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As the owner of a proper California-built custom, I’m always on the lookout for down-at-the-heels examples of the breed when I return to my former state of residence. Last month, I spotted this flamed-and-custom-grille-equipped Eldo in a San Jose-area yard.
It’s not in terrible shape, but there’s some rust in areas with lots of body filler and the interior is a bit on the beat side.
Watsonville, where hot rodder Wally Klock lived his life, isn’t far from this yard.
All this car really needed was a Biarritz interior swap.
I hope some Eldorado owner will spot this grille and rescue it before it gets eaten by The Crusher.
19 Comments on “Junkyard Find: 1984 Cadillac Eldorado...”
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This topic needs one of those “Mother of God” memes.
Sweet Kustom Korona, Phil!
We didn’t have a Cadillac Eldorado, but my grandmother did have a 1984 or 1985 V8-powered Buick Riviera, which is on the same platform. She used to let me sit in her lap and help steer, and the steering was so overboosted on that car that you could turn the wheel with your pinky and no effort whatsoever.
I have never seen one of these E-bodies turned into a hot-rod, though.
The only way this could be worse is if it were an 86 model. Or if it was an 84 Toronado Caliente.
Of the triplets at this time, the Eldorado worked the least for me. I think it’s because I know it was considerably more expensive than the other two (for no good reason).
I’m curious…what was so bad about the Caliente version of the Toronado (other than its wannabe-exotic name)? I wasn’t alive when these cars were in production (’90s kid) and can’t find any specific information on that version.
I do agree that the seventh-gen models (’86-’93 or so) helped to solidify the demise of the original American personal luxury coupe, whose presence has been reincarnated in the equally-pointless Cadillac ELR.
Honestly for me the Toronado is the only car I can truly say that I desire for every single year of production. Some more desirable than others but still I wouldn’t turn one down, whether it was the super collectible first year or one from the last year of production during the “Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile” campaign.
I don’t get the “hate” either.
Oh, I just meant that they would have ruined a rare Toronado Caliente is all. I don’t have the hate for that model like I do for the Eldorado, as I mentioned before.
As far as I can tell, Caliente is just a well-equipped Toronado with a landau.
I always liked that vintage Toronado’s dashboard with the big A/C vent right in the center. Seemed more interesting than the Eldorado’s.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2935/14207163953_4b0ba2884a.jpg
This road does not lead to Eldorado.
Blue Man Crew Official Staff Car
That grill is perfect for a redneck barbecue. I went to look at an 1980 Riviera S Type recently and two things really stood out. First the interior was surprisingly small compared to the outside dimensions. But what impressed me the most was how I could close that long door with one finger and how solid it felt and sounded.
“All the girls would turn the color of an avocado.
When he would drive down their street in his El Dorado.”
I purchased a 1985 Toronado Caliente as a trade-in vehicle at my Oldsmobile dealership in 1997. It had the electronic dash system warning that the electrical system needed attention and would fail soon if not serviced. I sold the owner a black 1997 88 LSS (like mine!) and got his Toronado for $1,700. It had 69,542 miles.
All the car needed was a $17 alternator fan belt!
As President of the Toronado / Aurora Chapter of the Oldsmobile Club of America I can say I love all Toronados from 1966 to 1992 also!
Back in the late 80’s until 1990 I owned a 1980 Olds Toronado in charcoal grey, no vinyl roof, steel sunroof optioned, Burgundy velour interior with a rebuilt Mr. Goodwrench diesel which was under warranty from the previous owner. It was a nice luxobarge ride that got 26 MPG Hwy. It blew up after 2 yrs but considering I paid $500 for it and invested the normal maintenance, I got my money out of it. I did think about converting it to a gas V8 but ending up selling it to a GM E-Body fan who parted it out.
Someone must have hated the car a lot to do that to it .
-Nate
4100 will do that to you.
Good Gawd, I thought that “donked” meant “even more bling!” This one had the Caddy side mirrors ripped away and more plebian GM “sport” mirrors installed, ferchrissakes!
Any one of this generation’s (1979-1985) trifecta with a gas V8, 4-speed AOD, loaded to the gills, knowledge of someone with ability to “jerry-rig” a repair for an electronics panel for gauges, climate control, or other, plus a winter storage space, and I’d consider one as a “fun” toy. Since I know of nobody who could undertake care and feeding of said primitive electronics, I’ll pass!
I was just a kid when these were common on the local roads, I had several neighbors that had them (I grew up in the L.A. area). I remember thinking how nice of a car they appeared to be but even as a kid I remember hearing the neighbors talk to each other on the way in and out of their homes or passing by on their daily walks, comments like “I didn’t see your car in the driveway and thought you may have been out of town” to be replied with something like, “No its back in the shop again”. It was around this time that I remember seeing more and more of the mid 80s era Mercedes coupes filling the local driveways. For the life of me I don’t understand why GM let/forced the Cadillac division to produce such junk, regardless of what the original intention was with the 4100HT. As bad as the 4100HT may have been, I still chuckle thinking of a car of this type/style pulling up to a valet with all the sounds and smell of a filthy non-turbo diesel, lol. What were they (GM/Cadillac) thinking? It seems to me that the majority of cars from this era were of marginal quality but to knowingly produce junk and push it on your highest level of customer is so stupid that I can’t make sense of it. I’m aware that GM was trying to make CAFE compliance but I believe that they should have paid whatever fine and dropped a big block in or alternatively, the turbo Buick v6 of that era, neither of those two would leave customers feeling blatantly ripped off.
Ahh, the reasons why this car was the pride and joy of each owner throughout its life.