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My Cadillac 1963 Eldorado Biarritz

Color: Fire Frost Red.

Engine: V8 390 cui, 325 Horsepower

Transmission: Hydra-Matic 4-speed Automatic

Equipment: Powersteering, Power Brakes, Power Seat (six-way), Power window, Power vent, Power trunk, Power look, AM/FM radio, Power antenna, Guide-Matic (self diping headlights), Cruise Control, Air Condition.
 
 

 My car is an California Cadillac who arrived to Sweden in 1997 with myself as the first swedish owner. At that time was it a very good project car. The paint was poor, the top was cracked and the engine hadn't been used for at least twenty years. But there was no rust, the engine worked very good after a tune up and the interior was still in one piece. And it was an Eldoado Convertible. The Best of the Best car made in 1963. The year made it special cause I'm born in 1963 and that makes us of the same age. I brought it home to my garage in october -97 and began the work to take on the road in may -98. As usual was there more work then I had figured and the money spent on the restoration was more then I'd planned.
 

 The engine had only 80 000 miles (approx. 120 000 km) and worked but needed a tune up and a carb overhual. Under the tuned up it was evident that both the starting engine and the alternator had seen their best days. The carburator overhual made it necessary to buy an extra carburator to pick parts from. At last the engine runned real smooth. The smoke through the exhaust pipe was clean and spoke the language of an engine in good shape. A test of the car on the road one sunday in november told me that the Hydra-Matic transmission worked very well. But there was other thing that didn't work. The wipers made my hair turn grey. They didn't work and at last was I giving up and bought a used wipermotor. But how do I change it ? I read the shop manual several times but couldn't figure it out. Trying to find out I accidently turned the contact on and the wipers worked ? I still don't know how to change the wiper motor but it doesn't matter any more.
 

The brakes also needed a slight overhual. The Mastercylinder had to be repaired and some lines had to be changed. After cleaning the shoes they worked all right.
 

The interior was red and dirty by years in the westcoast dessert. After cleaning it up I recognized it to be in rather good shape but unfortunaly not in the original leather. Somebody had changed it into a vinyl upholstry but the pattern was still the original Eldorado and inspite of a slight miscolor I decided it would do for awhile. Many Eldorado was equipped with bucket seats but not mine. Thats alright because I prefer the sixway bench seats. But then I checked it up it didn't work. I had to take the soleniods and wires apart to make them work again. It wasn't easy and without the shopmanual I would never have managed it. After that I had to clean every contact from all the dessrt sand. It was everythere and caused shortcuts or lack of contact. Specially difficult was the lightswitch. But after using the spring from a ball pen I finally made it.
 

The top didn't work and I had to change the motor and both cylinders before I had a new black top mounted by a professional. It has now a really good fit.

Now everything worked and it was time to make her shine. The body was rustfree but had several garagedamages, some small and a couple more difficult. The paint was Fire Frost Silver and I learned that it was an optional Eldorado color. After nights of wandering we desided to change the color into Fire Frost Red, also an optional Eldorado color. Both my wife and me believe it to be a more exciting color and with the red interior would it be really nice. The garage damages had to be fixed. And inspite of me being a virgin in body working is the result quite all right. The paint job is done by a local professional and we are very pleased with the job he've done.

In the summer of -98 was there not many occassions to take the top done but the first year one the roads of sweden contended 3000 kilometers (2000 miles) of troublefree driving.
The Eldorado might be 35 years old but no comfort is missing from a modern car.
We visited some car-meets in Sweden and in Norway. I have some photos on swedish and norvegian Cadillacs and more will be added. I'm sure there is something for every taste of Cadillac. Pay a visit to my Cadillac-Gallary.

The winter of -99 is the car put away in the garage for some cosmetic work and change of seal in the steering-gear to stop a small amount of leaking fluid.