My 57 Caddy

Back from the mechanics..

2009-09-05T09:40:00.002-05:00

Drove the car 120 miles or so back from the latest mechanic and it drove great.

New valve cover gaskets, rear springs, fuel line, brake lines and a bunch of miscellaneous adjustments. (windows, door trim, trunk closure.)

It's not a show ready car, more of a driver but most of the smaller items that can be fixed are fixed. Decision time! Make it show ready or drive it as-is...Or, sell it I suppose as the third choice.

58 Biarritz on sale at eBay VIN 58E009767

2009-05-31T20:06:00.011-05:00

Item Number: 120427069271
Buy It Now Price: $69,500
Daniel Schmitt & Co

Looks nice - but was apparently sitting for 12 years. This car was meant to DRIVE and not SIT.

Caddy Couple

2008-12-02T22:08:00.002-06:00

Feeling younger in an older car!

Thanksgiving Family Get Together - Denny Ray

2008-12-01T23:38:00.002-06:00

OK Ladies - He's Available.... My younger brother Denny Ray that is, not the car... Of course if the price is right, just about anything is available. Denny just happens to be much easier to get than the car!

Another Caddy For Sale on eBay - 57 Biarritz

2008-09-07T19:45:00.004-05:00

eBay Item 330268686487

Current bid is only $32,000 I imagine it'll hit 70 or so.

Cruisin' Time with the kids

2008-09-02T22:24:00.003-05:00

Reagan, Morgan, and Ryan off to cruise in the Caddy... We were off to play Mini Golf where Morgan scored two holes in one! Reagan was up from Texas and fit into this other Miller family perfectly and we loved having her for the short time she was here.

The kids had Pinwheels from an event uptown which made for great fun during the low speed cruise.

Caddy Back Again!

2008-08-05T22:08:00.002-05:00

Once again back from the mechanic. This time the horn was fixed, the speedometer now works, and the steering was finally fixed. A part had to machined, but it's now working great! We went up to the Ice Cream Social tonight in the Caddy and enjoyed a family night out!

More work done...

2008-06-08T14:28:00.002-05:00

A bit more work done... the car sat again at a mechanics for a few months while next to nothing got done. He did fix the fuel gauge (which didn't work at all) and adjusted the side passenger window and that's about it.

I switched mechanics again - this next mechanic is fixing the spedometer (as it bounces up and down 10-15 mph around your speed), has already fixed the horn (previous owner placed a push button under the dash instead of fixing the wiring in the steering column which has now been fixed), and is working on obtaining parts for a steering adjustment.

We'll be cruisin around starting within a week or so...!

Magazine article on 57 cadillac

2008-01-08T21:37:00.000-06:00

Interesting twist - I was given a picture of a 1957 Cadillac the other day by my father as part of a birthday gift. This picture was part of a collage of pictures that was posted in the game room at home when I was in High School a bit over two decades ago. It just so happens to be a Red 57 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz just like the one I recently purchased and is likely part of the driving force for my inner desire for the car. One of my brothers remembers the car picture and had brought this fact up when I purchased the car and it just so happens my Dad's a pack rat and still had that picture.

It also just so happens that I purchased an old magazine article off of eBay the other day and I was going to post the article here and I just noticed - it appears to be the original article with the same exact picture just handed to me by my father who's had it for 20+ years. I now have his copy of the picture and a copy of the original article that he apparently cut it out from years ago and they both came together in the same week!

Here's the full scan of the 1957 Cadillac magazine article.

1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz for sale on eBay

2007-12-11T23:48:00.000-06:00

1958 Biarritz

It's currently only 51k.... I'd consider buying it if I didn't have my 57 already! Heck, I'm STILL considering buying it. NOTE: I claim no advanced knowledge of the real quality of this car, it simply looks like a very nice example of a 58 Biarritz and there's not too many to choose from these days! I haven't seen a 57 or 58 come up in a while.

Danbury Mint : The 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz

2007-12-06T16:08:00.000-06:00

Purchased a much smaller version of the Biarritz:

From Danbury's website:

Cadillac forever defined its place in automotive styling history with the Biarritz convertible. It Combined such opulence, sophisitication and beauty that, to this day, few automotive designs have come close to approaching it. Our replica of this landmark automobile is crafted from more than 250 precision parts, and every detail is absolutely authentic.

Scale 1:24; 9-1/2" in length.

Item Number: 0968-0018

Nice 1957 Eldorado Biarritz Restoration - Number 1020 of 1800

2007-10-02T22:29:00.001-05:00

Car Number 1020 of 1800
Harry's 57 Caddy

This unique piece of American automobile history has been extensively restored in a 4000 man hour restoration from 1987 to 2003.

All I can say is: "Nice Job Harry!"

Red 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz For Sale

2007-10-02T22:07:00.001-05:00

Found another caddy for sale - $150,000

RockysClassicCars.com

1957 CADILLAC ELDORADO BIARRITZ, This 1957 Cadillac Biarritz convertible lacks nothing except you driving it to work every day, or just on the weekends when you want to just get away from it all. This is an all original car with only 69k original miles. It has been freshened up with a new paint, flawless leather interrior. It has been meticiously detailed in every way, top to bottom, front to back, engine compartment, trunk, stainless and chrome. The car has a 325 h.p. V8 engine with 1x4. A 2x4 with the correct air cleaner, linkage et/al is available but will add $10,000.00 to the asking price at this time. Think about how rare this car is. This is the first one I have ever seen in person, and it is hard to take your eyes off of. Come and get it and drive it home for $105,000 or $115,000.00 with 2x4's! The emblem on the front of the hood is beeing replated as these pictures were taken, so please use your imagination as it will enhance the look greatly! Thank you for looking.

Rocky's Classic Cars
Phone: (702) 274-1077
FAX: No faxes, please call.

White 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz For Sale

2007-10-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

Came across this car for sale tonight:

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible For Sale
I also saw it listed here: ClassicsGallery.com

Only two owners. The car stayed in a private museum in California until 1986. At that time, the car had only 13.000 miles! This example is probably the best original 1957 Eldorado Biarritz in existence! The car looks as new!!

Make: Cadillac
Model: Eldorado Biarritz Convertible
Year: 1957
Category: Prestige
Colour: See photo
Transmission: Automatic
LHD / RHD: LHD
Convertible: Yes
Location: Belgium
Private / Trade: Trade
Car ID: 18776
No of Views: 2077
Confirmed For Sale: 26 days ago

AEA Tune Up Card

2007-09-30T23:02:00.000-05:00

Original Automotive Electric Association tune-up card for 1957 Cadillac includes "Standards of Adjustment" that dictates ignition timing, capacities, valve clearances, etc. Purchased one set of three for 1956, 1957 and 1958.

1957 Cadillac Build Sheet

2007-09-14T19:44:00.000-05:00

VIN #5762076628

The build sheet shows each vehicle and the options ordered. My car was body 1414, sold to dealer location MPL (Mineneapolis, Minnesota), was originally Olympic White in color with a black convertible top, the original/existing interior is Kiowa Red & White, US Royal Tires with white sidewalls. It was built April 16th.

Arrival Picture - Delivered By Luxury Auto Transport

2007-09-14T17:44:00.000-05:00

This was back in July 07 when the car was first delivered:

Illinois Title Arrived Today

2007-09-12T21:32:00.000-05:00

The official Illinois title came today! I feel much better now as there was some confusion on the original title when registering the car at the DMV. All done now so no worries...

1957 Martin-Senour Cadillac Paint Chip Catalog Page

2007-09-12T21:29:00.000-05:00

A page from Martin-Senour color catalog of paints.

MY57 License Plate / Registration Arrived

2007-09-11T08:21:00.000-05:00

1957 Eldorado Biarritz Convertible - Press Release Photo

2007-08-26T22:53:00.000-05:00

This was used as a stock picture for an advertising agency. The photo has the press release glued to the bottom of the picture and reads as follows:

ELDORADO BIARRITZ - Styling remindful of the "dream cars" appears on this 1957 Eldorado Biarritz Convertible. Not only are the fins set inboard on the smoothly contoured body but the bumper is built in and wraps around to the rear wheel openings. Biarritz owners have a choice of two engines; the high performance 300 horsepower Cadillac engine or a modified version which develops 325 horsepower.

1957 Cadillac Biarritz Article - Quotes From Ron Hill

2007-08-26T22:21:00.000-05:00

Extracted OCR text below the graphics.

"People were afraid of these Cadillacs" (They were so large)

"..those rubber nibbles on the Dagmars were an after-thought, purely for safety reasons. At one point we even made those up in white rubber so they wouldn't seem lewd."

(The large fins) "They sure look hideous to me now.."

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible
Darling of the Stylists
BY RICH TAYLOR

The 1957 Cadillac was really nothing more than a rehash of styling ideas lifted from the trend-setting LeSabre showcar designed by Harley Earl. Completed in 1951 and revamped for the '53 Motorama, this jet plane-inspired pet of GM Styling's chief donated its wrap-around windshield, "gullwing bumpers," Dagmar bullets, "LeSabre fins" and Sabre Spoke wheels to generations of Cadillacs and General Motors showcars. By '57, the standard Cadillac had a front end lifted directly from the original Eldorado Brougham Motorama car of 1955-minus its quad headlights which were still illegal in 1957-and a rear that came straight from the 1954 La Espada/EI Camino Motorama fantasies. But all three of these later showcars were merely variations on the LeSabre (see SJA # 16, page 22). What Cadillac needed in 1957 was a new styling direction to replace what had become pretty stale cliches.

The '57 Eldorado Biarritz was the right car at the time. Designed by a 23-year-old kid named Ron Hill, the famous "chipmunk cheeks" rear end of the '57/,58 Eldo started a fresh styling cycle at Cadillac that didn't run itself out until 1966. Accord¬ing to Hill (who's now in charge of special projects at Cadillac), that influential Eldorado came about mostly by accident. He says, "The '57 Biarritz was the first styling program I ever worked on. I arrived at GM in October, 1954, fresh out of Art Center School. In January of '55 I started on the Biarritz. The chief designer at Cadillac was Ed Glowacke, Bob Schelk was the assistant, and Ned Walters, Dave Holls and I were the entire staff.

"The Eldorado was meant as a blue-sky version of the standard Series 62. The front end was exactly the same. But Dave and I were responsible for styling the standard line as well, so there was no problem integrating the Biarritz design. We just worked on all the cars together. The Eldorado actually occupied only a small portion of the total time we spent that year.

"I derived that rather rotund shape of the rear deck by cutting away at the standard rear quarters. There was no prototype program or anything that fancy, and unlike the standard car, it wasn't inspired by anything else. We just needed something that looked different, and I came up with it. We called it the 'potato' rear end. According to Dave, these were 'sporty' fins as opposed to the 'elegant' fins of the standard cars. They sure look hideous to me now, though at the time I remember I was pretty proud of that car."

What's intriguing, is that while the styling of standard '57 Cadillacs owed a lot
to earlier showcars, the frame was all-new. And required an all-new body. The engine, of course, was the same 365 cubic inch version of Ed Cole's famous V-8 that had been bored out for 1956. The original 331 cubic inch design, which debuted in 1949 at 160 horsepower (see 51 A # 11, page 10), was now rated at up to 325 horsepower in the Eldorado, with a high-octane 10:1 compression ratio for the first time. The 4-speed Hydramatic was unchanged from 1956, and most of the drive-train was the same.

But the frame was a new concept. An "X"-shaped construction welded up from two massive girders, it was some 18 percent stiffer than the conventional perimeter frame of the '56s, but nearly 4 percent lighter. The body mounted to long outriggers, and could be effectively insulated from road shocks. This made the sound engineers particularly happy, for majestic silence was a real concern to Cadillac engineers and buyers alike. The "X" frame was a giant step forward.

This new frame was a real bonanza for the stylists, too. As far as they were concerned, the most important advantage was a hood line that could be 3.5 inches lower than the previous year. The flatter roof which they gave the '57 was lower, too. So the whole car came out much closer to the ground.

Ron Hill's feelings must have been typical of the small group of Cadillac designers. He remembers, "The '57 program was particularly exciting, because it required an all-new body to go with that fancy frame. We were very free in what we could do, although the standard cars had to have a solid dose of marque continuity in the styling. We couldn't stray too far there. But the tenor of the time at Cadillac was for Management to let us explore some pretty far out things, particularly on the Eldorado. We managed to take full advantage of that, I think, though many of the designs we discarded in the early stages were a lot more bizarre than what was built. For a while, we had a two-tone roof panel that went over the top of the Vicodec fabric-covered Seville hardtop, for example, but then we saw pictures of the new Rambler. It had the same roof. You can believe we dropped that pretty fast. The last thing Cadillac wanted to look like was a Rambler."

The new frame mounted improved suspensions, too. The front and rear treads were equalized at 61 inches, and handling was claimed to be much more positive as a result. At the front, spherical ball joints connected redesigned control arms, with appreciably more built-in anti-dive than was customary at the time. At the rear, a dead conventional set of semielliptic springs held the rigid axle in a grasp Don MacDonald described in a contemporary Motor Trend as "the same happy medium between softness and firmness as in 1956."

He also thought the car felt much smaller than the '56, and "more pleasant to maneuver in traffic." He did admit, however, that the new agility was probably imagined, for while the car was definitely lower than previously, it was also larger in virtually every other dimension. MacDonald couldn't resist comparing the parking of Cadillacs to docking the Queen Mary, new agility notwithstanding.

With 400 lbs-ft of torque available from that huge V-8, the majority of Cadillac models were surprisingly lively, considering total weights averaged over 5000 lbs. ready to run. Zero to 60 times fell into the 12 second bracket, with quarter-mile times around 18 seconds and 75 mph. The Eldorados were marginally faster, of course, but no Cadillac could be considered a real performance car. Silent, high-speed cruising was their forte, but getting up to speed could take understandably longer than in some of the "big engine, little car" factory hot rods that were increasingly popular in the mid-Fifties.

All things considered, the Eldorado's two huge four-barrel carbs gulped gas at a fairly modest rate. In fact, Motor Trend entitled its '57 Cadillac road test "Buy a Cadillac ... For Fuel Economy!" With a 300 hp engine and 3.07 rear axle, Walt Woron was able to get 16.9 mpg at a steady 60 mph, and an impressive 24.1 mpg at an admittedly old maidish 30 mph. Normal driving shrank the average down to a more logical 14.0 mpg, but it still wasn't bad, considering.

Except for Ron Hill's innovative rear styling, the Eldorados differed only marginally from the Series 62. Horsepower was slightly higher. but the chassis was otherwise exactly the same. There were no racing suspension kits or other common options for Cadillac's version of a sports car. It was meant strictly as a boulevardier. Handling was definitely not considered one of the car's strong points, even by comparison to other luxury cars. According to Walt Woron, "Cadillac's two main domestic competitors in this price range have some fine offerings; and, in certain categories (e.g., performance, handling and, some might say, styling) Cadillac is short of being tops. But overall, its difficult to say another make is better."

The styling, particularly of the Eldos, was certainly more ... striking. But at the front, the only differences between the Series 62 and the Eldorado were the use of two pairs of "bunny ears" ornaments on the fender crowns instead of one larger set in the center of the hood. And on the Eldos, it was possible to order a gold-anodized grille to match the gold¬plated Biarritz or Seville script on the fenders. The aluminum Sabre Spoke wheels could be had in gold, too.

These wheels came directly off the '53 Motorama version of the LeSabre, and were fitted to all the Eldorado Broughams as well as most of the Motorama showcars of the period. Cast in aluminum, the wheel centers-with their multitude of tiny radial spokes were riveted to wide steel rims. All the production Eldorados used them from 1955 through 1958, replacing the wire wheels of '53 and '54, and giving way to conventional steel wheels in 1959.

These Sabre Spoke wheels were a real Eldo tradition by 1957, one that couldn't be tampered with ... as Ron Hill discovered. "I designed a new set of wheels for the Eldorado," he says, "that were derived from classic Bugatti wheels. They had half-a-dozen wide, flat spokes. I kind of liked them, but they were vetoed. So we used the Sabre Spokes again."

At the rear, Hill's massive, split wrap¬around bumpers with integral back-up lights and exhaust ports were sand cast in aluminum to save weight and tooling expenses. The decision to use that sort of bumper treatment was influenced in part by similar bumpers on the Corvette - the Eldo was the "sporty" Cadillac.

According to Hill, that rather cluttered look wasn't originally intended. "We never did want that taillight at the base of the fin. At first, I intended to put it in the fin-like we did on the '59s. That peculiar-looking lamp at the base of the fin was a last minute thing. Until the very end the taillight was in the snorkel tube in the bumper where the exhaust pipe finally ended up. We were forced to move it because of height regulations.

"We had other mandated changes, too, though that's the only one I recall at the rear. At the front, on the other hand, we wanted quad headlights, but those weren't legal until '58. And those rubber nipples on the Dagmars were an after-thought, purely for safety reasons. At one point we even made those up in white rubber so they wouldn't seem lewd."

When you confront the Biarritz in real life, it's the sheer size of the thing that strikes you first. This car is big. The 1975 Cadillacs-still about the biggest barges in the canal-are within inches of the '57s in all critical dimensions. But you have to remember that while the average 1975 full-size car is only marginally shorter, a top model 1957 Chevy or Ford would be considered a compact today.

So in its day, the Biarritz loomed even larger on the road than it does now. There were serious discussions in the pulpits and car mags of the nation on the dangers of being struck by Dagmar bumpers, and those rubber safety tips were added in response to a real demand. People were afraid of these Cadillacs. Compared to today's Nader Bars, the 157's bumpers seem innocuous enough, but at the time they represented a real Cold War menace.

The proportions of the car are strikingly different from what we're used to. The "long hood/short deck" idiom that's characterized the shape of automobiles during most of their history-and does so again today-was virtually abandoned in the late-Fifties and early-Sixties. The rear deck of the Biarritz is slightly longer than the hood, while the actual seating package-minus the waste space beneath the wrap-around windshield and behind the rear seats-is just about one-third the length of the car. It's an extravagantly wasted space, an astonishingly small cargo capacity for such a large machine.

And although the front seat is both luxurious and comfortable, the back leaves a bit to be desired when it comes to headroom and legroom. Of course it's finished in America's finest circa 1957 real leather seats, lavish chrome trim, oceans of vinyl and Mylar. The dashboard is a gadgeteer's delight, with each instrument and warning light labelled and wrapped in its own precious little chrome bezel. In the right light, the entire dash becomes a dazzling mass of reflections, an unreadable fun house mirror of technical extravagance.

That gadget-laden impression is more than skin deep. The trunk lock operates electrically from the driver's seat, the radio antenna retracts automatically, the outside rear view mirror adjusts by remote control, a magic eye on the dash dims the headlights without human interference, the heater and fresh air vents route through a fiendishly complex maze of ducting that goes through the inner door panels and exits from ankle-toasting grilles for the rear passengers. In many ways, large and small, the all-power Eldo is the logical brethren of those popular GM experimental cars of the Fifties that endlessly followed wires embedded in the pavement like Brobdingnagian slot cars.

In other details, the Biarritz doesn't seem so clever. The fancy three-piece fiberglass cover that's intended to hide the retracted top must be manually assembled, after digging it out of the surprisingly shallow trunk that holds mostly spare tire. And of course, the fashionable dogleg of the wrap-around windshield is just as effective at busting kneecaps as it was in 1957. Rear seat passengers are restricted in their view of the world almost as severely as in the 1975 crop of fashion leaders with "opera roofs," so in some ways things haven't changed much.

Driving in the Biarritz is pleasant, though. It's no sports car, but the specimen we drove was a really satisfying over-the-road machine. Max Wilkins, who supplied the '37 Ford phaeton we tested in SIA # 25, kindly let us spend the day with his almost-new Biarritz. With less than twenty thousand miles on the clock, it must be one of the finest early Eldorados in the country. On winding back roads, it wasn't much fun, but at seventy on the highway, the Biarritz was one of the quietest, smoothest convertibles in my experience. High style in 1957, it looks bizarre today. But it's almost more attention-getting than ever. Of course, impressing the crowds was always its true function. That's the way Ron Hill planned it.

Ollr thanks to Robert Geis, William Knight and William O'Neill, Cadillac Motor Division, Detroit, Mich.; Jim Brady, Ron Hill, Dave Halls and Joe Karshner, General Motors Design Staff, Detroit, Mich.; Al Hosking, Detroit, Mich. and Ned Nickles, St. Claire Shores, Mich. Ollr special thanks to Max and Donna Wilkins, Hornell, N. Y.

Out of the frying pan...

2007-08-24T20:14:00.001-05:00

Just got the Caddy back from the shop. They did some little adjustments to tighten pieces down and had sent the generator away to get rebuilt. Will definitely need to find some parts for the window adjustments as they were missing. They adjusted the windows the best they can to get it nearly water proof. The steering was also tightened down as it was pretty loose to drive. The main reason it went into the shop was a small gas leak and that was fixed with a new hose.

Unfortunately, the generator didn't make the trip home in good shape. It's making some loud ballbearing-type grinding noises so it'll have to go back in...

Pictures

2007-08-24T16:41:00.001-05:00

Here's copies of the original pictures when I purchased the car.

Original Advertisement - National Geographic, Cadillac Motor Car Division

2007-08-24T16:21:00.001-05:00

Another eBay purchase. This original magazine advertisement is nearly identical to the other but the picture is slightly different. This ad came from The National Geographic.

The text of the ad is a slightly condensed version of the previous ad posted:

It Gives a Man a New Outlook...
... when he first views the world through the windshield of his own Cadillac car. There is the wholly new sense of pride he feels as he sits in possession of a motor car that is so widely respected. There is the entirely new feeling of mastery he enjoys as he puts the car through its brilliant paces for the very first time. And, finally, there is his deep pleasure in realizing that he has made one of motordom's soundest investments. And, of course, all of these sentiments will be all the more pronounced for the motorist who makes the move to Cadillac in 1957. Why not visit your dealer and see for yourself? You're welcome to try the view from the driver's seat at any time. Cadillac Motor Car Division - General Motors Corporation

Original Advertisement

2007-08-24T16:07:00.000-05:00

While waiting on the car, I visited eBay a few times. Here's an original 1957 "Night At The Surf Club" magazine advertisement. The ad is 10"x13" in size. (Assuming it came from Life Magazine)

The text of the ad:

It Gives a Man a New Outlook...
... when he first views the world through the windshield of his own Cadillac car. In fact, we have it on the word of Cadillac owners themselves that it constitutes one of the most edifying experiences of a motorist's life. There is, for instance, the wholly new sense of pride he feels as he sits in possession of a motor car that is so widely respected and admired. There is the entirely new feeling of confidence and mastery he enjoys as he puts the car through its brilliant paces for the very first time. There is the priceless satisfaction of knowing that he is surrounded by every luxury and safeguard known to automotive science. And, finally, there is his deep inner pleasure in realizing that he has made one of motordom's soundest investments. And, of course, these wonderful sentiments will be all the more pronounced for the lucky motorist who makes the move to Cadillac in 1957. Why not visit your dealer for a preview journey and see for yourself? You're welcome to try the view from the driver's seat at any time. Cadillac Motor Car Division - General Motors Corporation

Still waiting...

2007-08-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

The generator is frozen up...still waiting on a rebuild. At least they've made progress with some of the other items.

Meanwhile, I've been doing a little research on the model:

The 57 Biarritz was Series & Style Number: 6267SX (I've seen it listed 6267SX or 6267) Code "E"
1800 Biarritz convertibles were made
Price New: $7,218
Wheelbase: 129.5"
Overall Length: 222.1"
Eldorado's weighed about 4900 pounds
When new, it got about 12-14 mpg city, 15-17 mpg highway
115 mph top speed
0-60 in 12.4 seconds
1/4 mile in 18.6 seconds at 75 mph
300 horsepower standard, with the optional dual carb, 325 Horsepower.
Eight-cylinder OHV V-8 engine 365 cu.in.

Capacities:
19.5 quarts Cooling System
5.0 quarts Crankcase
20.0 gallon fuel tank

Standard equipment included:
White Sidewall Tires
Heater
Radio
Fog Lamps
Sabre Spoke Wheels / Chrome
Power Window Rebulators
6-Way Seat Adjuster
Trunk Lock
License Frames

The only optional equipment on the Biarritz was:
Air Conditioner
E-Z Eye Glass
Autronic Eye
Dual Carb.
You could also change the chrome grille insert to a gold color.

The VIN breakdown: The first four numbers indicated the year and series of the car ("5762") The car number is the last 6 digits.

In For Repairs #1

2007-07-21T10:55:00.000-05:00

The Caddy was dropped off yesterday to get some work done. We'll need to fix the small fuel line leak before storing it in the garage and the generator belt needs to be replaced. I'm also having them look at the brakes and give me an estimate on a redo. The right rear window is to be replaced and they are going to work on finishing the door panels, along with fixing how the front seat is bolted on. They'll also make sure that the windows are adjusted so that it's weather proof with the top up. That'll be good enough to drive this beast around!

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz arrives...

2007-07-19T20:04:00.001-05:00

The car arrived today! It definitely needs some interior work as the door panels are loose and other odds & ends. However, the body seems to be in pretty good shape with no noticeable rust on the whole thing. The chrome is mostly there, but there are some trim pieces missing which is going to be a nice project to do. The convertible top does work, the car starts up immediately with no smoke, and there's only a few drops of oil leaking after a few hours. Underneath looks pretty spotless and the engine compartment is quite good.

The brakes need to be redone and my second test drive snapped the generator belt when I gunned it for the first time. It will definitely need a new belt and the belt tension adjusted. The right rear passenger window is badly cracked but all of the power windows do work well.

All and all, it's a pretty cool car. 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, bright red exterior with red/white guts....couldn't ask for a cooler ride! It's just too bad it's not in a little better shape..but that's what this blog will be used for - to track the progress of this fine ride!