You have interesting taste in cars, in a good way. Also, thanks for going with the two-post radios instead of hacking a hole to install a single-DIN modern radio.
@@bwofficial1776 thanks man! That's actually how I got the car, but if I were to put in a modern radio I wouldn't have done it any other way. New radios that don't fit into the original holes can ruin an interior.
This car had only two purposes: to make a statement about the owner's wealth and to be supremely comfortable. No one did big boats that can cruise for hours in a straight line like the Americans. The two-tone package is interesting and certainly unique.
Had an old friend that bought one new in 1978. Same exact color combination and we were in high school. Needless to say it was one helluva car to have back then especially when we lived in Staten Island NY. It was a true Staten Island /Brooklyn car!!
I had the pleasure of buying this beast on Dan's behalf! The car was closer to me than Dan, so I went and took delivery of it for him... It was an honor to drive something so squishy on a 7 hour trip to Eugene. Between the cush suspension and the bean-bag seats, it was almost dangerously comfortable to drive. I was falling asleep driving it. ^_^
I miss cars like this. Nowadays cars ride like log trucks you can feel every expansion joint in the road. That’s why so many people are going to pick up and SUV.
The original buyer must have walked in the dealership and said "give me one with all the options, you know, just like whatever's in the centerfold of the Eldo brochure this year."
This Caddy is Absolutely GORGEOUS. !!! They were all over the road when I was young and only the rich had them. Beautiful American OPULENCE at its Finest. !!!! Love it. !!!!!
Yes it was. I was 17 in 1978 and this was one of the most beautiful cars on the road. I mean just look at her. Plus I’m Italian so we like these big Caddys, love these big Caddys. 👍🤣
My mother owned a 1972 version of the Eldorado when I was a kid. It was a blue 2dr coupe with a white Landau top. She loved that car. Sadly it was totaled in a car accident. Also the1966 Oldsmobile Toronado was the first American car to use this longitudinal engine and transaxle layout. A year later Cadillac came out with the Eldorado built on the same platform.
I got a 78 Biarritz I bought a couple years ago as a project car. Other than the fact it doesn’t run at the moment, the car is in amazing shape. Complete with sunroof too. I can’t wait to get it on the road.
My mom had a 77 DeVille with the same steering wheel and it’s aged well. 77 was the first year of the downsized and redesigned DeVilles and Fleetwoods. The Eldo followed in 79 I believe. Also, interesting tidbit. The reason the Eldo is FWD is it is on the same platform as the Olds Toronado.
One of my fav cadillacs. Some of what you mentioned, like the seats and the 2 tone paint, were features of the classic, which was a submodel of the biarritz, a commerative 'final eldo' edition...only 2000 made...500 of these with sunroof. They got a special vinyl roof, that fancy tan and brown paint (Arizona Beige and Demitasse Brown Metallic, oboy!), and those crazy seats...none of which was available on the regular biarritz. Amazing cars...a lot of them were put away as new as the last big Cadillac.
I m from europe, a 90s kid, so my favorite cars are ofcourse old bimmers, merc and porsche from 80s and 90s. But i dont think i was ever impressed more with a car in last 20 years. I literally feel sad that we dont have those here :(
These and the Buick Rivieras ('72 whale tail style) always get me looking. The old timers at the shows always look at me funny for paying more attention to them than their Continental's or 442's 😂
man the biarritz always brings a smile to my face 😀 too bad it was fwd which is why i think the perfect caddy from the 70s is a 75/76 coupe deville which also had these seats as a rare option also in cloth not only leather. i‘ve sat in these too and can confirm they are the absolute best! oldsmobile also had similar ones in the toronado.
That 1978 Cadillac Eldorado was a comfortable land yacht with prestige and a way of telling the world you're very special. Also that 1978 Cadillac Eldorado was necessary in order to compete with Lincoln's flagship model Mark V which even today and probably never will be settled.
I've always wanted one of these big boats. They say there was no smoother ride developed since. How cool is that to have a living room couch in your car? These cars may not have the fancy screens and auto-drive features found on today's "luxury" cars, but to me the quality in these cars FAR outshines anything on the road produced since.
To drive it, it's monstrously large. I could never tell where it was in the lane since I couldn't see the lane stripes. When Dad drove it in San Francisco you couldn't see into the intersections going uphill, so pedestrians beware. It was also completely devoid of road feel - kind of like a 5000 lb. video game.
They had two "sunroofs"; a steel one and a glass one. The glass one was called an Astro Roof. How did you find out that they only made 500 sunroof cars in 1978 ? How many did they make in 77 ? I have an eldo biarritz with the astroroof. ANd I am here to learn more about it, since it just arrived. Thanks
You young guy. Your delivery is great. What you missed is what special options came with the Eldorado Barritz ? In the 50's that badge really meant something. Considering your video other than cushy seats it didn't seem like it counted for anything. Do your homework and report what features were exclusive to the Biarritz.
Ive always considered the '75-'78 Eldorado coups, with those chrome caps on the "forefins", the trapezoidal opera windows and the almost triangular stainless steel molding on the beltline of the Biarritz versions, to be the ugliest Cadillacs ever made. The '75 and '76 convertibles, with a cleaner roofline, looked much better, but were still vulgar in some ways. The '71-'74 looked much better than the '75-'78, but in all years of that platform, there was amazingly little leg room for such a huge car, much less than in a Coup Deville, despite the usual packaging advantages of FWD. The '79 was a huge improvement in many ways.
Nice interior on paper but rather tacky and poorly finished in reality. Adam from Rare Classic Cars does a great job getting into specific detail regarding GMs high water mark quality years and the subsequent decline throughout the late 60s and beyond .
Ultimate definition of huge for no really good reason. What in the world were people thinking 50 years ago.... Actually embarrassing to me to be seen in that beast.
Have you seen what people drive on the road today? Yeah, my Cadillac is huge but it's not like cars on the road today or much smaller and the average person drives a truck which is usually even bigger than my car.
The question, "what in the world were people thinking" should be asked today. What went wrong, that people feel the need to buy something like the Cybertruck??
@@Romiman1 exactly, not only that but look at how giant pickup trucks are just being sold as everyday vehicles. They're absolutely beyond dangerous due to how tall they are when it comes to visibility for the safety of pedestrians.
Thank you once again Zach for doing an absolute banger job on documenting one of my malaise rides.
Sorry for the disaster inside the trunk 😅
You have interesting taste in cars, in a good way. Also, thanks for going with the two-post radios instead of hacking a hole to install a single-DIN modern radio.
@@bwofficial1776 thanks man! That's actually how I got the car, but if I were to put in a modern radio I wouldn't have done it any other way. New radios that don't fit into the original holes can ruin an interior.
The loose cushion look began with the 1972 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency.
Love it! '78 Biarritz Astroroof and Mark V Diamond Jubilee. Peak '70s Luxury!
This car had only two purposes: to make a statement about the owner's wealth and to be supremely comfortable. No one did big boats that can cruise for hours in a straight line like the Americans. The two-tone package is interesting and certainly unique.
Preach
I had a white 1978 Biarritz El Dorado.
Best "Drive in Movie" Date Car Ever.
Had an old friend that bought one new in 1978. Same exact color combination and we were in high school. Needless to say it was one helluva car to have back then especially when we lived in Staten Island NY. It was a true Staten Island /Brooklyn car!!
I had the pleasure of buying this beast on Dan's behalf! The car was closer to me than Dan, so I went and took delivery of it for him...
It was an honor to drive something so squishy on a 7 hour trip to Eugene. Between the cush suspension and the bean-bag seats, it was almost dangerously comfortable to drive. I was falling asleep driving it. ^_^
I miss cars like this. Nowadays cars ride like log trucks you can feel every expansion joint in the road. That’s why so many people are going to pick up and SUV.
The original buyer must have walked in the dealership and said "give me one with all the options, you know, just like whatever's in the centerfold of the Eldo brochure this year."
This Caddy is Absolutely GORGEOUS. !!! They were all over the road when I was young and only the rich had them. Beautiful American OPULENCE at its Finest. !!!! Love it. !!!!!
Thank you! I always tell people it was the most opulent American car you could buy in 1978
Yes it was. I was 17 in 1978 and this was one of the most beautiful cars on the road. I mean just look at her. Plus I’m Italian so we like these big Caddys, love these big Caddys. 👍🤣
@@johnpezzullo9644 as a fellow Italian I cannot agree more 😂
My mother owned a 1972 version of the Eldorado when I was a kid. It was a blue 2dr coupe with a white Landau top. She loved that car. Sadly it was totaled in a car accident. Also the1966 Oldsmobile Toronado was the first American car to use this longitudinal engine and transaxle layout. A year later Cadillac came out with the Eldorado built on the same platform.
I got a 78 Biarritz I bought a couple years ago as a project car. Other than the fact it doesn’t run at the moment, the car is in amazing shape. Complete with sunroof too. I can’t wait to get it on the road.
Please make a video buddy!!!
I wanted one of these when I was in high school. My dream car
I feel ya there! I've been wanting one since highschool as well. I was genuinely speechless when I finally got this one.
Some guy at my high school drove a 1974-76 Chevy Monte Carlo that he bought off a teacher. It was an ugly car but it had presence and comfort.
My mom had a 77 DeVille with the same steering wheel and it’s aged well. 77 was the first year of the downsized and redesigned DeVilles and Fleetwoods. The Eldo followed in 79 I believe. Also, interesting tidbit. The reason the Eldo is FWD is it is on the same platform as the Olds Toronado.
One of my fav cadillacs. Some of what you mentioned, like the seats and the 2 tone paint, were features of the classic, which was a submodel of the biarritz, a commerative 'final eldo' edition...only 2000 made...500 of these with sunroof. They got a special vinyl roof, that fancy tan and brown paint (Arizona Beige and Demitasse Brown Metallic, oboy!), and those crazy seats...none of which was available on the regular biarritz. Amazing cars...a lot of them were put away as new as the last big Cadillac.
I miss the 70s and 80s, luxury at its finest. I love the headlight and radio knobs, nice n big n heavy with the Cadillac wreath all the way around!
It's the finer details that truly shine through and make a lasting impression
I m from europe, a 90s kid, so my favorite cars are ofcourse old bimmers, merc and porsche from 80s and 90s. But i dont think i was ever impressed more with a car in last 20 years. I literally feel sad that we dont have those here :(
These and the Buick Rivieras ('72 whale tail style) always get me looking. The old timers at the shows always look at me funny for paying more attention to them than their Continental's or 442's 😂
Puttin on the 'Biarritz
One of the coolest cars ever made!
This is what I like about this channel, these are the car reviews I like seeing! Keep it up!
Excellent job blending humor and information. Your bringing the A-game Zach.
My father had one in 78 but it was all white with a red dash. I remember the radio had a built in CB radio feature
What an absolutely magnificent vehicle, not much comes even close in terms of sheer road presence !
That is the ultimate pimp mobile. I dig it.
All you need is the long fur coat and a fedora with the feather in the brim and you got it made
I actually usually wear a nice long fur coat when driving it lol
These turn signals are beautiful, in fact this car as a whole. I would love to have the money to have one of these and do a restomod.
man the biarritz always brings a smile to my face 😀 too bad it was fwd which is why i think the perfect caddy from the 70s is a 75/76 coupe deville which also had these seats as a rare option also in cloth not only leather. i‘ve sat in these too and can confirm they are the absolute best! oldsmobile also had similar ones in the toronado.
I gotta ask, what is the downside of it being FWD?
That 1978 Cadillac Eldorado was a comfortable land yacht with prestige and a way of telling the world you're very special. Also that 1978 Cadillac Eldorado was necessary in order to compete with Lincoln's flagship model Mark V which even today and probably never will be settled.
I've always wanted one of these big boats. They say there was no smoother ride developed since. How cool is that to have a living room couch in your car? These cars may not have the fancy screens and auto-drive features found on today's "luxury" cars, but to me the quality in these cars FAR outshines anything on the road produced since.
And I remember the sunroof having red tinted glass.
It wasn't just a sunroof. But, an Astro Roof.
i still want one of these bodystyle Eldorados
Do a 1976 Caddilac Coupe DeVille review.
The last of the big ones
To drive it, it's monstrously large. I could never tell where it was in the lane since I couldn't see the lane stripes. When Dad drove it in San Francisco you couldn't see into the intersections going uphill, so pedestrians beware. It was also completely devoid of road feel - kind of like a 5000 lb. video game.
I always called the Cadillac Biarritz the Cadillac of Cadillacs!
Yea that wiper switch lol. The stalk just works.
That’s right man modern day Cadillac ain’t got shit on the classics!
I remember growing up as a kid. I would hear the grown ups say "Dont slam the trunk!" 😅😅😅
Thank you Paisan. !!!!
big zack pradel fan over here😺
They had two "sunroofs"; a steel one and a glass one. The glass one was called an Astro Roof. How did you find out that they only made 500 sunroof cars in 1978 ? How many did they make in 77 ? I have an eldo biarritz with the astroroof. ANd I am here to learn more about it, since it just arrived. Thanks
Hey Zach, does any car's pass the big frickin bottle test
Yes! About 20%! But nothing older than 1995 has passed
6:50 “Jacking Instructions” meant something entirely different in 1978…
If this car only had a little bit longer hood, it could have been really successful.
You young guy. Your delivery is great. What you missed is what special options came with the Eldorado Barritz ? In the 50's that badge really meant something. Considering your video other than cushy seats it didn't seem like it counted for anything. Do your homework and report what features were exclusive to the Biarritz.
Another compact car review?
2:40 " doesn't have an airbag ?!? Its in the middle of the steering wheel !
1970 Eldorado had the 8.2 liter with front wheel drive
Love this car, let me know if you would like to cruise my 2001 Deville.
So cool
Fun review. It's pronounced BEE a ritz. It's a French resort town.
Cool 😎
Someone at one point wrapped the worn steering wheel with leather.
Some of the last affordable luxury land yachts! Now it takes Maybach or Rolls Royce money to get something like this
Ive always considered the '75-'78 Eldorado coups, with those chrome caps on the "forefins", the trapezoidal opera windows and the almost triangular stainless steel molding on the beltline of the Biarritz versions, to be the ugliest Cadillacs ever made. The '75 and '76 convertibles, with a cleaner roofline, looked much better, but were still vulgar in some ways. The '71-'74 looked much better than the '75-'78, but in all years of that platform, there was amazingly little leg room for such a huge car, much less than in a Coup Deville, despite the usual packaging advantages of FWD. The '79 was a huge improvement in many ways.
Are you 7 ft tall? There's plenty of legroom up front, you can have a damn orgy up there
5:33 zach probably sealed his fate
If this were 20 years ago, it would be a ringback tone.
The mirrors are not powered they work on a cable
Sad how far Cadillac has fallen. Once aspirational cars here and abroad to making generic rebadged Chevy crossovers.
1978 the year I was born
I was 10
It needs a CB RADIO.
Why ideal seats are like sofas?? What about lumbar cushion or leg support
That paint just sure is custom.
Lapidant and luxurious? I'm not familiar with the first word.
That paint actually isn't custom! That's the paint job you got when you ordered the Custom Biarritz Classic package
Needed the Moon roof to compete with Lincoln
Caddys used to have style. They are now boomer-mobiles or rotting in junkyards.
Nice interior on paper but rather tacky and poorly finished in reality. Adam from Rare Classic Cars does a great job getting into specific detail regarding GMs high water mark quality years and the subsequent decline throughout the late 60s and beyond .
Strange one to maintain.
This was luxury, not f'en ipad with wheels.
You should read the manual. Cadillacs do not have anything called "cigarette lighters". They are CIGAR lighters. Get it straight!
Ultimate definition of huge for no really good reason. What in the world were people thinking 50 years ago.... Actually embarrassing to me to be seen in that beast.
Have you seen what people drive on the road today? Yeah, my Cadillac is huge but it's not like cars on the road today or much smaller and the average person drives a truck which is usually even bigger than my car.
Spot on. These things were stupid.
Don't worry about being seen in it, you could not have afford it anyway.
The question, "what in the world were people thinking" should be asked today.
What went wrong, that people feel the need to buy something like the Cybertruck??
@@Romiman1 exactly, not only that but look at how giant pickup trucks are just being sold as everyday vehicles. They're absolutely beyond dangerous due to how tall they are when it comes to visibility for the safety of pedestrians.