1979 CADILLAC ELDORADO BIARRITZ WITH RARE 5.7L DIESEL
Note: If you have trouble viewing the pictures, please see them by clicking here instead. You can also phone the owner at (417) 489-2532.
This is a beautiful car that still runs and drives like new. It is in amazing condition with only 82,006 original miles. These are actual miles and the odometer has never gone around. It is completely rust free having been a California car all of its life, but it is currently located near Branson, Missouri. It has always been owned by non-smokers and it smells like leather inside. It has been garage kept all 32 years of its life. The windshield is perfect. The paint is still original and looks fine. There are no door dings and all body panels are smooth and straight. There is not one stitch of rust anywhere (even underneath), and I took several photos to show this. The white leather has no fading or cracking or any issues at all. It is soft and comfortable. The transmission shifts perfectly. It has automatic air conditioning and heating and the associated mechanisms all still work exactly as they should. The A/C does not have any leaks nor has it been converted. It creates ice cold air. The entire car is in wonderful shape.
I have owned this car for almost 7 years and I am the second owner. It was originally sold in Turlock, California, and has always been in California until I purchased it and brought it to Missouri. It was a one-owner car and I still have the original blue California license plates. I placed the original plates back onto the car for these pictures, however I have the car currently registered with historic "vintage" plates. The original plates will be included with the car, along with a copy of the old California title. I have clear title in hand.
This car is special to me and I am very careful to give it proper exercise, which will definitely be a benefit to the next owner. You can get in this Cadillac and drive it across the country if you wish. Over the past 6 years I have performed the following:
The only significant issues the car has are: A small vertical cushion is missing on the rear bumper, some chrome pitts around the quarter window frames, and the fuel gauge does not read properly. A new AC Delco fuel sending unit is included to correct the fuel gauge. The only reason I am selling is because I am moving. As you can see by the way I keep the car, I have never intended to sell it.
Generally I calculate real, actual fuel mileage of 28 MPG for normal driving in a mix of city/hwy. It is very economical, fun to drive, fun to own, and is a lot of car for a very low price. The triple white color is what makes this car so special. It gets compliments everywhere it goes. The colors always cheer me up when I drive it, and the gas mileage is cheerful too. I have included many photos because I know buying a car online like this can be difficult. Test drives and inspections are very welcome, but only before the auction ends. I am willing to end the auction early if needed. It is "priced to sell" and you will be very happy with it. Thank you. Here are the photos:
1979 is the first year for this body style, making it very collectable. However, the combination of the first year, Biarritz model, factory sunroof, triple white, with the diesel drivetrain is a very rare car indeed. The '79 certainly has the most chrome. The fully chromed egg-crate front grille is the most easily identifiable sign of a '79. The dashboard chrome, which was deleted in the early 80s, is another huge plus about the '79. Perhaps the most noticeable difference for the Biarritz model was the optional magnesium wheels -- this style was only offered in 1979 which makes the car stand out from its '80-'85 cousins.
There is no rust on the car anywhere -- even underneath.
The 1979 model has the most beautiful front grille of all the years of this body style. It is a unique egg-crate grille that is spring-loaded to prevent damage (the only year that was done).
I am personally very happy with the paint. In a close inspection of the hood and trunk, there are no cracks or "crows feet" at all. That is a testament to the car having been kept inside (remember this is GM lacquer). I would still say the pictures make it look perfect whereas in reality it has some flaws due to age. There are light swirls and scratches and some touch- ups. It still looks great and is completely free of dings or dents.
Chrome on the front is still bright and new looking.
The brushed stainless steel top is the most well-known feature of the Biarritz model. This one has no stains and is in excellent condition. Whenever anyone looks at the car, it is the first thing they notice.
The Biarritz interior is what makes this car so much fun to own, especially the white leather seats which are like new in this car.
Carpets and seat belts are also excellent with no fading.
Leather is in excellent condition.
This is the command center. There is a wonderful easy driving feel from that steering wheel, which both tilts and telescopes (adjustable forward and backward). The steering wheel leather, another Biarritz feature, is also in excellent condition. The steering wheel emblem is still perfect and the wreath around the Cadillac crest has no wear marks on it at all. As you can see, this car is full of options since it is a Biarritz model. It was factory ordered with twilight sentinel (turns the lights on automatically at night), Astroroof, rear window defogger, dual power seats with the optional passenger power recline feature, rear seat reading lamps, 8-track player, power trunk pull-down, and of course standard items like power windows, door-locks, mirrors, cruise control, intermittent wipers, fully automatic climate control, and that's just what I can think of at this moment. You may also be interested to know this car is equipped with massive 4-wheel disc brakes.
The car has only 82,006 original miles. The speedometer, odometer and trip-odometer all work perfectly. The main thing you need to watch here is the speedometer, because this car is so smooth that the speed gets away from you. It likes to cruise at around 75 MPH. It is the first car in 15 years in which my wife has ever received a speeding ticket.
The dash is perfect with no cracks or scratches at all. The simulated wood is all smooth and without a scratch. Very good chrome.
The dash is perfect with no cracks and still looks new.
Twilight sentinel control, cruise, and intermittent wipers.
The automatic climate control works perfectly. I should also note on the air conditioning that it is the best I have ever had in any Cadillac. It produces ice cold air immediately when you start the motor. The system has no leaks and does not require periodic recharging. The air direction functions all work as they should (A/C out the vents, heat out the bottom, defrost out the top, etc).
Notice that the digital display dims (compared with previous photo) when the headlights are switched on for night driving. The clock works great. 1979 was the first year Cadillacs were equipped with digital clocks. The stereo also has digital tuning for both AM and FM stations, including seek and scan features. The reception has never been great, but my favorite station comes in clearly. The automatic antenna works great. It is still the original factory antenna. The 8-track player plays tapes very well and does not eat them.
This is a very large factory Cadillac Astro-Roof. You can open the cover to enjoy the moonroof, or slide the chrome switch (just forward of the handle) to retract the roof completely and enjoy the outdoors. It still works perfectly and does not leak.
The headliner still looks new. I had the entire headliner replaced when I bought the car in 2005. It was expensive due to the work associated with the Astro-Roof.
Each rear seat passenger has their own reading light with magnification lens, a feature of the Biarritz package.
The floor-mats are brighter red than the actual carpet. I have thought many times of changing them, but everyone seems to like the color.
Back seat leather is also beautiful.
The door panels are in excellent condition. They were re-covered with marine grade vinyl when the headliner was done. It matches perfectly and will last for a very long time. They had a few hairline cracks on the top near the window that were too much of an eyesore. It was an expensive labor-intensive job because these doors had to come completely apart.
All of these various controls work perfectly.
The passenger side.
The passenger seat is an 8-way power seat since it includes a power recline feature, which was a very expensive option. The original factory Biarritz carpet (I call it "fluffy") is a deep luxurious pile that is everywhere including on the door panels, and is a well known feature of the Biarritz package. You have got to see it to believe it.
Notice the handle at the back of the door, which was only available on the first couple of years for this body style, and then deleted on later models. It allows the rear seat passengers to exit the car without assistance. They can open the door.
The doors are all perfect. If you are familiar with Eldorados, you will know that this is the first place they will rust. However, these doors show not even the slightest hint of rust. These doors open and close perfectly and do not have any issues from sagging.
The entire underneath of the car is also perfect without any rust.
The 5.7 Liter diesel engine is the best part about this car and once you drive it you will be "hooked". Contrary to popular belief, this engine was not a "converted gas engine". Many people believe that because it had the same displacement as the gasoline 350 CID. However, it was a completely different engine. The block was built as a diesel from the ground up and has no resemblance to the gasoline block at all. When properly maintained, these are fantastic engines and I have owned 4 of them. An acquaintance of mine had a '79 Seville that went over 300,000 miles with the engine never having been apart. It is still going today. That is how I became interested in the diesel models many years ago. The parts for these engines are easy to obtain at any auto parts store. The 5.7L was also a GM truck motor and the next generation, called the 6.2L, shared many of the same parts. The pleasure of owning a diesel is one of Cadillac's best kept secrets. For a complete history of the engine and for every available resource visit www.olds-diesel.com
I have seen many examples on the Internet where people have installed a WVO (Waste Vegetable Oil) kit on these engines. I am certain they would also work on Biodiesel. At the bottom of this photo you can see the air compressor for the auto-leveling system. It works perfectly and has fairly new pneumatic shocks.
There are no dings.
For those of you who are interested in tire size: P225/70R15. Tires are 5 years old but do not have very many miles on them.
These magnesium wheels are in excellent shape and they are very rarely seen. 1979 was the only year with this design.
Power antenna works perfectly.
This photo was just taken inside the garage just after the car had new bumper fillers installed (2010).
Perfect trunk. The power trunk pull-down feature works the way it should. No slamming of the trunk is required as it motors down on its own. The trunk and hood struts are all new.
The jack, handle, and air canister (for blowing up the full size spare tire) are all untouched and still in their original location.
The compact spare tire blows up to a full sized spare with the air canister.
All of the original books and manuals are included, and the kit for manually operating the sunroof (never opened).
CONDITIONS OF SALE: I am willing to end the auction early if needed. Inspections are welcome prior to purchase. Please feel free to call me with any questions (phone number is below). You will not be disappointed at all. This is a fantastic car.
I live near Branson, Missouri. This is a great time of year to visit Branson and all shows are open. It might make a nice trip to combine a visit to Branson with picking up the Cadillac. I would be happy to pick you up at any one of 3 airports: Springfield SGF, Branson BKG, and Northwest Arkansas XNA. Some of the super discount airlines are moving in around here. Branson has Frontier Airlines, Branson Air Express, and Airtran Airways (access these through www.flybranson.com), while Springfield now has Allegiant Air (www.allegiantair.com). The discount airlines are not listed on travel websites like Orbitz.com; rather, you have to go directly to their websites to find flights. Otherwise, you can arrange your own shipping and I will be available when the shipper arrives.
If you are seriously interested, feel free to call me at home: (417) 489-2532.
Thank you.