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..
@@brandonsmisek Have you ever seen these podcast 'shows' pop up your UA-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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
"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...
If the relatively humorless UA-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.
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
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
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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??
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
I had a Seville (4 door version) of this body style and LOVED IT. That car SCREAMED down the highway. Unfortunately the computerized dash would just go blank at random times -- it was a very expensive fix. If they had put old fashioned gauges on the dash instead of all LED that car would have lasted a lot longer for me.
Happy to see you back on UA-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!!! 🌲🥃
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.
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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!!
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.
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!!
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 .
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!!!!
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
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 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.
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!!!
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...
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.
Ill bet a lot of potential eldo buyers purchased the mark vii instead. This is a good looking car but looks more like my grandmas oldsmobile of the time. Its still interesting though to look at this car and see hints of the next generation to come in 92. If you look closely, you can pick up on it.
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.
My late uncle bought a new Toronado from this generation (he was about 70 at the time) and absolutely loved it, kept it for 15 trouble-free years and only let it go because he need something more substantial to tow a boat.
Love Bill's habit of throwing shade on Dalton and his detail work. Despite Bill's objection, Dalton still manages to keep his job as a detailer.🤣🤣🤣. I hate that stupid Continental spare tire boat anchor, the phoney Rolls-Royce grille and the gold turn signal indicators. I can tolerate the useless luggage rack on the back. The dealership went apeshit with all those add on. Otherwise the Eldo was a good looking example of a piece of fruit plucked before it got ripe!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
I currently own one of these beautiful cars,,,, 1988 Eldorado Biarritz, white exterior, white quarter vinyl top with maroon interior..... beautiful car gets loads of compliments... The huge opera lamps on the sides, stand up hoad ornament, power arial,,,, Mine has the touring suspension so it came with aluminium wheels... just love it and owned it since 2000. I have driven numerous times from Ontario Canada to Tampa Florida......
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.
Bill is so formulaic!...He spends the first half of the review, pointing out the myriad bad stuff...then, once behind the wheel, he blossoms into your favorite, smooth car salesman, extolling it's many virtues!...Hilarious, but also entertaining.
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.
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
These are becoming sought after collectibles, especially the 88-89 with the 4.5/4.9. In 90 to 91 they put the ugly pillow box airbag in and it ruined the interior. These cars drive really nice just like you said. Great cars thanks for the nice review!
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..
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 UA-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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
GM management have a shameful history of hobbling designers, engineers and everyone else down the line. Completely out of touch.
It was not just that they were too small. They had no style. No soul. Just a box dressed up with a chrome grill.
"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...
If the relatively humorless UA-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.
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.......
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.
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.
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!!
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.
That fake continental kit would get trashed immediately. It just does not belong on that car.
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.
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.
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!
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.
During the 80’s I used to frequent South Florida. EVERY RETIREE drove one of these. They were everywhere...
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.
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.
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"
The interiors were nice. But, goodness the exterior design and drivetrains we certainly not "Standard of the World".
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.
You have the best weather in your area. Don't complain, you do not want to deal with any depressing cold weather.
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
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
I had a Seville (4 door version) of this body style and LOVED IT. That car SCREAMED down the highway. Unfortunately the computerized dash would just go blank at random times -- it was a very expensive fix. If they had put old fashioned gauges on the dash instead of all LED that car would have lasted a lot longer for me.
Happy to see you back on UA-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!!! 🌲🥃
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...???
Roger and Me, that girl from Flint was Miss America. 👍👍 I like seeing cars from this era in good shape.
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.
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!
Love the videos bill keep em up.AND STILL WAITING FOR A MARK VII REVIEW
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
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.
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 🎉
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
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.
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.
someone vandalized the hell outta this car
Perhaps Canadians on the luggage rack?
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.
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 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!!
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.
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 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
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 .
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!!!!
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
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.
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.
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
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.
That looks like a nice Pontiac Grand Am.
7:21 You're right, front drive is just an enema to the car
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!!!
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...
I loved those when I was a young man. I took a used Seville as a demo whenever one hit the lot.
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.
Ill bet a lot of potential eldo buyers purchased the mark vii instead. This is a good looking car but looks more like my grandmas oldsmobile of the time. Its still interesting though to look at this car and see hints of the next generation to come in 92. If you look closely, you can pick up on it.
And if they passed on the Mk VII and stuck with the Eldorado, you can guarantee they bought a Mk VIII in a few years.
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.
My late uncle bought a new Toronado from this generation (he was about 70 at the time) and absolutely loved it, kept it for 15 trouble-free years and only let it go because he need something more substantial to tow a boat.
Hey Bill, what about Phil Leotardo's 98 Lincoln Town Car Executive Series with the Continental kit, isn't that pìmp?
Love Bill's habit of throwing shade on Dalton and his detail work. Despite Bill's objection, Dalton still manages to keep his job as a detailer.🤣🤣🤣. I hate that stupid Continental spare tire boat anchor, the phoney Rolls-Royce grille and the gold turn signal indicators. I can tolerate the useless luggage rack on the back. The dealership went apeshit with all those add on. Otherwise the Eldo was a good looking example of a piece of fruit plucked before it got ripe!
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.
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
Unbelievable 130 hp v8. Such a discrace
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.
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.
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.
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 👍
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.
LOVE THE SHOW 👏👏👏...... HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY EVERYONE ✌️
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!
I currently own one of these beautiful cars,,,, 1988 Eldorado Biarritz, white exterior, white quarter vinyl top with maroon interior..... beautiful car gets loads of compliments... The huge opera lamps on the sides, stand up hoad ornament, power arial,,,, Mine has the touring suspension so it came with aluminium wheels... just love it and owned it since 2000. I have driven numerous times from Ontario Canada to Tampa Florida......
I have to admit the weather in southern Florida sounds like pure hell.
I had one just like this! However it was triple black, with an aftermarket moonroof.
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...
I really enjoy your commentary, humor, and information. Thank You!
Growing up my mom always had the pimp caddies.Cabriolet roofs ,gold package,custom grilles and wheels.She absolutely loved pimping them out.
Pimp
I do indeed LOVE the burgundy white contrast in this car
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...
For the love of God Bill .You're doin it in the friggin rain. Hope ya got a brella...
Sooo needed a Bill video today!!
My dad had a Seville slant back with the gold and continental package. Aka pimp package. He said he was “the cats ass in reverse”
Am I the only one who looks at this and sees 2/3 of a normal Caddy?
That's one fancy Celebrity coupe!
yes, those cars drove better than they looked - spent lots of time with one in the 80's. exactly what Bill is saying . . .
I think this car has a nice style to it. Small but luxurious. Great review
Bill is so formulaic!...He spends the first half of the review, pointing out the myriad bad stuff...then, once behind the wheel, he blossoms into your favorite, smooth car salesman, extolling it's many virtues!...Hilarious, but also entertaining.
Its like a pontiac with a caddic badge
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.
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.
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
These are becoming sought after collectibles, especially the 88-89 with the 4.5/4.9. In 90 to 91 they put the ugly pillow box airbag in and it ruined the interior. These cars drive really nice just like you said. Great cars thanks for the nice review!
Same happened with BMW airbags ... Cars did drive as sporty with a boxy airbag.