1985 Cadillac Eldorado
FOR SALE: 1985 Cadillac Eldorado

Pictures are not the greatest - I captured them off of my video camera.

1985 Cadillac Eldorado
With the Monster 4.1 liter (HT4100)
8-Cylinder Power Rocket

Quite an appearance!

Yes I was lured to this vehicle by it's appearance and long list of options. As soon as I saw the trunk close with the power assisted motor it was all over for me.

Yes it's unfortunately powered by the infamous HT4100 engine. The previous owners had EVERY receipt for work that they had done to the car and basically it adds up to a decent sized book. They owned since '87 and after about $5000 in repairs in the last 14 years they decided it was time to cut their loses and sell it. Actually they didn't seem all that happy about it. Sort of sentimental and all. The did seem to be pretty happy with their Toyota Camry. Another satisfied GM customer.

I always thought older people driving Cadillacs were going slow because they wanted to. Now I know that at least the ones in Caddys powered (or should I say not-so-powered) by the HT4100 are going so slow because they have no other choice and my actually have the petal floored... not that they or anyone else would notice.

Lack of power aside it's a real joy to drive. Great looks, comfortable ride, decent gas mileage, lots of room...

1985 Cadillac Eldorado Rear

So far here is what I know about the car:

The radiator has been replaced twice and both times the shops noted that they installed " the pellets".

Automatic height adjustment has been converted to a manual inflation system located just below the rear bumper.

The owner was meticulous about using 10W30 oil only in the throughout it's life. Actually he was quite meticulous about allot of things. He gave me very careful instructions on how to check all the cars fluids, closing the doors with only enough force to get them to shut properly... "there's allot of electronics in there - be careful" he said.

Heating system seems to have a mind of it's own and doesn't care much what I'm thinking.

I ended up selling this car after about 2 months- I was actually having nightmares about the HT4100 leaking radiator fluid into the engine.

Purchased 3/30/2001

Some Eldorado History:

1956 Cadillac Eldorado Front View

The Name of the Cadillac - Eldorado:

The name was proposed for a special show car built in 1952 to mark Cadillac's Golden Anniversary; it was the result of an in-house competition won by Mary-Ann Zukosky (married name = Marini), a secretary in the company's merchandising department. Another source, Palm Springs Life magazine, attributes the name to a resort destination in California's Coachella Valley that was a favorite of General Motors executives, the Eldorado Country Club. In any case, the name was adopted by the company for a new, limited-edition convertible that was added to the line in 1953.

The name Eldorado was derived from the Spanish words "el dorado", the "gilded one" or the "golden one"; the name was given originally to the legendary chief or "cacique" of a South American Indian tribe. Legend has it that his followers would sprinkle his body with gold dust on ceremonial occasions and he would wash it off again by diving into a lake. The name more frequently refers to a legendary city of fabulous riches, somewhere in South America, that inspired many European expeditions, including one to the Orinoco by England's Sir Walter Raleigh.

The Eldorado model was part of the Cadillac line from 1953 to 2002. The Cadillac Eldorado was the longest running American personal luxury car and amazingly it was the only one sold after the 1998 model year. Its main competitors included the Lincoln Mark Series and the lower-priced Buick Riviera. Although they really don't actually compare...

1959 Cadillac Eldorado

Although cars bearing the name varied considerably in bodystyle and mechanical layout during this long period, the Eldorado models were always near the top of the Cadillac line. Nevertheless, and except for the Eldorado Brougham models of 1957-1960, the most expensive models were always the opulent, long wheel-based Series 75 sedans and limousines, not the Eldorado.

Cadillac Eldorado's During the 1950's

The 1953 Eldorado was a special-bodied, low-production convertible (532 units in total). It was the production version of the 1952 El Dorado "Golden Anniversary" concept car. Available in four unique colors (Aztec Red, Alpine White, Azure Blue and Artisan Ochre - the latter is a yellow hue, although it was shown erroneously as black in the color folder issued on this rare model). Convertible tops were available in either black or white Orlon. There was no special badging on the car, other than the "Eldorado" nameplate, in "gold", in the center of the dash. A hard tonneau cover, flush with the rear deck, hid the top in the open car version. Although it was based on the regular Series 62 convertible and shared its engine, it was nearly twice as expensive at US$7,750. This car was 221 inches long and 79 inches wide.

This first Eldorado had a wraparound windshield and a cut-down beltline, the latter signifying a dip in the sheetmetal at the bottom of the side windows. These two touches were especially beloved by General Motors Styling Chief Harley Earl and subsequently were widely copied by other marques. In fact, throughout the 50s, Eldorado was GM's styling leader, and since GM led the industry, where the Eldorado went, everyone else would tend to follow.

In 1954, Eldorado lost its unique sheet metal, sharing its basic body shell with standard Cadillacs. Distinguished now mainly by trim pieces, this allowed GM to lower the price and they were rewarded with a substantial jump in sales.

The 1955 Cadillac Eldorado:

For 1955, the Eldorado's body gained its own rear end styling with high, slender, pointed tailfins. These contrasted with the rather thick, bulbous fins which were common at the time and were an example of Eldorado once again pointing the way forward.

For 1956, a two-door hardtop coupe version appeared, called the Eldorado Seville.