86 downsized Eldorados came out I absolutely hated them and frankly I still do.
Stumbled across your channel, and now have watched like 100 videos. I love your irreverent style and exhaustive insider knowledge to boot! I want almost every car you show. My first car was 68 GTO in high school, GM man basically. Keep them coming Bill!
Bill, your history lesson is again spot on. Back then GM thought they could plaster a Caddy wreath hood ornament on anything & it would sell. Boy were they wrong. I knew hard core Caddy owners that made a B-line to the Lincoln & Mercedes dealers. All the chrome, leather & bling could not save this design.
As a kid I hated the design of these American cars in the 80's/early 90's but for some reason they seem to have grown on me. Would love to know how much this particular car fetches at auction. Great review again Bill, best of luck with the sale
The stylists that worked on the E-body cars knew current owners would "reject them" as they put it. It was a top-level corporate mandate that gave them these fixed dimensions/proportions to work with. I think it's really sad they knew it and couldn't do anything except watch the Toronado-Riviera-Eldorado sink like a stone.
I always enjoy your informative reviews and I usually agree with your styling opinions. I'm glad you gave this Eldo "what for;" GM really did go too far with it. But I don't think it could ever be a pimp mobile, unless we're talking about a pimp who's just starting out, or maybe an aging pimp who is suddenly environmentally conscious or is having to tighten his belt because sex sales have slowed down. But I *could* see it as the car George Costanza's mother would drive to the local Ma Jong game.
Had a 1990 Eldorado with 4.5 from my aunt that she bought new. Only had 24k miles on it when I got it in 2000. Champagne Brown color with a brown carriage roof. Ran that car to a 186k miles and didn’t have many problems. Towards the end of my ownership rear main was leaking and the engine had a light noise in it. Other than that the car treated me well. Funniest story was when the carriage roof flew off the car. Had to get another fiberglass shell and top. Thanks for the throwback memories Bill!!
Thanks Bill, I had an 89 in this style. Great cruiser for a college student. It had an issue where the AC compressor ran constantly, and made it get 8 mpg.
Bill, when you were talking about the HT4100 (Hook & Tow 4100), you forgot to mention it's absolute worst issues (of which there were many)..... they had awful casting issues and the blocks were porous and prone to "bleeding" through of the coolant into the oil. The only way to protect these motors in the hopes of keeping it running past 100,000 miles is to do YEARLY coolant flushouts and changes and refill with the proper Cadillac coolant tablets which help to keep the pours blocked. Of course there was also the issues of the head gaskets premature failure do to the fact these are aluminum blocks with cast iron heads, making two different metals with completely different temperature properties. And the distributor rotor gears having a tendency to strip and come out of time inside the engine. Other than that, they weren't too bad
Reading through comments, people aren't realizing that the gold adornments, continental kit, and so forth, were a made-up package at a dealership. GM/Cadillac didn't offer these things or install them on this car. It was all done by the dealership that Bill noted on the left side of the trunk lid. I think Cadillac did offer a gold hood ornament, but this car didn't come from the factory this way. Anyone that looks up photos of Eldorado's for that year will see that they look much better the way they came from the factory.
I rember the first downsizing with the Seville in 1975 and then the rest of the lineup in 77 and Eldorado in 79. The opinion at the time was "holy shit talk about shrink flation"!. The price kept getting bigger at the same rate the car keep getting smaller. At least with the 79 Eldorado, they did a pretty good job and it did very well. I purchase a red 1979 Biarritz and loved it until I hit 33k and the diesel engine blew. King Cadillac and Sons in Freehold N.J. gave me an allowance via G.M. to trade off the blown 79 for an 81 2dr Fleetwood. That I also loved. Sadly that was an 8-6-4 and blew up on the Garden State Parkway with only 41k. That is when this car came out. I took one look at this "matchbox car" in the showroom and said "Oh HELL NO! That did it! I went across the street and purchased my very first Lincoln Town car and put well over 400k on it with only typical maintenance. I never went back to Cadillac again.
Hey Bill and thanks... Today was a depressing day for me pretty much like this specimen... But my thanks are because your narrative made me happy and made my day a bit better...thanks man from Canada
While this wasn't all that bad of a car, I far prefer the Riviera and Toronado of this generation with the exception of the 91 Touring coupe with the 4.9. Those are underrated gems.
After the outgoing generation of Eldo, there was absolutely nothing iconic about these. They looked like throwaway cars. I remember being so disappointed when these came out. I was fine with the downsized Sedan deVille (I still love it), but why they had to go and mess with the Eldo and Seville… what a horrifying mistake.
If you get rid of all the tacky-looking bling (the gold exterior trim, the 70's style vinyl landau roof, the continental kit), it's not a bad looking car. The Gordon Ramsay comment about GM not wanting to scare off the early bird special crowd was on point.
I agree get rid of the horrific landau roof and gody gold and replace it with a solid hood and throw a bench seat in that Caddy and it would be a decent rig!
Happy to see you back on TH-cam. Was worried about you. Hope you can get all your cars ready for the upcoming auction. Also hopeful you can do video during the actual selling days.
Happy Holidays Bill. Sorry about the muggy shitty weather!!! This Eldorado wasn't that bad, my aunt bought an 87 Eldorado & really enjoyed it!!! Your example here is interesting with it's Rolls Royce grill & Continental Kit. Thanks for flashing the picture of the Howells, I think that Lovee is hot!!! I'm enjoying the coronavirus whiskey that now doubles as holiday whiskey!! Thanks for sharing this great video!!! 🌲🥃
Bill, thank you. Nice job as always. I'd forgotten about that period in the '80s when GM had improved the safety of their windshields. I was reminded during the test drive when I saw the note printed at the bottom/center of the windshield. Consulting the owner's manual, it states that you can't use certain glass cleaners or anything sharp on the inside of the windshield like a razor blade, and to avoid putting stickers on it for that reason. Basically, the inside of the windshield has a layer of plastic over it that would stretch if someone's face went through it in a crash, thereby protecting them from lacerations.
Thanks for this one, Bill.. You know, FYI the instrument panel uses a vacuum flourescent display, not LCD, fwiw.. I wasn't a fan of this particular generation Eldorado; they were much too close in size to the more pedestrian N cars, (Pontiac Grand Am, Buick Somerset, Olds Cutlass) for my taste.. In fact, originally it was going to be 80 millimeters more narrow. The slightly enlarged 1988 version with the 4.5 L engine is much more desirable... I think the car would bring more if you were to lose the aftermarket grille, the ridiculous conti kit and rear deck rack.
It's so funny at the beginning of every video you sound like me only the opposite. "Another shitty frigid cold New York Monday morning with this damn frost on everything." lmao!! Buddy, I'd trade with you any day of the week haha!!! Another great video my friend. Keep it up!!
I always enjoy your videos since I've been subed to your channel that last couple of years. As a 28 YO guy when these cars were new you were dead on saying they were a sales disaster
I got one in storage. Looking forward to actually driving it one of these days. A throwback car for a throwback guy. Unfortunately I suffer from the same problem as Bill and any other car guy - not enough space. (My dream house would have 2 or 3 BR, 2 and a half baths, and an attached 12-car garage. Why is no builder building houses like that??
I had a 87 Toronado Troféo. This pimpmobile is just a badge re-engineered version of that car. Still, I bet it drives nice. The Toro sure did, at least it did until it was stolen in Detroit.
When I worked for a Caddy dealer I remember when these were new. They did feel “heavy” to drive and for some reason I remember feeling sitting kind of low when you drove it. Compared to my dad’s 79 Sedan Deville it felt like a toy
This stereo also has the rare optional "AM Stereo". There weren't that many stations with AM Stereo, if you have an AM Stereo station and you have a radio like this it is a very treat for the AM radio lover.
As soon as I noticed the fog on the way in, I knew it was going to be a muggy, shitty, fill in with Bill speak type of morning. Nice car Bill, thank you.
It might have been a bit eccentric in 1987 but its pretty cool now. A base model AMC is pretty cool now. Adam at Rare Classic Cars has a nice collection of once common cars like this.
Uncle Bill!!!!!! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving big guy! Glad to see another vidjya of yours sir! You are my favorite channel on the YouTOOBs bro!!!
Good morning Bill, I think there's a lot of guys such as you and I that are just stuck here in Florida because of business and family. I'm originally from Western Massachusetts the Berkshires which I would love to move back there. I am just praying for some colder weather for both you and I love your videos Man. Sincerely Rick White
Bill, you have nearly caused my coffee to leave via my nose more than once in this video. We can all use more chuckles these days. Always look forward to your next video. As for this Eldorado, it was such a sad time for the company. Reasonably good car underneath one of the most uninspired body designs Cadillacs ever delivered.
I owned a 1990 Seville. It was beautiful, blue with a white top just like this example and white interior. I was in my early 20’s. Kind of wish I had just stored it away and kept it. Don’t see these around anymore. The front wheel drive annoyed me though. 😂
Why is there such a bias against FWD on this site? Superior traction, especially in bad weather. I would never own a RWD car again, and I am old now, and did own a few of those.
It's great to see you back in form, even if the weather paid you back for all the complaints. Your mentioning of Irv Rybicki brings back a quote of his from a book I'd read, where he said, or words to that effect, "Frankly, newness frightens me." This poor little car looks like it's been severely put upon by all this pimpmobile stuff. It looks like everything put on it weighs heavily, like it's such a burden. It always struck me that to put a fake Rolls-Royce grille on a Cadillac is an admission that Cadillac isn't prestigious enough, and it was all too often the dealers doing this. True or not, it nevertheless smells of surrender. That's why I tended to dislike seeing those on Cadillacs.
Snow Mexican here- hearing Bill complain about the "heat" and "humidity " in November makes my cold hands and feet even colder....awsome review as always!
My aunt dated a guy who drove an 85 Biarritz, beautiful tufted white leather loaded. He usually traded up for a new Eldorado every few years. When he went in to his trusted Caddy dealership this time, and they presented him with this thing, he just looked a them, turned on his heels, and walked out the door! haha
59 Biarritz I Remember when we all rented that house down the Shore With the bedbugs, Heh, heh, Place up the beach. Sonny Spits from the Bronx rented it, That's where that hippie kid "mysteriously" drowned during that party. Heh, heh.
I loved the shout out to Roger and Me. You know your history, Bill! I do agree that this era of Cadillac is actually pretty good and are awesome road trip cars.
Bill, you compared a lot with BMWs of the era, but honestly, while I look at this car and think of my 86 Mark VII LSC with articulated seats, fog lights and 200hp, and this seems like a dinosaur. Thanks!!!!
I like that interior and quality of materials MUCH better than the fake leather-look material that melts under my arm on my '13 CTS! Had a Geo Metro that didn't melt under my arm... WTF!! lol! Nice one, pimp-free!!
A friend had an '97 Eldorado Biaritz that was a spare. I drove it every time I visited and I liked the car. It was nothing like the older model years, and seemed to be a rip off compared to others that I've driven over the years.
on the weather front, climate-wise ian did bring some very nice, chilled air for the state, unfortunately there are those who took the direct hit and we had some unseasonably, premature cool, dry spells that made it seem we were in for an oustanding fall/winter this year, but looks like we're making up for all that now. Hopefully this won't be too much more like Fall 2016...we didnt get a break literally till Jan 1, 2017 when a coldfront finally came thru. Car review-wise. Excellent as always. Always thought those & the same gen Sevilles were good baby caddies for elderly grannies (minus the guido kit). Loved hearing that there was a special room for all that AND always assumed there was a rear spare in those continental wheels sitting on rear bumper, what a joke, lol! A little disappointed we didn't get to hear the radio, but oh well, not a deal breaker, lol. Thanks again Bill for all the great reviews!
As soon as i saw the pic of the caddy with the lanterns on the front frenders i automatically thought of Isaac Hayes caddy in Escape From New York when he played the Duke of New York .
I love the gold accents and badging Cadillac did in the 80’s. Don’t laugh, but I had an ‘84 beige Cimarron D’Oro package with the gold trim and it really sharpened it up! Wish I kept it but I had no room.
I drove one of those for a weekend, as I was driving around a young woman in her grandmothers car. I drove it all around the bay area in the early 2k's, and it was a solid comfy car to cruise around it, it only had 80k on it, all granny miles too. It handled the SF hills easy, traffic was no issue, wasn't fast but those seats were like couches, the only car with better seats was a 95 or so Roadmaster.
Great review as always Bill. Re transverse V8 FWD, there is one other car. The Lancia Thema 8.32 used a Ferrari V8 from 84-94. It was co developed with the Saab 9000, Alfa 164, and Fiat Croma.
Thanks Bill! I don't want to mean about the thing, but gaude or gauche, I can't make my mind up. That car certainly is, " something else ". I guess the smooth ride is somewhat of a redemption.
I've always thought this generation Eldorado and Seville just look wrong. The roof line and the rear wheel wells just don't jive. The roof should be pushed back towards the rear so it's more centered with the rear wheel wells. Plus, the interior is horrible. The dashboard is so cheap looking and the seats are way too thin. At least when it was freshened a bit in 1988(or was it 1989), the tail lamps, the front fenders, and the sail panel looked a bit better.
I had one of these Cadillac. I really loved that car. The touring package had a sport look outside. Great car! My lasted 196k. Until the head gaskets blew and sold it.
The Walnut trim was available on non-Biarritz cars with the L2 option group which essentially netted every option. Though this one strangely does not have the Auto Day/Night mirrors. Adam Wade did a great interview with the designer of this car and what went into it.
Lol when first read your comment I thought it said Walmart trip and that I had to re-read it and it said walnut lol play tricks On my eyes for one second
@@jagboy69 Not all of them. I had a 1980 Coupe de Ville with the 'd Elegance package, and the fillers between tail light bumpers looked factory fresh until I sold the car in 1997.
The first downsizing in 77 was pretty good. Especially for GM. The cars didn't lose much besides excessive weight and size. The cars were still big and comfortable. But lighter and easier to drive. The second wave of downsizing was horrible. Everything turned into front wheel drive, ugly, overly complicated (for the time) crap. But even the worst cars of the 80's are still light-years better than the crossover garbage people drive today. I'd rather drive a Lada than a garbage CROSSOVER
You're very well spoken I remember these cars when they were new and renting them in Florida in Miami I thought they had some power compared to the other cars and was pleasantly surprised
I always liked the look of this model. It reminded me of the Italian-designed Allante. I do remember loving the interior. The turn off was the reliability of Cadillac (GM in general at the time) and Japan and Germany had better (albeit boring) options.
@@johna.4334 As a 90s/2000s teen, I would have called you guys “haters” back then for your comments. Now that I’ve worked in the connector and weapons mfg sector for the last 10 yrs and understand a bit about engineering, I totally understand these comments (especially mating SS to aluminum 😢).
My dad drove a 4.1 fleetwood to 200,000 miles with no problems. Put in a remanufactured 4.1 and got another 50,000 before the tranny went and then we junked it.
Well hello, Bill! I am glad to see you are still buying unique cars like this one (I will get to it's sort of "cousin" car later). I had back surgery that I finally got done (my L4 and L5 were fused) and it has been the most painful recovery I am still going through! And of course, because of the drug addict epidemic, I only got freaking hydrocodone for post-op pain! Now, I know that you don't know me but I had to do some of my own bitching! I remember my Mother's interior designer then, had the Buick Riviera version of that car. I was a kid at that time, and her car had the digital dash and I thought wow, I want one of these digital displays in my 1st car someday haha! The Riviera had the bulletproof 3.8 liter V6 and it was burgundy too so it was a cool car to me then. She also had the little late 80s Cadillac Deville or Fleetwood too, if they had a little Fleetwood-. I am, by the way, looking for a low-mile 1994 to 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood or Buick Roadmaster, and I have the cash ready-. Where do you sell the cars you acquire? Are they on the new owners' website and what would that be? Happy Holidays Bill! Please let me know! - Ryan 1.
HOLY SHIT! That fake Continental kit blows my mind!! I always thought it was at least a real donut spare in there. Look at 20:27! The amount of fake work they put into that thing is pure GM idiocy of the time. (And I’m a huge GM fan). Wow! Truly stunned.
It wasn't GM that put the hideous fake spare tire, gold grille and numerous other gold items on the car, it was the original dealer, Ed Morse Cadillac, trying to make more money on an already expensive car for the time.
@@242HP ah! Makes sense. Still a crazy worthless gimmick. I say that as someone who used to own a 74 coupe deville that sold previous owner added a hideous (but real) continental kit on the back. It was hilarious and a total nuisance when gassing up or using the trunk.
Blech - the only one worth having is the monochromatic Touring Coupe; preferrably the 91 with 200 hp which, for the era, had some poke. That actually commands some money. This - well, if it does, there's a fool who's been parted.
OMG... that car is hideous. It never fails to amaze me that GM survived through those years. And I'm a die hard GM man... never owned anything else. The Eldorado that preceded this design was gorgeous in my opinion and should have been the inspiration for this car. Small wonder that the Europeans and Japanese are is alive...
Finally a fresh dose of Bill! Sadly it is only a 34 minute 'quick take', but still much appreciated. Thanks Bill! 👍
cool cars but I watch these vids. for the laughs. If Bill had a radio show...
@@brandonsmisek Have you ever seen these podcast 'shows' pop up your TH-cam Shorts? Oh I would give anything to see Bill be a guest on a radio show or podcast! Maybe he could explain why all these snowflakes need to wear headphones to hear people sitting right next to them!
I love a 'quick' 'get straight to it' Bill video
@@ajay-xjs 2 questions: 1) Has Bill ever produced a quick, straight to it video? Aside from those drunken Coutach clips at Mecum, no. 2) Are you the 'Andrew' with the Ferrari that Bill has reviewed? What an honor to hear from ya!
Only so much pimp one man can cover
My old man test drove one of these, looking to trade his 81 Eldorado ( absolutely beautiful car, silver- sky blue paint, dripping with chrome even had the Rolls grill and the uni color cab top, not to mention that damned 8 6 4) in 1987... He told the car salesman, it drove and looked like a ( and I quote) a " whored- up Chevy" 😂😂😂 .. He kept his Eldo.. Always a great time car shopping with Pops.. Damn i miss that man.. Thanks Bill! Hope all is well, brother! Cheers from Tampa town..
I remember walking into the Cadillac dealer in 1986 looking to trade in my '81 black Eldo for a new one. When I saw the new '86, I choked back vomit and walked out of the showroom, got back in my '81 and drove away. I drove that '81 a few more years and eventually traded it in for a black Lincoln Mark VII LSC, which was a fantastic car! Thanks for the memories, Bill!
Ah come on, you could have gotten yourself a brand new CIMMARON! 🤢🤮🤮🤮
0h please, a Cimarron.?
@@williamdilsworth2227 Too fancy? lmao.
It wouldn't be that bad if you took that horrid mismatched Continental Kit off the rear bumper.....and painted the grill silver....and the trunk rack black.... A weekend's worth of de-pimping would make a world of difference on this car. Even if you had to have mounting holes in the rear bumper filled and painted....it would be worth it. Do love the cars and reviews Bill! Glad to see the new ones!
When I was a kid my Aunt Carol bought one new. She loved the power pneumatic lumbar support seats. The fully pressurized air bladders helped keep her rolls of fat from spilling over the sides of the seats when she took turns.
Ewwwww 🍺
@@piggy310 Hey now, big girls need lovin’ too. Nothing wrong with some oinkerboinking.
@devonnewest7990 It sounds like you have what it takes to be a special guest on Bill’s channel. The comment set up quite the visual.
That’s what they are designed for in the American market.
If the relatively humorless TH-cam were Naples weather, you're that rare cold snap that manages to get an honest laugh out of me. For that I'm thankful, god help me.
"but Wasn't All That Bad a Car" really is not a good selling point!
Thanks.
Enjoy your vids.
BTW - You show this thing, then insert a pic of the stunning 1957 Eldo...and my heart just sank...
We understand your busy. Just keep these videos coming Bill - your work is appreciated.
.......We understand YOU'RE busy.......we understand that @Peter Tornabeni is an illiterate.......
My Grandfather had the last of the 1985 Eldorados (despite it's HT4100 - my uncle rebuilt it at 80,000 miles, resleeved it and used the heads from a 4.9 right before it was stolen). I loved that car. It was going to be his last car but it was stolen in 1993 and he replaced it with a boring Sedan deVille. When these '86 downsized Eldorados came out I absolutely hated them and frankly I still do.
During the 80’s I used to frequent South Florida. EVERY RETIREE drove one of these. They were everywhere...
Stumbled across your channel, and now have watched like 100 videos. I love your irreverent style and exhaustive insider knowledge to boot! I want almost every car you show. My first car was 68 GTO in high school, GM man basically. Keep them coming Bill!
Bill, your history lesson is again spot on. Back then GM thought they could plaster a Caddy wreath hood ornament on anything & it would sell. Boy were they wrong. I knew hard core Caddy owners that made a B-line to the Lincoln & Mercedes dealers. All the chrome, leather & bling could not save this design.
As a kid I hated the design of these American cars in the 80's/early 90's but for some reason they seem to have grown on me. Would love to know how much this particular car fetches at auction. Great review again Bill, best of luck with the sale
They still look like gaudy shit, but they ride really nice, and had great HVAC.
Design was ahead of its time.
@@dosgos lol ok
@@dosgos more behind their time...those still harkened back to the late seventies Seville...
@@modernclassiccollectables7811 Industryterm for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning. Applies more to residential heating and cooling.
The stylists that worked on the E-body cars knew current owners would "reject them" as they put it. It was a top-level corporate mandate that gave them these fixed dimensions/proportions to work with. I think it's really sad they knew it and couldn't do anything except watch the Toronado-Riviera-Eldorado sink like a stone.
It was not just that they were too small. They had no style. No soul. Just a box dressed up with a chrome grill.
I always enjoy your informative reviews and I usually agree with your styling opinions. I'm glad you gave this Eldo "what for;" GM really did go too far with it. But I don't think it could ever be a pimp mobile, unless we're talking about a pimp who's just starting out, or maybe an aging pimp who is suddenly environmentally conscious or is having to tighten his belt because sex sales have slowed down. But I *could* see it as the car George Costanza's mother would drive to the local Ma Jong game.
Had a 1990 Eldorado with 4.5 from my aunt that she bought new. Only had 24k miles on it when I got it in 2000. Champagne Brown color with a brown carriage roof. Ran that car to a 186k miles and didn’t have many problems. Towards the end of my ownership rear main was leaking and the engine had a light noise in it. Other than that the car treated me well. Funniest story was when the carriage roof flew off the car. Had to get another fiberglass shell and top. Thanks for the throwback memories Bill!!
Thanks Bill, I had an 89 in this style. Great cruiser for a college student. It had an issue where the AC compressor ran constantly, and made it get 8 mpg.
LOL Garbage Manufacturing
You mean a 'GM-exclusive feature"
Bill, when you were talking about the HT4100 (Hook & Tow 4100), you forgot to mention it's absolute worst issues (of which there were many)..... they had awful casting issues and the blocks were porous and prone to "bleeding" through of the coolant into the oil. The only way to protect these motors in the hopes of keeping it running past 100,000 miles is to do YEARLY coolant flushouts and changes and refill with the proper Cadillac coolant tablets which help to keep the pours blocked.
Of course there was also the issues of the head gaskets premature failure do to the fact these are aluminum blocks with cast iron heads, making two different metals with completely different temperature properties. And the distributor rotor gears having a tendency to strip and come out of time inside the engine.
Other than that, they weren't too bad
My Camry has an iron block and aluminum heads and is going on 22 years old on all original head gaskets.
Manufacturers having been using iron/aluminum successfully for decades and decades.
Reading through comments, people aren't realizing that the gold adornments, continental kit, and so forth, were a made-up package at a dealership. GM/Cadillac didn't offer these things or install them on this car. It was all done by the dealership that Bill noted on the left side of the trunk lid. I think Cadillac did offer a gold hood ornament, but this car didn't come from the factory this way. Anyone that looks up photos of Eldorado's for that year will see that they look much better the way they came from the factory.
That fake continental kit would get trashed immediately. It just does not belong on that car.
I rember the first downsizing with the Seville in 1975 and then the rest of the lineup in 77 and Eldorado in 79. The opinion at the time was "holy shit talk about shrink flation"!. The price kept getting bigger at the same rate the car keep getting smaller. At least with the 79 Eldorado, they did a pretty good job and it did very well. I purchase a red 1979 Biarritz and loved it until I hit 33k and the diesel engine blew. King Cadillac and Sons in Freehold N.J. gave me an allowance via G.M. to trade off the blown 79 for an 81 2dr Fleetwood. That I also loved. Sadly that was an 8-6-4 and blew up on the Garden State Parkway with only 41k. That is when this car came out. I took one look at this "matchbox car" in the showroom and said "Oh HELL NO! That did it! I went across the street and purchased my very first Lincoln Town car and put well over 400k on it with only typical maintenance. I never went back to Cadillac again.
Hey Bill and thanks... Today was a depressing day for me pretty much like this specimen... But my thanks are because your narrative made me happy and made my day a bit better...thanks man from Canada
Hang in there Tommy, I’m in NY, just across the River from Kingston
@@RustyZipper that's really cool, thank you
While this wasn't all that bad of a car, I far prefer the Riviera and Toronado of this generation with the exception of the 91 Touring coupe with the 4.9. Those are underrated gems.
The CRT touch screen display in the Riviera and the Toronado used to look so futuristic.
You have the best weather in your area. Don't complain, you do not want to deal with any depressing cold weather.
After the outgoing generation of Eldo, there was absolutely nothing iconic about these. They looked like throwaway cars. I remember being so disappointed when these came out. I was fine with the downsized Sedan deVille (I still love it), but why they had to go and mess with the Eldo and Seville… what a horrifying mistake.
Love the videos bill keep em up.AND STILL WAITING FOR A MARK VII REVIEW
If you get rid of all the tacky-looking bling (the gold exterior trim, the 70's style vinyl landau roof, the continental kit), it's not a bad looking car.
The Gordon Ramsay comment about GM not wanting to scare off the early bird special crowd was on point.
I agree get rid of the horrific landau roof and gody gold and replace it with a solid hood and throw a bench seat in that Caddy and it would be a decent rig!
@@whiteviper1979 Also, get rid of that totally inappropriate luggage rack!...it does nothing for the overall look of that car.
@@curbozerboomer1773 Agreed it looks crappy and chinsy AF!!!
Go get a "78" Barritz.
@@williamdilsworth2227 ‘73. Last year before the 5 MPH bumper mandate and the 500CI was still not choked down with anything.
Happy to see you back on TH-cam. Was worried about you.
Hope you can get all your cars ready for the upcoming auction.
Also hopeful you can do video during the actual selling days.
Happy Holidays Bill. Sorry about the muggy shitty weather!!! This Eldorado wasn't that bad, my aunt bought an 87 Eldorado & really enjoyed it!!! Your example here is interesting with it's Rolls Royce grill & Continental Kit.
Thanks for flashing the picture of the Howells, I think that Lovee is hot!!! I'm enjoying the coronavirus whiskey that now doubles as holiday whiskey!! Thanks for sharing this great video!!! 🌲🥃
Bill, thank you. Nice job as always. I'd forgotten about that period in the '80s when GM had improved the safety of their windshields. I was reminded during the test drive when I saw the note printed at the bottom/center of the windshield. Consulting the owner's manual, it states that you can't use certain glass cleaners or anything sharp on the inside of the windshield like a razor blade, and to avoid putting stickers on it for that reason. Basically, the inside of the windshield has a layer of plastic over it that would stretch if someone's face went through it in a crash, thereby protecting them from lacerations.
Unbelievable 130 hp v8. Such a discrace
Thanks for this one, Bill.. You know, FYI the instrument panel uses a vacuum flourescent display, not LCD, fwiw.. I wasn't a fan of this particular generation Eldorado; they were much too close in size to the more pedestrian N cars, (Pontiac Grand Am, Buick Somerset, Olds Cutlass) for my taste.. In fact, originally it was going to be 80 millimeters more narrow. The slightly enlarged 1988 version with the 4.5 L engine is much more desirable... I think the car would bring more if you were to lose the aftermarket grille, the ridiculous conti kit and rear deck rack.
Hey Bill, what about Phil Leotardo's 98 Lincoln Town Car Executive Series with the Continental kit, isn't that pìmp?
It's so funny at the beginning of every video you sound like me only the opposite. "Another shitty frigid cold New York Monday morning with this damn frost on everything." lmao!! Buddy, I'd trade with you any day of the week haha!!! Another great video my friend. Keep it up!!
I always enjoy your videos since I've been subed to your channel that last couple of years. As a 28 YO guy when these cars were new you were dead on saying they were a sales disaster
I got one in storage. Looking forward to actually driving it one of these days. A throwback car for a throwback guy. Unfortunately I suffer from the same problem as Bill and any other car guy - not enough space. (My dream house would have 2 or 3 BR, 2 and a half baths, and an attached 12-car garage. Why is no builder building houses like that??
Yes! Just build the entire ground floor a garage with the living area upstairs lol.
I had a 87 Toronado Troféo. This pimpmobile is just a badge re-engineered version of that car. Still, I bet it drives nice. The Toro sure did, at least it did until it was stolen in Detroit.
When I worked for a Caddy dealer I remember when these were new. They did feel “heavy” to drive and for some reason I remember feeling sitting kind of low when you drove it. Compared to my dad’s 79 Sedan Deville it felt like a toy
I wish I could buy this Bill but i live in England , its a beauty 😊love the colour, digital dash . American cars are just fabulous 🎉
This stereo also has the rare optional "AM Stereo". There weren't that many stations with AM Stereo, if you have an AM Stereo station and you have a radio like this it is a very treat for the AM radio lover.
As soon as I noticed the fog on the way in, I knew it was going to be a muggy, shitty, fill in with Bill speak type of morning. Nice car Bill, thank you.
I loved those when I was a young man. I took a used Seville as a demo whenever one hit the lot.
Those baby eldos had all the presence of a Chevy cavalier scooter.
Aww don't be so harsh; they at least had the presence and panache of a Chevy Celebrity EuroSport! 🙃
Rich man's Cavalier = Cimmaron
It might have been a bit eccentric in 1987 but its pretty cool now. A base model AMC is pretty cool now. Adam at Rare Classic Cars has a nice collection of once common cars like this.
I love it. The only thing throws me off is that 5 th wheel.
The continental kit?
I agree the rear styling of that car looks like it was made yesterday except for that afterthought spare wheel
Roger and Me, that girl from Flint was Miss America. 👍👍 I like seeing cars from this era in good shape.
Uncle Bill!!!!!! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving big guy! Glad to see another vidjya of yours sir! You are my favorite channel on the YouTOOBs bro!!!
I hated these cars when they came out but Bill is such a good salesman... He's got me thinking about it.
Be careful because Bill sells Manure to Dairy Farmers
Good morning Bill, I think there's a lot of guys such as you and I that are just stuck here in Florida because of business and family. I'm originally from Western Massachusetts the Berkshires which I would love to move back there. I am just praying for some colder weather for both you and I love your videos Man.
Sincerely Rick White
Bill, you have nearly caused my coffee to leave via my nose more than once in this video. We can all use more chuckles these days. Always look forward to your next video. As for this Eldorado, it was such a sad time for the company. Reasonably good car underneath one of the most uninspired body designs Cadillacs ever delivered.
The Roger Smith era was a disaster for Cadillac and General Motors more generally.
Am I the only one who looks at this and sees 2/3 of a normal Caddy?
92 coupe de ville crimson red in and out with the 4.9 liter port fuel injection my first car. Luv of my life dearly departed 😑. Wish I still had it.
I owned a 1990 Seville. It was beautiful, blue with a white top just like this example and white interior. I was in my early 20’s. Kind of wish I had just stored it away and kept it. Don’t see these around anymore. The front wheel drive annoyed me though. 😂
Why is there such a bias against FWD on this site? Superior traction, especially in bad weather. I would never own a RWD car again, and I am old now, and did own a few of those.
It's great to see you back in form, even if the weather paid you back for all the complaints. Your mentioning of Irv Rybicki brings back a quote of his from a book I'd read, where he said, or words to that effect, "Frankly, newness frightens me."
This poor little car looks like it's been severely put upon by all this pimpmobile stuff. It looks like everything put on it weighs heavily, like it's such a burden.
It always struck me that to put a fake Rolls-Royce grille on a Cadillac is an admission that Cadillac isn't prestigious enough, and it was all too often the dealers doing this. True or not, it nevertheless smells of surrender. That's why I tended to dislike seeing those on Cadillacs.
I couldn't agree more.. Weird grilles, dealer installed landau roofs, continental kits... They all just made the car look like ass.
Snow Mexican here- hearing Bill complain about the "heat" and "humidity " in November makes my cold hands and feet even colder....awsome review as always!
I like the driving in the dark that you do, showing what lights up on the dash at night. I don't like the sparewheel on the back...
My aunt dated a guy who drove an 85 Biarritz, beautiful tufted white leather loaded. He usually traded up for a new Eldorado every few years. When he went in to his trusted Caddy dealership this time, and they presented him with this thing, he just looked a them, turned on his heels, and walked out the door! haha
59 Biarritz I Remember when we all rented that house down the Shore With the bedbugs, Heh, heh, Place up the beach. Sonny Spits from the Bronx rented it, That's where that hippie kid "mysteriously" drowned during that party. Heh, heh.
I did too. I ended up buying my very first Lincoln Towncar and have been with Lincoln ever since.
@@paulie-Gualtieri.
What the...???
I loved the shout out to Roger and Me. You know your history, Bill! I do agree that this era of Cadillac is actually pretty good and are awesome road trip cars.
Bill, you compared a lot with BMWs of the era, but honestly, while I look at this car and think of my 86 Mark VII LSC with articulated seats, fog lights and 200hp, and this seems like a dinosaur. Thanks!!!!
I like that interior and quality of materials MUCH better than the fake leather-look material that melts under my arm on my '13 CTS! Had a Geo Metro that didn't melt under my arm... WTF!! lol! Nice one, pimp-free!!
I really enjoy your commentary, humor, and information. Thank You!
A friend had an '97 Eldorado Biaritz that was a spare. I drove it every time I visited and I liked the car. It was nothing like the older model years, and seemed to be a rip off compared to others that I've driven over the years.
on the weather front, climate-wise ian did bring some very nice, chilled air for the state, unfortunately there are those who took the direct hit and we had some unseasonably, premature cool, dry spells that made it seem we were in for an oustanding fall/winter this year, but looks like we're making up for all that now. Hopefully this won't be too much more like Fall 2016...we didnt get a break literally till Jan 1, 2017 when a coldfront finally came thru.
Car review-wise. Excellent as always. Always thought those & the same gen Sevilles were good baby caddies for elderly grannies (minus the guido kit). Loved hearing that there was a special room for all that AND always assumed there was a rear spare in those continental wheels sitting on rear bumper, what a joke, lol!
A little disappointed we didn't get to hear the radio, but oh well, not a deal breaker, lol.
Thanks again Bill for all the great reviews!
As soon as i saw the pic of the caddy with the lanterns on the front frenders i automatically thought of Isaac Hayes caddy in Escape From New York when he played the Duke of New York .
I love the gold accents and badging Cadillac did in the 80’s. Don’t laugh, but I had an ‘84 beige Cimarron D’Oro package with the gold trim and it really sharpened it up! Wish I kept it but I had no room.
7:21 You're right, front drive is just an enema to the car
The 79-85 Eldorado's were beautiful This is horrendous
we so enjoy your videos Bill!
I drove one of those for a weekend, as I was driving around a young woman in her grandmothers car. I drove it all around the bay area in the early 2k's, and it was a solid comfy car to cruise around it, it only had 80k on it, all granny miles too. It handled the SF hills easy, traffic was no issue, wasn't fast but those seats were like couches, the only car with better seats was a 95 or so Roadmaster.
Great review as always Bill. Re transverse V8 FWD, there is one other car. The Lancia Thema 8.32 used a Ferrari V8 from 84-94. It was co developed with the Saab 9000, Alfa 164, and Fiat Croma.
Thanks Bill! I don't want to mean about the thing, but gaude or gauche, I can't make my mind up. That car certainly is, " something else ". I guess the smooth ride is somewhat of a redemption.
I've always thought this generation Eldorado and Seville just look wrong. The roof line and the rear wheel wells just don't jive. The roof should be pushed back towards the rear so it's more centered with the rear wheel wells.
Plus, the interior is horrible. The dashboard is so cheap looking and the seats are way too thin.
At least when it was freshened a bit in 1988(or was it 1989), the tail lamps, the front fenders, and the sail panel looked a bit better.
The fact the the cimmaron was still in production...
I do indeed LOVE the burgundy white contrast in this car
These were the dark days of Caddy . I don't remember anybody thinking this was a prestige car anymore.
Sadly, GM and Cadillac have never recovered.
@@michaelfoulkes9502 Cadillac did well with the CTS but overall agree Cadillacs aren’t special anymore.
@@jpete3027666 escalades are still luxury behemoths, Cadillac is fine
I had one of these Cadillac. I really loved that car. The touring package had a sport look outside. Great car! My lasted 196k. Until the head gaskets blew and sold it.
The interiors were nice. But, goodness the exterior design and drivetrains we certainly not "Standard of the World".
it is always a good day when Bill posts a video!!!!
The Walnut trim was available on non-Biarritz cars with the L2 option group which essentially netted every option. Though this one strangely does not have the Auto Day/Night mirrors.
Adam Wade did a great interview with the designer of this car and what went into it.
The day night mirrors were possibly replaced with regular mirrors at some point.
Lol when first read your comment I thought it said Walmart trip and that I had to re-read it and it said walnut lol play tricks On my eyes for one second
Sure do enjoy your videos and taste in merchandise. Many yrs as a small independent used car dealer. I’d like to say hi if I’m ever down there 👍
I had one just like this! However it was triple black, with an aftermarket moonroof.
Great video. My favorite Caddy's are the 1970s and 80s sedans with giant fin taillights.
Remember the plastic around every one of them falling apart??? I do! The florida sun turned them to shit.
@@jagboy69 Not all of them. I had a 1980 Coupe de Ville with the 'd Elegance package, and the fillers between tail light bumpers looked factory fresh until I sold the car in 1997.
LOVE THE SHOW 👏👏👏...... HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY EVERYONE ✌️
The first downsizing in 77 was pretty good. Especially for GM. The cars didn't lose much besides excessive weight and size. The cars were still big and comfortable. But lighter and easier to drive. The second wave of downsizing was horrible. Everything turned into front wheel drive, ugly, overly complicated (for the time) crap. But even the worst cars of the 80's are still light-years better than the crossover garbage people drive today. I'd rather drive a Lada than a garbage CROSSOVER
My grandma drive an 87 eldo when I was a kid. I loved the digital gauges.
I think this car has a nice style to it. Small but luxurious. Great review
For the love of God Bill .You're doin it in the friggin rain. Hope ya got a brella...
Good evening Bill from Ron in a very cold Manchester Nice to see you back, hope you are keeping well
I loved my '87 Eldorado. ♥️
You're very well spoken I remember these cars when they were new and renting them in Florida in Miami I thought they had some power compared to the other cars and was pleasantly surprised
Good day Bill, Hope you've been keeping well
🥉🏆
Perhaps Canadians on the luggage rack?
That looks like a nice Pontiac Grand Am.
when these were new we called them 'Cadillac Grand Ams'.
yep
I called them mustang eldorados
I always liked the look of this model. It reminded me of the Italian-designed Allante. I do remember loving the interior. The turn off was the reliability of Cadillac (GM in general at the time) and Japan and Germany had better (albeit boring) options.
The turn off was the 4100 engine; steel heads on an aluminum block didn't mate very well.
@@johna.4334 As a 90s/2000s teen, I would have called you guys “haters” back then for your comments. Now that I’ve worked in the connector and weapons mfg sector for the last 10 yrs and understand a bit about engineering, I totally understand these comments (especially mating SS to aluminum 😢).
My dad drove a 4.1 fleetwood to 200,000 miles with no problems. Put in a remanufactured 4.1 and got another 50,000 before the tranny went and then we junked it.
By the time the 4.9 came around, a lot of the bugs had been fixed. Four-nines were dead nuts reliable, and decently powered for what they were.
Steel heads on aluminium block. Backwoods... Those guys must've shat where they ate. And had a butt hole as a mouth... But it's me talking crap...
Well hello, Bill! I am glad to see you are still buying unique cars like this one (I will get to it's sort of "cousin" car later). I had back surgery that I finally got done (my L4 and L5 were fused) and it has been the most painful recovery I am still going through! And of course, because of the drug addict epidemic, I only got freaking hydrocodone for post-op pain! Now, I know that you don't know me but I had to do some of my own bitching! I remember my Mother's interior designer then, had the Buick Riviera version of that car. I was a kid at that time, and her car had the digital dash and I thought wow, I want one of these digital displays in my 1st car someday haha! The Riviera had the bulletproof 3.8 liter V6 and it was burgundy too so it was a cool car to me then. She also had the little late 80s Cadillac Deville or Fleetwood too, if they had a little Fleetwood-. I am, by the way, looking for a low-mile 1994 to 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood or Buick Roadmaster, and I have the cash ready-. Where do you sell the cars you acquire? Are they on the new owners' website and what would that be? Happy Holidays Bill! Please let me know! - Ryan 1.
Please don't stop making TH-cam videos... Merry Christmas and Happy holidays 😁👍
HOLY SHIT! That fake Continental kit blows my mind!! I always thought it was at least a real donut spare in there. Look at 20:27! The amount of fake work they put into that thing is pure GM idiocy of the time. (And I’m a huge GM fan). Wow! Truly stunned.
It wasn't GM that put the hideous fake spare tire, gold grille and numerous other gold items on the car, it was the original dealer, Ed Morse Cadillac, trying to make more money on an already expensive car for the time.
@@242HP ah! Makes sense. Still a crazy worthless gimmick. I say that as someone who used to own a 74 coupe deville that sold previous owner added a hideous (but real) continental kit on the back. It was hilarious and a total nuisance when gassing up or using the trunk.
Blech - the only one worth having is the monochromatic Touring Coupe; preferrably the 91 with 200 hp which, for the era, had some poke. That actually commands some money. This - well, if it does, there's a fool who's been parted.
OMG... that car is hideous. It never fails to amaze me that GM survived through those years. And I'm a die hard GM man... never owned anything else. The Eldorado that preceded this design was gorgeous in my opinion and should have been the inspiration for this car.
Small wonder that the Europeans and Japanese are is alive...